Reaching 100 years is quite a milestone for any business, let alone for a family plumbing business. Especially when you consider the average lifespan for a family-owned business is 24 years, according to Cornell University’s SC Johnson School of Business.

Like most kids after graduating high school, Larry Shoemaker went to college. However, he came home after about a year, and started working in his father’s plumbing business, Deluxe Plumbing & Heating.

Technology never ceases to amaze me. I still marvel how I can voice control all the lights in my home through my nifty Google Home devices, change the thermostat temperature with a tap of a button on my phone — and the latest, shut off my water at the main (also from my phone) thanks to my FloLogic leak detection system.

Qualified leads are not cheap. As your plumbing business grows, it becomes obvious that upselling and upgrading materials is a skill that you need to develop to get the most out of your deals.