SnapCount Insights

As a business owner, you understand the value of a dollar. While there will always be someone trying to sell you on the “latest and greatest” or some new bells and whistles, you need a pretty compelling reason to change what you’re doing, especially when you’ve got a solution that works.

It’s this line of thinking that accounts for why many auditors still rely on spreadsheets to complete their work. But while spreadsheets might seem like the most inexpensive solution, on closer inspection, you might be surprised to discover they come with plenty of costs of their own, both in terms of your time and your money.

To explain what we mean, here are 10 reasons your spreadsheets cost you far more than you think.

Conducting a successful lighting audit is no simple feat. But in an industry where time equals money, the most savvy auditors are always looking for ways to streamline the process for greater efficiency. Some even go so far as software design in an attempt to create their own custom tool that can quickly resolve the most common problems they face.

But that’s no simple thing, either. Just ask Ty Clark, the founder of LightBids. LightBids is a lighting audit software Ty developed in his quest to help auditors overcome the most common challenges they face on the job. The lessons he learned in the process are invaluable for anyone thinking of going down the same path.

Call us ahead of our time: While we’ve always understood the incredible impact efficiency measures have on energy operations, we’re seeing the mainstream take notice in a big, big way. As corporations work to achieve significant sustainability goals, it has led to a reality where energy efficiency has become a de facto obligation for leading business and their facilities.

Given the nearly 6 million non-residential buildings in the United States representing over 100 billion square feet of space, energy and electrification represent a $2 trillion opportunity over the next 10 years.

Yes, that’s a lot of opportunity for our industry, but we’re also putting our own dollars, reputations, and human capital and energy at stake on these projects. With so much work on the horizon, now is the time to make sure our energy audits are the best they can possibly be. If we don’t, there will be a high price to pay.

When we talk about return on investment in the retrofit business, it’s usually because we’re talking to customers. Guiding them through the ROI of retrofit projects and explaining the most meaningful metrics is one of the best ways to get them on board with a project. Who could turn down the opportunity to save money and even increase their margins?

Great question. Because today, we’re going to talk about how you can see a great return when you invest in retrofit software.

The past few years have been a roller-coaster ride, to say the least, for the world economy as a whole. And energy retrofitters have been subject to many of the same dizzying swoops.

One day it seems like business is booming, and the next, demand bottoms out. Or demand skyrockets, but you can’t get the materials you need to complete your lighting projects on schedule.

The future looks to be more of the same.

Lighting retrofits are among the most promising opportunities for electrical contractors right now, which is great news for your business growth. But with margins tightening and clients expecting more work in less time, you can’t afford to make mistakes that eat into your profits.

Here are the most common mistakes contractors and their team members make while working on LED lighting retrofit projects—and some tips from an experienced electric contractor to help you avoid these mistakes.

“Safety First!” is an old motto, but it still rings true to experienced lighting and electrical auditors: You simply can’t afford to get hurt on the job.

Being safe during an electrical audit helps preserve your client relationships, maximizes your profit and most importantly, keeps you injury-free so you can continue working, growing your business and enjoying life.

Sounds great … but how do you optimize your safety processes when every job is in a different setting?

Electrical contractors know new doesn’t automatically mean better.

If a tool or technique works reasonably well, why risk the potential cost and disruption of switching to an unproven alternative, like energy retrofit software? Paper is cheap, and you already have an Excel license. Plus, any new software typically comes with a learning period (and maybe a little grumbling from employees.)

As it turns out though, energy retrofit software can quickly pay for itself, and then some—and in ways you might not have expected.

There were over 12 billion devices connected to the Internet of Things by 2021. By 2025, the IoT will have over 27 billion endpoints (according to IoT Analytics).

Lighting technology will account for a large percentage of those new IoT devices. Will your retrofit company have a hand in installing them?

It’s no secret the construction industry has been experiencing a labor shortage for a while.

But now, it’s even worse. In 2020, more baby boomers retired than ever before. This wave of pandemic-motivated early retirements is expected to continue throughout 2022 and beyond.

The loss of the older generation of workers has hit the lighting and energy retrofit industry particularly hard. The wave of new generations of skilled workers is forcing businesses to prioritize sustainability & ESG initiatives as a way to attract top talent to their organiziation.