What's new in the Academy: six fresh guides for service trades

Six new guides went live on the Plyrium Academy this week. Quick rundown of each, plus a small navigation upgrade on the All Trades hub.

What's new

Why Google Local Services Ads Will Burn Through $3K Before You Get a Lead — All Trades. An honest look at LSA economics: what they really cost per booked job, the dispute system that decides whether you make money, and the contractor profile where they actually pencil out. Read it.

The Owner's Pay Problem: Why Most Contractors Underpay Themselves — All Trades. The pattern that quietly bankrupts contractors by year 5, what your real salary should be, and how to fix the gap when cash flow can't cover it. Read it.

HVAC Maintenance Agreements: Pricing, Margins, and What Customers Actually Want in 2026 — HVAC. How to price residential maintenance plans, what to include, the contract terms that prevent slow-burn losses, and the real margin math on a 500-customer book. Read it.

Insurance Claim Roofs vs. Cash Roofs: Which Customers You Actually Want — Roofing. The 60/40 mix that most established residential roofers settle into, the hidden cost stack of insurance work the trainers don't talk about, and when to walk away from claim work. Read it.

Solo Cleaner to 3-Crew Owner: The Brutal Middle Year — House Cleaning. The 12 months between when you stop cleaning houses and start running a business will quietly bankrupt half the people who attempt it. Here's the financial threshold to clear before scaling and the hiring order that works. Read it.

The 9-Month Problem: Surviving the Landscaping Off-Season — Landscaping. Off-season revenue streams that actually pencil out, the staffing mix that doesn't bankrupt you in February, and the savings rule that turns 9 productive months into 12 paychecks. Read it.

All Trades hub is easier to navigate

The All Trades section grew enough that scrolling through every article got tedious. There are now sub-category chips at the top of the hub to filter down to what you need:

• Starting out — your first year, business setup, first customers
• Sales & marketing — leads, ads, organic, referrals
• Pricing & money — quoting, cost, owner pay, collections
• Hiring & ops — your first dispatcher, first crew, scaling

The other industry hubs (HVAC, Roofing, etc.) stay flat for now since they each have a handful of articles. When any of them grow past ten, we'll add categories there too.

What's next

A few more guides in draft for next week — plumbing water heater pricing, generator interlocks for electricians, pool service route economics. If there's a topic specific to your trade you wish existed, email support@plyrium.com and we'll bump it up the queue.