They Want to Buy Your Shop. They Have Done This Before. Have You?
By Nicole Carter, Founder of NEGOTIATiā„
The call from a buyer feels like a finish line. For the buyer, it is the first move in a process they have run dozens of times.
If you own an HVAC, plumbing or electrical company, you may have already gotten the call, the email or the letter. Someone admires what you have built. They would love to talk about a partnership. The number they float sounds like more money than you have ever seen in one place.
You are not imagining the interest. Private equit...
You Finished the Job. Why Are You Still Paying for It?
By Nicole Carter, Founder of NEGOTIATiā„
The hardest part of a commercial job usually isn't the work. It's waiting to get paid for work you already finished.
If you run a trade shop, you know the rhythm. Payroll goes out every Friday. Materials get paid on delivery. And the check from the general contractor shows up whenever it shows up.
That gap is not a small annoyance. In a May 2026 survey of nearly 500 construction finance professionals by Siteline, 92% of subcontractors said they had floa...
The General Contractor Has the Paperwork. You Have the Crew.
By Nicole Carter, Founder of NEGOTIATiā„
Most small trade shops don't lose money because their rates are too low. They lose it because they accept the big contractor's number before they ever name their own.
That habit is getting more expensive. In its third-quarter 2026 cost report, ENR reported that construction unemployment fell to 3.1% in August, an all-time low, as contractors struggle to fill openings amid surging data center demand. Large contractors reported average electrician wage inc...
