Hammer & Grind : Built For Contractors

There is no sustaining in business, you are either growing or dying. In order to make sure your business is always growing, you must always be attacking.  In this episode, we discuss:  Sales - it is an outbound activity, not inbound Why you cannot rely on referrals The reason you want to have more leads than you can handle Putting a pre-qualification process in place Running your busines...

There’s a difference between learning the best practices for running a successful business, and actually applying them. Today I am sharing a coaching call I had with Doug Wright, who is worried the pressure from his family business could have detrimental impacts to his health. In this episode, we discuss:  Doing accounting using old fashioned ledgers An easy and affordable way to get your acc...

You may be wondering what becoming a teacher has to do with sales. Well, I will let you in on a secret. When you educate people, you become the expert they eventually end up hiring.  In this episode, we discuss:  Why you need to become a teacher to your clients Putting out relevant information people are actively looking for Why you need to put out different types of content about your i...

Do you believe that customers are out to cheat you? Do you believe that working hard means to be physically working on the tools? Do you think that getting rejected on your prices means you shouldn’t be charging that amount?  If you can relate with any of those thoughts, you may be thinking with a scarcity mindset.  In this episode, Brad speaks with Duncan Farrow of Farrow Built, to disc...

When I talk to contractors, they all think that the most important hire is a project manager or foreman. While that is an important role to fill in your business, it is not the MOST important person you need to hire. In this episode, we discuss:  Why an office manager is the most important hire  Why the office manager is the last person to get fired  Taking a pay cut in order to hir...

You may think that you are making the right decisions when it comes to your services, marketing, and sales calls. I am here to tell you that your thoughts about what is right for your business, may actually be totally wrong. In this episode, we discuss:  The inspiration behind this particular episode  Why you need to stop doing tasks that you are not an expert in The benefit to recording...

What does salt have to do with your business? If you want to separate yourself from other contractors, then listen to today’s episode for a different perspective on how to do just that.  In this episode, we discuss:  Why your “quality” doesn’t actually set you apart from anyone  Being a special kind of salt - don’t be regular salt Finding solutions to problems that haven’t been solv...

I spent years and years making certain mistakes in my business that cost me a lot of money. If you can fix these 5 things, your business can have exponential growth. In this episode, we discuss:  The single biggest thing I did wrong in my business Looking at the data from an objective perspective  What you need to do after every single job  The things you may be doing wrong before a...

If you don’t measure and manage your data, especially your labor data, you won’t know what problems need to be solved nor what successes need to be duplicated. If you want to run a successful contracting business, you need to use data to make better decisions so you and your team can grow and prosper. In this episode, Brad and Isaac Barlow of Busybusy discuss: Busybusy - It’s more than just a time...

When you have the right employees that check all the boxes, your business will soar. But if you have employees with bad attitudes, they can wreck your business.  In this episode, we discuss:  Unknowingly not doing things the way you are supposed to  Getting better at hiring, the more you do it  Finding people who fit your core values Why its so important to be aligned with your...

I often hear contractors say that “technology is not for me.” Well, if you don’t want to get left in the dust, then you need to implement technology into your business. I have tried out a lot of different options out there, and today I am sharing a full list of helpful software tools that can help you become a force multiplier in your business.  In this episode, we discuss:  The very fir...

Most of us contractors were sold a lie when we started our own business. Who sold us this lie? We lied to ourselves and we continue to lie to ourselves everyday. Stop lying to yourself and start becoming the successful business owner you have always desired to be.  In this episode, we discuss:  How being good at your craft does not mean you will be good at running a business The negative...

Do you feel like you don’t have enough time to get things done? Well, you may actually have enough time, but you are not utilizing it in the right way. We have all been there before. Thankfully, there are some things you can do to make sure you no longer waste as much time.  In this episode, we discuss:  Allocating specific blocks of time for different tasks throughout day Figuring out w...

Do you feel like you are not where you want to be, as a business owner? Maybe you feel held back from reaching your potential. Maybe you are doing terrible, financially. Sometimes you have to take a big step back, hone in on where your real value is, and reinvent yourself. That’s exactly what today’s guest had to do, and now his contracting business is better than ever.  In this episode, Brad...

How serious are you about your contracting business? Is this just a temporary side gig or do you want to take your business to the next level?  In this episode, we discuss: The differences between level 1, 2, and 3 contractors How most contractors get stuck at level 2 The personal traits you need to develop in order to become a level 3 contractor Visual representations of your business that p...

Have you ever felt your business is stuck in a never-ending cycle of inefficiency and chaos? Do you struggle to track tasks and processes or find yourself repeating instructions to your employees? If your answer is yes, then it’s time to create a killer SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) system for your business. In this episode, Brad speaks with Tom Hughes From GembaDocs, to discuss:  Overvi...

Are you running your business or is it running you? You should be able to run a healthy, profitable business, without constant stress and exhaustion. If you can't do that, you are doing it wrong.  In this episode, we talk about: The things we do on a regular basis that are slowly killing us  Really bad advice on social media posts Starting a business so you don’t have to work as much Doi...

Do you find you are having a hard time closing or maybe you are closing but you aren’t making the type of money you want? If you want to close on projects and also make a much better income, then you need to become a contractor who provides value.  In this episode, we talk about: What providing value looks like Whether you are a salesman or just an order taker Figuring out the deeper reason w...

Do you own a business and struggle to recruit technicians? Or maybe you have experience in a trade, but you need to find the right employer in your area? In this episode, Brad speaks with Nicole Bass of JoinTheTrades.com, to discuss:  The struggles companies have in recruiting technicians Helping people she met on TikTok to start a career in the trades How her website is like an online career...

Have you ever felt frustrated when it comes to hiring and retention? Do you think it’s impossible to find good people who want to work? Maybe the problem isn’t with the job seekers. Maybe the problem is how you are approaching the hiring process.  In this episode, Brad speaks with Ryan Englin of Core Matters, to discuss:  The number one thing people get wrong when it comes to hiring Gett...

Today, Brad responds to some of the critical comments he has received on viral TikTok videos. Apparently people have a lot to say when it comes to Brad’s formula for marking up materials and labor. Despite the haters, Brad believes this is the simplest formula that will produce a profitable result. In this episode, we talk about: Competing on pricing with other contractors Offering line item prici...

Have you ever felt resentment during a project, because you found yourself dealing with a difficult client? Is your client a good person, but they are demanding and require more of your time? Is the project itself a major pain in the butt? In this episode, we talk about: The reason people get upset Figuring out expectations by asking certain questions Looking for red flags when speaking to clients...

If you want to understand what it takes to actually be profitable in your business, then you need to follow the Profit Blueprint. The Profit Blueprint is made up of four steps that you need to follow, if you want to make more money and grow your business. In this episode, we talk about: The fundamental reason why you are unsuccessful Why you need to start charging more The four letter “f” word you...

Some contractors agree to let the customer provide the materials needed for projects. Maybe they want to appease the customer or maybe they just don’t want to deal with supplying the materials themselves. If you want to avoid headaches and maintain control over your business, then you need to provide the materials yourself.  In this episode, we talk about: The reasons customers or general con...

Are the phones ringing off the hook? Are you feeling overwhelmed by the amount of leads coming in? Today, we look at various ways you can handle this situation. In this episode, we talk about: A prime opportunity you have to raise your rates Why it is not your responsibility to be affordable for everyone Figuring out your ideal customer avatar and marketing to them Filtering prospects through your...