Join John Wilson and Jack Carr in another episode of ' Owned and Operated ,' where they dive deep into how to grow in the home service business; specifically residential plumbing, HVAC, and electric services. John discusses the challenges of thinking too small, the benefits of having substantial goals, and the potential of raising capital to scale operations. With insights on securing C-level talent and optimizing business growth, this session is packed with valuable advice for home service entr...
May 30, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 126
Is your home service using EOS and training to their full potential? Today on Owned and Operated , John and Jack talk about the need to replace unreliable vehicles with new vans, the benefits of leasing, and the recent whole company staff meeting aimed at clarifying company goals and values. They also explore the complexities of managing capacity issues, the nuance required in making significant business decisions, and the importance of continuous training and meetings to maintain high performan...
May 28, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 125
What happens when your Home Service Business ownership hits disaster, and how do you survive business hardship? Hard questions this week, as Owned and Operated hosts Jack and John tackle a question from the Owned and Operated private business owner group on Facebook to talk about navigating the murky water of when things go badly for your business. John also talks about the challenges of managing a business in hard times, such as deciding to shut down parts of the operation to focus on large pro...
May 23, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 124
In this episode of Owned and Operated, hosts John Wilson and Jack Carr share insights from running a home service business specializing in residential plumbing, HVAC, and electric growth, in podcast form. This week, the two talk strategies for managing capacity and fulfillment to keep up with sales, with the importance of focusing on core services for optimization, and setting up efficient business models to drive growth. Don’t let May whiplash get you into a bottleneck! 00:00 Welcome to Owned a...
May 21, 2024•39 min
Cassie Niekamp returns for round two! The owner of a fencing business in Columbus, she and Jack Carr discuss the unique challenges and opportunities in the fencing industry, especially in relation to the economy and market diversification. They’ll also look into business models, B2B marketing strategies, operational efficiencies, and the significance of customer service. What are the risks and rewards of government contracts, the utility of digital tools for improving sales processes, and the vi...
May 16, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 122
In this episode of Owned and Operated, John and Jack welcome back Cassi Niekamp to the show, a home service entrepreneur who has significantly grown her business in the fencing business. Cassi shares her experience acquiring a 39-year-old home service business in Columbus, Ohio, and transforming it from a small-scale operation with outdated practices into a successful company with a revenue of 3 million and aiming for 5 million. Cassi details the pivotal changes that propelled her growth, includ...
May 14, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 121
In this episode of 'Owned and Operated,' host John Wilson and guest Rich Jordan discuss the intricacies of running a home service business, focusing on the residential plumbing, HVAC, and electric sectors. They delve into the challenges of maintaining profitability in the HVAC installation sector, exploring the unpredictability of business demands, material cost fluctuations, and the impact of seasonal changes. The conversation highlights the importance of precise job costing, optimizing gross m...
May 09, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 120
In this episode of 'Owned and Operated,' host John Wilson and special guest Rich Jordan look into the specific challenges and strategies for home service businesses and HVAC, to navigate and thrive during the shoulder seasons. They explore Rich Jordan's journey from operating a business with $800,000 in sales to achieving nearly $20 million through strategic acquisitions and effective scaling techniques. His tips include the importance of memberships, the concept of proactive buyers, and tactics...
May 07, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 119
In this episode of 'Owned and Operated', hosts John Wilson and Jack Carr dive into the critical topic of developing leadership within home service businesses. Sharing insights from their experiences in residential plumbing, HVAC, and electric services, they discuss the importance of evolving as a leader to meet the needs of a growing business. They highlight the challenges of instilling core values and accountability throughout the organizational structure, from executives to lower-level manager...
May 02, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 118
In this episode of Owned and Operated, John and Jack explores the intricacies of running a home service business, focusing particularly on residential plumbing, HVAC, and electric services. The episode kicks off with a nod to Service Scalers for their exemplary assistance in managing digital advertising for home service companies. The discussion delves into the challenges and triumphs faced by entrepreneurs in the home service industry, highlighting the importance of adapting business strategies...
Apr 30, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 117
In this episode of Owned and Operated, John and Jack explore the intricacies of running a home service business, focusing particularly on residential plumbing, HVAC, and electric services. The episode kicks off with a nod to Service Scalers for their exemplary assistance in managing digital advertising for home service companies. The discussion delves into the challenges and triumphs faced by entrepreneurs in the home service industry, highlighting the importance of adapting business strategies ...
Apr 25, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 116
Today on the Owned and Operated podcast, the boys interview entrepreneur Johannes Hock, the Owner of an artificial turf company who lives in Austin, Texas. They discuss Johannes's background, how he got into the turf industry, the business model of turf companies, expansion plans, challenges of scaling, and the factors influencing the choice of new locations. If you’re looking to learn more about the world of self-funded search and small business acquisitions then your favorite electrical, HVAC,...
Apr 23, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 115
In this episode, John and Jack discuss their strategies for enhancing customer satisfaction through the implementation of the Net Promoter Score (NPS) system. They detail the comprehensive process of gathering feedback across every customer touchpoint, from marketing to accounting, aiming to turn customers into promoters. They also cover the practical changes they’ve implemented in their business, such as improving call center operations and post-service cleaning protocols, to ensure a remarkabl...
Apr 18, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 114
Join John and Jack as they delve into the topic of business fraud within small companies, focusing on home service industries. Discover how to identify and prevent fraud in this insightful podcast episode. Learn from John's firsthand encounters with external and internal fraud attempts, such as a shocking incident involving attempted blackmail via Google reviews. Jack also shares his experiences, including subcontractor misconduct and service theft. Gain valuable insights and practical strategie...
Apr 16, 2024•20 min•Season 1Ep. 113
John and Jack highlight the importance and benefits of focusing on just one main service in a home service business to boost growth and success. John points to Leaf Filter as a standout example of a company that thrived by focusing exclusively on a specific service, implying that adopting a similar model of specialization and distribution could greatly benefit their business. Throughout their conversation, they contemplate how simplification could potentially accelerate their progress toward ach...
Apr 11, 2024•27 min•Season 1Ep. 112
In this episode of the Owned and Operated podcast, John and Jack discuss the merits of buying versus building a business from their new studios. They emphasize the importance of reinvesting in the business rather than prioritizing personal expenses, and how such decisions impact growth and stability. They also explore the differing skill sets required for each approach and examine the concept of 'personal drag,' illustrating how personal lifestyle demands can affect business growth and strategy....
Apr 09, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 111
John and Jack share their top three business mistakes, emphasizing lessons learned from these expensive errors. John highlights missteps like adopting a cost-saving-first philosophy by relocating the entire call center operations to the Philippines, expanding to multiple locations prematurely, and appointing the wrong person for crucial accounting roles. Meanwhile, Jack discusses his mistakes, including inadequate due diligence in acquisitions, underestimating the value of customer lists, and fl...
Apr 04, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 110
John and Jack engage in an in-depth conversation about scaling home service businesses, aiming for the $100 million goal. They discuss the importance of strategic hires, transitioning from generalists to specialists and experts, and the impact of proper staffing on business growth. They also share their experiences with a workshop they hosted, sharing success stories, and the challenges they face, including maintaining revenue during tough quarters, the significance of cultural fits in hiring, a...
Apr 02, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 109
In this re-kick episode, Cassie Niekamp recounts her transition from the startup world to purchasing and running Bowden Fence Company. Cassie discusses the growth of the company, including revenue details, employee expansion, and system improvements. With a strong background in sales and recruiting for startups, Cassie provides valuable perspectives on business acquisition, scaling strategies, and effective management practices. Episode Host: John Wilson: @WilsonCompanies Episode Guest: Cassi Ni...
Mar 28, 2024•51 min•Season 1Ep. 108
In this re-kick episode, we revisit a timeless conversation with entrepreneur Rich Jordan who has impressively scaled Garon T Pumbing from $800,000 to a projected $17 million in revenue over three years. Starting with no industry experience, Rich's military background as a Marine infantry officer played a significant role in his success. This episode covers Rich's initial plunge into the business world through real estate before purchasing Garon T Plumbing in New Jersey. Rich shares the operatio...
Mar 26, 2024•56 min•Season 1Ep. 107
John and Jack explore the strategies fueling success in sales and warehouse management in this episode. They emphasize the role of sales folders in informing customers effectively and facilitating sales, as well as the concept of "Packout Kits” for enhancing job efficiency and speeding up installations. Moreover, John stresses the importance of selecting the right vendors and building strong relationships with them, and how this can affect business growth and service quality. Don't forget to wat...
Mar 21, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 106
Expanding a business can be both exciting and challenging, with new opportunities and complexities to consider. In this episode, John and Jack explored the nuances of blending two businesses together and the key strategies involved in managing the transition effectively. Jack also discusses his recent plumbing business acquisition, detailing his initial successes and challenges within just one week. They explore the complexities of integrating purchase order systems and optimizing QuickBooks to ...
Mar 19, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 105
In this episode, John and Jack interview Neel Parekh, the founder of MaidThis Franchise , a remote cleaning business. Neel shares his journey from leaving a 9-to-5 job in private equity to starting a cleaning company after being inspired by a Reddit post. With a passion for travel, Neel optimized his business for remote operations, allowing him to explore 50 countries over seven years. MaidThis Franchise has now expanded into the first and only Airbnb cleaning franchise, with about 23 locations ...
Mar 14, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 104
In this episode, John and Jack address the marketing challenges faced by home service businesses. John shares insights from a marketing planning workshop, emphasizing a common issue businesses encounter: reaching spending limits on demand channels such as LSA (Local Services Ads), regardless of their size. Jack also expresses his excitement about a recent plumbing deal, detailing the integration and communication strategies needed for merging businesses. Episode Hosts: John Wilson: @WilsonCompan...
Mar 12, 2024•15 min•Season 1Ep. 103
In the competitive world of home service businesses, it can often feel daunting for smaller companies to go up against industry giants with massive budgets and resources. But in this episode, John and Jack share that there are strategic approaches that small businesses can take to not only compete but thrive in the market. By embracing community engagement and employing creative marketing strategies like guerrilla marketing, small home service businesses have the chance to compete against indust...
Mar 07, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 102
John and Jack outline their ideal businesses. John is interested in asset-heavy ventures like HVAC, electric, landscaping, tree removal, and driveway replacements, while Jack favors commercial endeavors such as bank equipment maintenance, telephone pole replacement, animal removal, and hydroelectric plants. Episode Hosts: John Wilson: @WilsonCompanies Jack Carr: @thehvacjack Special thanks to our sponsor: Service Scalers : Looking to scale your home service business? Service Scalers is a digital...
Mar 05, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 101
In this episode, John and Jack exchange views on integrating Artificial Intelligence into their home service business. John elaborates on their utilization of AI for various tasks such as data analysis, marketing, communication, and improving written estimates for customers. They both share experiences with AI, emphasizing its role as an enhancer rather than a complete solution. Episode Hosts: John Wilson: @WilsonCompanies Jack Carr: @thehvacjack Special thanks to our sponsor: Service Scalers : ...
Feb 29, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 100
Today, John and Jack are diving into the crucial role communication plays as businesses grow. They're sharing practical strategies to boost team collaboration and alignment, covering everything from one-on-one meetings to huddles, L10s, and skip-level meetings. John stresses the ongoing challenge of sharpening communication within his team, highlighting its pivotal role in the year ahead. Together, they're dishing out valuable insights on how to foster effective communication and build a strong ...
Feb 27, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 99
In this episode, John and Jack talk about when and how to separate Dispatch and Call Center Representative roles for your home service business. It's a pretty pivotal moment for home service businesses that seems to happen around two and a half to three million of revenue, where these two fundamental positions become two different positions. They discuss what qualities to look for when hiring people for these roles. John also provides his perspective, describing CSRs as "bucket fillers" and disp...
Feb 22, 2024•20 min•Season 1Ep. 98
John Wilson and Jack Carr interview Alec Stevanovski, founder of Homepros, a niche-focused B2B media business. His newsletter goes out once a week and you can check out the HVAC industry news here . Stevanovski discusses his journey into the industry, highlighting his background in technology startups and his pivot to focusing on HVAC industry news. He elaborates on his strategies for audience building, including leveraging personal contacts and maximizing platforms like LinkedIn. Episode Hosts:...
Feb 20, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 97
