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Hey there, welcome to Business Growth Made Simple, the podcast for contractors who want more free time, more profit, and a business that doesn’t suck the life out of them.

I’m Steve your host and today we’re talking about something that’s eating up way too many business owners: burnout.

Ever sat down at the end of a 12-hour day and thought, “Is all this even worth it?”

You’re not alone. I’ve been there. And I know a lot of other contractors who have too.

If you’ve ever: Felt totally fried

Started to resent the work you once loved

Snapped at your spouse or kids because you’re drained

Or even thought about chucking it all and applying at the local hardware store…

This episode is for you.

You’re not lazy. You’re not broken. And no, you’re not weak.

You’re likely burned out. And today, we’re gonna fix that.

Let’s break this down into three areas.

# 1. 🔧 Your Business

You miss details—quotes go wrong, jobs get underbid.

Customers sense your stress—making them hesitant to trust you.

You start avoiding tasks that grow your business (like marketing or hiring).

You become reactive, not strategic—just putting out fires all day.

# 2. 🧠 Your Head & Health

Mental fog sets in—you stare at your phone, can’t focus.

You get sick more, sleep worse, and stress more.

You begin questioning your decisions and self-worth.

# 3. 🏡 Your Family

You bring work home—even if you try not to.

Your kids don’t get your best—they get what’s left.

Your spouse starts feeling like a coworker, not a partner. Burnout isn’t just a work thing—it’s a life thing.

Were going to give you some ways to avoid burnout so your business supports your life… not the other way around.

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Quick question before we dive in — have you ever felt like you’re working twice as hard for customers who barely pay you, cause nothing but stress, and leave you wondering if this whole business thing is even worth it?

Imagine this: you go out on a job you weren’t sure about. They’re already haggling you on the phone before you’ve even given them a price. They nickel-and-dime every estimate, they call you on your day off, and they never seem satisfied.
Every hour you spend on them is an hour you’re not spending with your ideal customers. That’s time lost, money lost, sanity lost.

And here’s the thing:
Time is your most valuable asset. Every bad customer you let in steals time you could use to grow the business, chase profitable projects, or even take a breather with your family.

Worst part?
Those customers rarely refer you to anyone good.
In fact, they usually send their buddy who’s just as difficult.
That’s why wrong customers don’t just cost you — they can actually multiply.

Here are some quick red flags so you can spot them early:
✅ They want everything “fast and cheap.”
✅ They question every little line in your estimate.
✅ They call after hours and expect an immediate response.
✅ They talk trash about their last contractor.
✅ They want you to do “extra” without paying extra.

That last one is a classic — they’ll say, “Hey, since you’re already here…” — and just like that, your afternoon disappears into an unpaid favor.

If someone is this difficult on the phone before you even show up?
That’s a giant warning sign.
Your gut is telling you this is going to be a pain — listen to it.

If you are struggling with this or any other business concept, book a complementary Business Growth Made Simple Discovery Call and let’s see how we can get you unstuck.

#budget #moneymindset #debtfree #debtsnowball #businessgrowthmadesimple #profitfirst #thepumpkinplan #fixthisnext

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Hey, let me ask you something.

Have you ever finished a busy month—jobs rolling in, crews staying busy, trucks running all week—and yet, you still felt broke?

You wonder, “Where the heck did all the money go?”

I’ve been there. And I’ve worked with dozens of guys just like you—hardworking, booked solid, and still struggling to make the numbers work.

Today, we’re talkin’ about a tool most contractors think they don’t need… but absolutely do.

It’s called budgeting—and I promise it’s not just for accountants or big corporations. It’s for guys like us who want to take control of their business and finally make some real money.

A budget is just a plan for your money. That’s it.

Not a restriction, not a punishment—it’s a tool that tells your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.

Here’s why it matters:

1. You stop guessing. No more flying blind. You know exactly how much you can spend on materials, labor, gas, insurance—before the month starts.

2. You stop bleeding cash. You see what’s draining you. Maybe you’re spending $1,200/month on tools but only budgeting $300. That tells you something.

3. You sleep better. No more hoping you have enough for payroll or taxes. You’ll know—because it’s all planned out.

When you don’t have a budget, here’s what can happen:

• You say yes to every job—even the ones that lose money
• You overspend on gear and underpay yourself
• You forget about taxes, then get crushed in April
• You hire people you can’t afford
• You price based on emotion—not numbers

Story from the field:

I worked with a handyman named Derek. He had a crew of three, steady work, but every month was chaos. No budget, no plan. He was always behind—robbing Peter to pay Paul.

When we set up a simple monthly budget—on a whiteboard, nothing fancy—he saw he was overpaying on dump fees, had a subscription he didn’t use, and wasn’t charging enough on small jobs.

Within 90 days, he dropped $1,400 in waste, raised rates 10%, and finally gave himself a paycheck he could count on.

You don’t need QuickBooks or a CPA to budget. Here’s a simple way to do it.

STEP 1: Figure out your fixed costs

These are the bills that hit every month, no matter what:

• Truck payments
• Insurance
• Phone/internet
• Office rent or storage
• Software subscriptions
• Salaries

Add ‘em up. That’s your monthly overhead.

STEP 2: Know your variable costs

These change based on the job:

• Materials
• Subs/labor
• Gas
• Dump fees
• Job site supplies

Estimate what these usually are as a percentage of revenue. Track them for a month or two.

STEP 3: Pay yourself and plan for taxes

Don’t forget:

• Owner’s pay (you need to eat!)
• Taxes (set aside 15–20%)

STEP 4: Use simple categories

Set monthly dollar limits for each:

• Materials
• Labor
• Fuel
• Tools
• Profit
• Owner’s pay
• Taxes
• Misc

STEP 5: Review weekly

Spend 5–10 minutes each week looking at where you are compared to the plan.

Let me tell you about Angel, a guy who runs a small electrical business.

For years, he was undercharging just to stay busy. He didn’t track his numbers. Didn’t budget. Was making $180K in sales but taking home less than $35K a year.

We set up a budget. Found out he was spending nearly $2,000/month at Home Depot without trackin

#budget #moneymindset #debtfree #debtsnowball #businessgrowthmadesimple #profitfirst #thepumpkinplan #fixthisnext

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Let me ask you a question…

When was the last time you actually took a profit out of the company? How about pay your taxes onetime?

Or - are you “reinvesting” your profits back into the business?

No matter how many years you’ve been at it, you most likely have heard that over 50% of businesses fail within the first five years. What’s not mentioned is that they are the lucky ones. Most of the businesses are racking up debt and the owners and managers are stressing constantly.

Unfortunately when I think of most entrepreneurs, I think of the old high wire or tightrope act. Mostly men, would stretch a wire across a couple of buildings in New York, or across the Niagara Falls and walk across with no safety net below. It was a dangerous balancing act that many people died from.

That’s what I did with my HVAC business and most likely what you’re doing. You see I had a vision of starting my business So I created it and started working in it. I don’t know about you but I was excited at giving life and creating something from nothing.

You’re story is most likely similar to mine. You’ve stitched together a business out of your raw talent, what ever resources you had at the time until it became bigger than you expected. Someone I heard once described business as the “side-chick or mistress” It becomes the thing we spend a ton of time on it and wake up one morning realizing it is a cash-eating monster. You try to tame or control the monster but looking at your empty bank accounts you realize it will take more than what you currently have.

You just keep plowing away hoping… praying that things will turn around soon. Then the other shoe drops.

Tax Time! - Your accountant says, Wow, what a great year you had. You only owe $23,890. You gasp, for the first time since you start this business, you have a minor panic attack. Breathing becomes a little difficult, your chest feels funny and your mind goes racing. You’ve got $5000 in all your accounts but you owe the IRS almost 5x’s that. You start thinking, I need to sell these three jobs just to pay the taxes. And then you have to sell jobs that becomes a tough spot to be in because customers can sense the need in your presentation.

You put a ton of work into building your business. And that’s Awesome! Congratulations!! BUT without your financial health, your business will struggle to succeed, you’ll be borrowing from Peter to pay Paul.

If you've ever had to sell the next job to help finish paying for materials or labor on the current job how did it go? When we first start our businesses, you may have had to do that. Maybe you didn’t know how to price right. Maybe you miscalculated the hours, or material costs. But the longer you’re in business the less you should need to borrow from the next job. If we don’t have enough money we can’t take our products and services to the marketplace.

I found myself using the “Checkbook Accounting Method” (or now the “App Accounting Method” You know, where you go to the bank app or the checkbook, look at the balance to see if you can afford to buy that thing that’s on sale? Not thinking about the profit, taxes or paying the supply house?

What I found to work for me, and I think you’ll agree is that you need is a solid cash management system.

About 8-10 years ago, I found a cash management system that works the way I think. As someone who struggles with ADHD I needed something simple. Here’s what I looked to get:

It had to be simple, easy to do, but had to have barriers that would keep me from crossing easily.

I found Profit First designed by Mike Michalowicz in his book of the same name. Profit first works very simply yet is ver

#budget #moneymindset #debtfree #debtsnowball #businessgrowthmadesimple #profitfirst #thepumpkinplan #fixthisnext

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Today I thought I would talk about the Top 5 Reasons Contracting businesses fail and how you can avoid it.

Running a business and it doesn’t matter if it’s HVAC, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, or handyman services, takes more than just technical know-how. You know your trade very well. But it seems like the busier your company gets, either you need to work more leaving family behind, or your profits go down and you make less money.

In fact, thousands of businesses, more specifically the trades shut their doors every year, not because the owner couldn’t do the job, but because the business wasn’t built to last.

I understand what you are facing. I started in business over 35 years ago and discovered how hard it can be to grow. It was when I hired a business coach for my team to work with did I discover MY need for new frameworks, innovations and systems to grow.

Now there are many reasons companies fail but today I’m going to share the top 5 reasons contracting businesses fail — and how you can avoid it.

1. No Control Over Cash Flow

The Problem:
Many trades business owners operate from what I call “Checkbook Accounting” — if there’s money in the account, I can buy that (tool) or fill in the blank… until that invoice you forgot about comes due. The slow season starts sooner, unexpected expenses, or poor pricing structures create a cash flow crisis. You get the picture.

The Fix:
Is 2 things Budget. Se up a budget for your company so you know when you have the money to buy that fill in the blank here. Then put in place a proven cash management system like Profit First, which sets money aside for profit, taxes, owner pay, and expenses… etc. every single time you get paid. It gives you clarity and control.

✅ Pro Tip: We help our clients use a custom trades version of Profit First inside our “Business Growth Made Easy” membership.

2. Winging It Without a Written Plan

The Problem:
Most trades business owners never set clear financial or growth goals. Without a plan, you’re just reacting — not leading.

The Fix:
Create a simple 90-day plan tied to your bigger annual goals. This doesn’t need to be complex. With weekly priorities and monthly reviews, you’ll finally feel momentum.

✅ Our members use a one-page planning system we customize together during our first month.

3. Working with the Wrong Customers

The Problem:
Too many business owners take any job from anyone — even if the customer is cheap, demanding, or outside your ideal service area.

The Fix:
Define your ideal client — the ones who value your work, pay on time, and refer others. Then build your marketing to attract more of them and politely say “no” to the rest.

✅ One of our HVAC clients increased profit by 40% in 90 days by dropping two nightmare customers and focusing on his top zip code.

4. Hiring Helpers, Not a Team

The Problem:
You hire someone to take the pressure off — but they ghost you, show up late, or mess up jobs. Now you’re doing damage control and paying for it.

The Fix:
Build a values-based team. Hire slow, train right, and use a clear onboarding process. And most importantly, keep the wrong people out.

✅ Inside our program, we give you plug-and-play hiring ads, interview questions, and even onboarding templates.

5. Owner Burnout

The Problem:
You’re doing everything — sales, service calls, admin, bookkeeping, even cleaning the truck. That grin

#budget #moneymindset #debtfree #debtsnowball #businessgrowthmadesimple #profitfirst #thepumpkinplan #fixthisnext

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• Welcome to the show, I’m Steve your host and today I wanted to talk about a story I’ve heard way too often lately: Debt Consolidation
• Client named “Kay” (names are changed to protect the guilty)
• Kay’s story goes something like this… She racked up over $85000 in debt
  
  • Normal type debt, like credit cards, personal loans, car loan etc. Normal stuff
• Stress was killing her - actually it was keeping her up at nights.
• One sleepless stressed night she saw a commercial for a debt consolidation loan and thought this was the answer
• She called bank scheduled an appointment.
• Heard all the right things and signed up.
• 4 years later, Kay found herself another $25K in credit card debt. Frustrated and back into the sleepless - stress filled nights.
• Why is that? Have you ever heard of the Hippocratic Oath?
• It's an overview of the behaviors of a doctor to their patient. Today, we kind of simplify it with just three words. Do no harm.”
• What in the world does that mean for finance or money,

You Can’t climb out of a hole if you're still digging the hole. When I tell you to take the “oath” to do no harm when it comes to your money, what I’m really telling you is to never go into debt again Period, end of story.

• Kay was the perfect example of this.
• Consolidated her debts but didn’t change her behavior.
• If your debt was a simple math problem, we wouldn’t be in debt.
• If you don’t stop the digging, You’re just going to fill it all back up again. You have to take the time to change your behavior otherwise you’re just going to get deeper in debt.

• Ever hear of the Biggest looser?
  
  • Very overweight contestants compete to see who can loose the most weight
• Some, 300, 400,and over 500lbs
• During the show, they worked out 2-3 times a day, restricted calories severely. I was just reading a study that said not only did the majority of the contestants gain the weight back, but it severely affected their metabolism so it’s harder to keep off the weight.
• If they want to get back to the weight loss they had, they need to reset their mindset and metabolism.

• Just like weight loss, there is a better way that’s more sustainable. Trust me, I come to you today to tell you not to consolidate the loans, not to try and move things around, because this zero interest credit card will help me, and I can move this over here, and I can jumble these things around, and the more you jumble things around, the more complicated you make things. And it doesn't need to be complicated. Money does not need to be complicated.

How to stop using debt?

1. Declare I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!
2. Save $1000 baby/starter emergency fund
3. List all debts smallest to largest - pay minimum on all and attack the smallest, once that is paid put that minimum payment and any extra toward the next one. Keep rolling the payments over until you have all your debts paid.
4. Go back to your starter emergency fund and fully fund it with 3-6 months of expenses.

If you want to talk with us, here’s a link to schedule a Quick Audit.

#budget #moneymindset #debtfree #debtsnowball #businessgrowthmadesimple #profitfirst #thepumpkinplan #fixthisnext

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Time is the great equalizer doesn’t matter how much money you have time is the currency of the day we all only have 24 hours so how are you gonna spend your currency today?

#budget #moneymindset #debtfree #debtsnowball #businessgrowthmadesimple #profitfirst #thepumpkinplan #fixthisnext

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It's Monday Money Mindset - A listener recommended I start a "Monday Money Mindset" segment to get the week started off right. These will be short quotes about your money mindset and your work.

Thanks for the suggestion Cassie

As a budget and finance coach, the first quote comes from Charles Dickens, Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure Nineteen six result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty zero six. result misery.

What he is saying then is the same as what we are saying now. Live on less than what you make, and you'll be happier.

Have a great week

~ Steve

#budget #moneymindset #debtfree #debtsnowball #businessgrowthmadesimple #profitfirst #thepumpkinplan #fixthisnext