Do you see yourself becoming a business owner someday? Starting as an HVAC technician is a great path to owning your own HVAC business. Here’s what you need to know about becoming a successful HVAC contractor.
HVAC Contractor Business: Benefits & Responsibilities
When you’re a business owner, your job is no longer just about solving technical problems. It’s running a successful business. Here are some of the things you’ll need to do and oversee:
- Business administration
- Licensing and certifications
- Finance
- Marketing and sales
- Networking and customer relationships
- Hiring
- Training
- Purchasing
- Policies and procedures
- Technology implementation
- Monitoring market trends & new ideas
Yes, owning your own business comes with a lot of work and responsibilities. But the rewards are just as big. You get to make the decisions. You choose the people you work with, and the type of work you want to do. Your business can specialize in commercial or residential HVAC. You can focus on new installations or service work. You could also choose to specialize in Refrigeration installation and service.
And when your business is successful, you get the satisfaction of positively impacting the lives of your employees as well as your customers.
How much can you earn with your own HVAC business?
There’s a wide range of potential earnings from owning your own HVAC contracting business. For a small business where you’re the owner/operator or have a few employees, the average is between $50,000 to $100,000. So you may not earn more than you could as a technician. However, you do gain the freedom to run your company your own way.
With a larger business you can earn significantly more, upwards of $200,000 or even $250,000. To be that successful, you’ll need a smart marketing strategy, efficient operations, and a business that maintains a large number of loyal customers with exceptional service.
HVAC Contractor: Skills & Qualifications Needed
Starting your career as a technician gives you a great foundation for becoming a business owner: you understand the technical side of the business and (hopefully) how to build relationships with customers. But there are many more skills you’ll need to develop to build a successful business, including:
- Resilience
- Strategic planning
- Entrepreneurship
- Responsibility
- Adaptability
- Problem solving
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Collaboration
- Decision making
- Research
More career opportunities in HVACR
Learn more about rewarding career opportunities in the HVAC & Refrigeration industry.
HVACR Career Connect NY was created to promote the exceptional quality-of-life benefits of a career in HVAC and Refrigeration service, and also to provide a clear path for getting started in the profession. In doing so, we serve as a resource for employers in the New York City metro area to find and hire smart and capable new technicians. We also serve as an educational resource to support business growth and to help service technicians succeed in their chosen profession.
