Sales

Financing That Fuels Business Growth

Recap of the Ask a Pro webinar featuring Megan and Rick from Acorn Finance.

Aug 21, 2025

Ask a Pro is our live webinar series where we sit down with experienced trades professionals to talk real growth, hard-earned lessons, and what it takes to run a modern service business.

In this session, we spoke with Megan and Rick from Acorn Finance, a financing platform that connects contractors and homeowners with competitive loan options. With years of combined experience in contracting and financing, Megan and Rick brought unique insights into how financing impacts close rates, job size, and customer confidence.

From raising average tickets to removing cost objections to building financing into your sales process, this conversation was packed with real-world strategies service pros can put into practice immediately.

Watch the full webinar here.

Quick Takeaways

Here are 5 standout insights from the conversation:

1. Offering financing increases close rates and average job size.

Customers are more likely to say yes and choose larger projects when affordability is shown upfront.

2. 74% of homeowners walk away from projects because of cost.

Financing helps contractors capture sales they’d otherwise lose.

3. Offer financing to everyone.

Many homeowners with savings still prefer flexible payment options.

4. Timing matters—mention financing early and again when presenting price.

This builds awareness and makes monthly payments feel like a natural option.

5. Keep it simple and confident.

Homeowners don’t want jargon; they want to know financing is quick, easy, and safe.

About Acorn Finance

Acorn Finance is a lending marketplace that helps contractors offer homeowners fast, simple financing options with no dealer fees. With over 15 lending partners and funds delivered in as little as 1–2 business days, Acorn makes financing accessible and stress-free for both contractors and customers.

Megan and Rick bring decades of combined experience in homeowner lending and in-home sales, and they’re passionate about helping contractors close more jobs by making projects affordable.

Full Recap

1. Financing Boosts Close Rates and Job Size

Megan opened by sharing Acorn’s survey of 1,000 homeowners: 74% said cost was the main reason they didn’t move forward. By showing financing options, contractors can overcome that barrier.

“The better job you can do showing affordability, the more likely they’ll proceed now versus later.” – Megan

Rick, a former contractor, added that average tickets often increase by 70% when financing is offered because homeowners choose bigger, more complete projects.

2. Homeowners Expect Options

Many homeowners (even those with savings) prefer financing because they don’t want to drain their nest egg. Popular options like 12-month same-as-cash or low-interest personal loans help them move forward with confidence.

“It’s not that they can’t afford it, they just don’t want to touch their savings.” – Rick

3. Overcoming Stigma Around Financing

Financing can feel intimidating for contractors and customers alike. Acorn aims to remove that barrier.

“There’s a stigma—it feels complicated. But if you can confidently bring it up, you ease their minds.” – Megan

Contractors don’t need to know every answer themselves; Acorn provides training, resources, and support to back them up.

4. When and How to Bring It Up

Rick emphasized the importance of mentioning financing early in the conversation (during your warm-up or company story) and again when presenting price.

“Just casually bring it up. Most customers don’t even know it’s an option.” – Rick

This makes monthly payments feel like a natural part of the process instead of a last-minute add-on.

5. Training Your Team to Sell with Confidence

Financing shouldn’t feel pushy. Rick recommends building it into your reps’ scripts as a simple, matter-of-fact offering. Acorn also provides sales talk tracks, a contractor portal, and live team training to make implementation seamless.

6. FieldPulse + Acorn: Financing Made Simple

Through FieldPulse’s partnership with Acorn, contractors can offer financing directly within estimates and invoices. It’s already built into your portal, making it as easy as checking a box.

“FieldPulse has made it probably the simplest it can be to get financing—it’s right in your portal, right in your invoice.” – Megan

This integration ensures contractors can increase close rates and offer better customer experiences without extra steps.

Final Thoughts

From Megan and Rick’s experience, one thing’s clear: financing helps contractors win more jobs and grow their revenue. Whether you’re replacing a roof, installing a new HVAC system, or quoting a full remodel, your ability to show affordability can mean the difference between losing a bid and closing a deal.

The contractors who thrive aren’t just the best at technical work, they’re the ones who make projects financially accessible for homeowners.