How to start an HVAC business

You need to consider your responsibilities of running an HVAC business, consider the costs of hiring HVAC employees, and market your HVAC business in order to start an HVAC business. For more details on each of these steps to start an HVAC business, use this guide:

• Determine your responsibilities in running an HVAC business. When you run your HVAC business, you have many responsibilities and have to be great at multitasking.

There are, of course, financial obligations to consider and HVAC services to determine, but one element you need to keep on top of your mind is government and industry regulations.

Here are some things to remember in this area:

• How your HVAC business is going to affect the environment and how you plan to deal with that.

• Local laws concerning the operation of your HVAC business, including employment laws regarding your staff of HVAC technicians and others.

• The health and safety regulations you are going to have to comply with to keep you, your team, and your customers safe.

The best way to stay up to speed on everything in the HVAC industry is to join an HVAC trade association. These have certain requirements you must meet in order to be considered eligible.

Joining one is invaluable though because you are able to take advantage of training and professional development opportunities. They can also provide support if you hire HVAC contractors or an apprentice.

• Consider the costs of hiring HVAC employees. Hiring qualified professionals for HVAC services is usually a big cost, depending on the size of your company.

Even if you are initially going to keep your business on the small side, you are still going to need a moderate-sized workforce.

Here are some common salaries for HVAC by role and experience level:

• HVAC sales representative - $49,586 per year

• HVAC tech entry-level (zero to two years of experience) - $44,100 per year

• HVAC tech intermediate roles (two to four years of experience) - $52,400 per year

• HVAC tech senior positions (four to seven years of experience) - $58,900 per year

• HVAC tech supervisory roles (over seven years of experience) - $78,500 per year

Just be sure you have enough startup capital to properly pay your HVAC employees. You should offer competitive salaries and wages to get qualified individuals.

• Market your HVAC business. The HVAC market is actually quite competitive, so you need to develop excellent marketing strategies to stand out.

Do market research on HVAC businesses in your local area; this is very important. It means finding out the consumer base in your area, as well as any competitors that may exist.

Find out how other similar businesses are operating, here are some good questions to answer:

Understanding your competition, who they serve, the price quotes they have, and their clientele, will help you determine how you can market a successful HVAC business that will stand out in a crowded field.

Another great way to learn about competitors is to talk with their customers. Here you can get information on what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong, and at the same time, you'll be doing customer research.

Here are some marketing strategies to look into for your HVAC business:

• Social media marketing

• Online advertisements

• Commercials

• Billboards

• Word-of-mouth