What 10 Years in Service Businesses Taught Me

Every single job matters. The "small" customer talks to their neighbors. The "easy" job is the one where mistakes happen. The "rush" job is where quality slips.

I've seen businesses grow entirely on word-of-mouth, and I've seen businesses die from one viral complaint. Treat every job like your reputation depends on it—because it does.

I've had profitable months where I couldn't make payroll. Sounds impossible until it happens to you. Money coming in on net-30 doesn't help when bills are due net-now.

Invoice immediately. Follow up on payments religiously. Keep a cash buffer that feels uncomfortably large. The businesses that survive aren't always the most profitable—they're the ones that don't run out of cash.

I've hired the most skilled person and regretted it. I've hired the person with zero experience and watched them become a star. The difference is character.

Someone who shows up on time, takes responsibility, and genuinely cares about doing good work—you can teach them anything. Someone with all the skills but a bad attitude will poison your team.

In the early days, I was the hero. Dropping everything to save a job. Working 80-hour weeks. Being the only one who could solve problems.

That's not sustainable, and it's not scalable. The goal isn't to be indispensable—it's to build systems so good that the business runs without you. Every time you save the day, ask: "How do I make sure this never needs saving again?"

The first company to respond gets the job. Not always, but way more often than you'd expect. Customers don't want to wait. They're calling multiple companies. Be first.

We tracked it: responding within 5 minutes instead of 5 hours increased close rate by 40%. That single change—just being faster—was worth tens of thousands in revenue.

Hourly billing punishes efficiency. If you get faster, you make less. If you solve a problem in 10 minutes that would take someone else 3 hours, you shouldn't be paid less—you should be paid more.

Price based on the value you provide, not the hours you spend. The customer cares about the outcome, not your time sheet.

Keeping a bad fit hurts everyone—you, the team, and the person who should be somewhere else. The mistake isn't firing someone; it's waiting six months to do it.

But "fast" doesn't mean "cruel." Be clear about expectations. Give honest feedback. Document everything. When it's time, be direct but respectful. People remember how you treat them on the way out.

Forget venture capital. Your first customers—the ones who took a chance on you when you were nobody—are the ones who built your business. They gave you money, feedback, referrals, and credibility.

Never forget them. Keep in touch. Send them holiday cards. Give them priority. They believed in you before you had a track record.

For years, I put the business before everything. Health, relationships, sleep—all sacrificed for the company. I thought that was what it took.

I was wrong. A burnt-out owner makes bad decisions. A tired owner misses opportunities. A sick owner can't show up at all. The business needs you at your best, not your most exhausted.

Every decision you make either builds trust or erodes it. Cut a corner today, and you might save an hour. But somewhere down the line, it costs you a customer, a referral, or your reputation.

Do the right thing even when nobody's watching. Especially when nobody's watching. Over 10 years, that consistency compounds into something more valuable than any marketing campaign.