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Listening Time 32 Minutes

HOW TO SCALE TO A $1 MILLION SERVICE BUSINESS

With Dan Guest and Donovan Quesenberry

Episode Overview

Discover how to scale your service business to $1,000,000. Learn how to transition from working in your business to working on your business, the power of delegation, and why understanding your numbers is crucial for success. Whether you’re just starting or aiming to reach the million-dollar mark, use these real world experiences to transform your business journey. Join host Adam Sylvester, Dan Guest from Guest Plumbing & HVAC and Donovan Quesenberry from DIV Cleaning Service. This is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Get more scaling tips in this guide.

Show Notes

– Introduction to the episode and guests (00:10)

– Dan shares his journey and the importance of understanding business and profitability (01:19)

– Donovan talks about his experiences and the importance of learning from mistakes (01:58)

– Mentorship levels and the shift towards focusing on people (03:27)

– Changes needed at different revenue levels (04:41)

– The importance of company culture, sales teams, and integrators for business growth (05:30)

– Roles and positions needed in a million-dollar company (06:17)

– Entrepreneurs ranging $250,000 to $500,000: habits for growth (08:22)

– How to get over limiting beliefs and trust the team to achieve 80% perfection (10:43)

– 80/20 rule for effective delegation (12:57)

– Managing large volumes of tasks and how to staff them with a real life example of quoting (14:50)

– The value Jobber brings to Adam, Dan and Donovan’s businesses (17:15) 

– Revenue vs. profit in business growth: misconceptions of profitability at different revenue levels (18:23) 

– How to maintain profitability at $1M and understanding long-term business objectives (19:33)

– Hiring strategies and role assignment in expanding businesses (20:40)

– Donovan shares insights from his mentor and applies them to business growth and profitability (21:54)

– Staff efficiency and profitability during business expansion (23:05)

– Cash flow management and cautious use of debt/credit (24:12)

– Personal lending/banking guidelines and having a good accountant (26:10)

– Different credit types and the importance of financial literacy for business growth (28:00)

– Having an in-house bookkeeper and the advantages of responsive decision-making based on current financial data (28:55)

– Adam’s takeaway tips: work on the business not in the business, build one production crew at a time, build your business on fundamentals and know your numbers (30:36)

About the speakers

HOST

Adam Sylvester

CHARLOTTESVILLE GUTTER PROS AND CHARLOTTESVILLE LAWN CARE

Website: adamsylvester.com

Adam started Charlottesville Lawn Care in 2013 and Charlottesville Gutter Pros in the fall of 2020, in Charlottesville, VA. He likes to say, “I do gutters and grass! When it rains the grass grows and the gutters leak!” He got into owning his own business because he saw it as a huge opportunity to generate great income while living a life that suited him. He believes that small companies can make a serious impact on their communities and on every individual they touch, and he wanted to build a company that could make a big difference. His sweet spot talent is sales and marketing with a strong passion for building a place his team wants to work. Adam values his employees and loves leading people. While operations and efficiency is not something that comes naturally to him, he is constantly working to improve himself and his business in these areas. 

Guest

DAN GUEST

GUEST PLUMBING & HVAC

Instagram: @guestplumbing, @guestlifepodcast

Dan Guest is the hands-on owner of Guest Plumbing & HVAC, a company known for top-notch plumbing and HVAC services in Hamilton, Toronto, and nearby areas in Ontario. Since launching the business in 2015, Dan has been driven by his strong passion for the community to give back however he can—whether that’s by working on local buildings, creating jobs for young people, or supporting charity work. Guest Plumbing & HVAC, isn’t just about pipes and heating systems. They’re also big on supporting and connecting with other local business owners, and share stories and tips on their own Guest Life podcast. Daniel and his team also help their brand stand out in the community with their savvy digital marketing skills.

Guest

DONOVAN QUESENBERRY

DIV CLEANING SERVICE

Facebook: donovan.quesenberry.7
YouTube: ​​@divcleaningservice9522
Website christmaslightcontractorsusa.com/

Since starting DIV Cleaning Service in Raleigh, NC in 2006 while he was still in high school, Donovan Quesenberry has turned the business into a top choice for exterior cleaning and holiday lighting installation in his community. Growing up in a family of business owners, Donovan was always drawn to entrepreneurship. He loves being in charge of his own career path. Donovan has a special talent for starting businesses with very little money, using hard work to build them up from scratch. His experience has taught him how to get new customers cost-effectively.

About Masters of Home Service

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