Businesses have had to overcome all of the changes that came with the pandemic, such as working from home and social distancing. Our latest blog reflects on how this last year has changed our industry and highlights 5 emerging HVAC trends that your peers and industry professionals are keeping on their radar to end the year off strong.

Keep reading to learn more about how you can stay ahead of the curve!

Top 5 emerging HVAC trends that you need to put on your radar

1) HVAC technicians are in high demand

In 2019, over 88% of HVAC technicians reported a “good” or “excellent” business year in spite of the pandemic. Taking a look at employment trends, over 1.2 million Americans were employed by HVAC companies in the last 2 years, and the industry is projected to grow by 13% overall before the end of the decade. This rate is higher than the average growth rate for any other job field in the industry!

With this in mind, we can definitely expect further growth in 2021.

So, what does this mean for you? It’s important that your business has the right management software in place to scale up efficiently and effectively. Critical parts in your daily operations — like payroll and reporting, training new staff, work order management, and invoicing — should be automated to make it a smooth and easy process for your team.

Only a leading software can take these processes off your hands as your business grows, so the next step for you is finding the right solution that fits your team’s needs.  

2) Hiring challenges remain at the top of mind

In spite of the positive industry outlook, the interest in the trades as a career choice has continued to decline over the last few years. In response, it’s important to be asking yourself questions related to your hiring and onboarding strategy.

What are you doing to attract top talent? Are you implementing new technology to make your day-to-day operations more efficient and manageable? The data shows that young people prefer different forms of communications — like texting — over phone calls and emails. Are you leveraging this preference to maintain productivity across your team?

If your answer is no — don’t worry! You can leverage the latest tech platforms to completely automate your operations and streamline your work order management with the click of a button.

3) It’s time to digitize your operations

Are your technicians still writing invoices? Digital payments have been on the rise in the last few years, but this trend has boomed tremendously since the pandemic. People simply don’t prefer check writing or cash anymore.

It’s important for your business to adapt by incorporating mobile payment systems and payroll software to digitize your processes. This is another way to address the current hiring struggles as well — young people prefer to be paid digitally rather than to receive cash or checks.

Luckily, there are many restaurant tech options on the market that are equipped with this service, so the next step for you is finding the right platform for your business!

4) Climate change is affecting HVAC systems now more than ever

The topic of climate change isn’t new, but its impact on the HVAC industry is definitely getting louder. Customers are becoming more and more concerned about the environmental impact of new equipment and retrofits. They’re increasingly willing to pay a heftier price for more sustainable and eco-friendly products.

And this doesn’t just impact technicians! Engineers now have to design systems that meet governmental ESG regulations. Contractors are also facing new regulations with equipment installation, repair and maintenance.

So, what does this mean for HVAC businesses? It’s essential for you to address these growing environmental concerns to avoid losing out on new business and market share to your peers.

5) Data analytics are critical to track and measure your success

We all know the power of data, but how well are you really leveraging data analytics and insights in your day to day operations?

Data analytics solutions give you a holistic view of your business and staff. Who’s performing well and building your brand? What are the pain points that you should address? What are the trends and patterns that you should be observing over time?

If you aren’t currently using an analytics platform, don’t worry! There are various solutions on the market that give you full visibility into your team’s dispatch schedule, individual and team performance, work order feedback and reviews, all of which allows you to make informed business decisions. There’s no better time than now to start!

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Leveraging a great technology platform will allow you to focus your efforts on growing your business. If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, look no further!

ResQ is a R&M management platform that connects 4,000+ restaurant brands across North America with service providers to complete commercial work orders — and we want you to join us.

With ResQ, you can:

• Grow your business: Accept or reject work orders as you see fit — with no monthly subscription or membership fees.
• Get paid faster: Increase cash flow with predictable payment options to remove the stress of collecting outstanding payments.
• Make informed business decisions: Get full visibility and insights into your team’s dispatch schedule, performance, feedback and ratings so you can reward your team and identify pain points accordingly.

Ready to take your business to the next level? Get in touch with us today to learn more.