Breakthrough Academy

We all have 168 hours every week. Every one of us. From Elon Musk all the way down to your delinquent cousin who still lives at Grandma’s. Time’s the great equalizer. And so how we decide to use it is paramount. And, chances are, if you're a busy contractor, you've been guilty of making at least one of these four mistakes when it comes to managing your time and priorities. Learn which ones by watching the full video: https://lnkd.in/gyAMT6Bd #productivityhacks #timemanagement #priorities

If it seems like it’s harder than ever to hire for your trades or construction business, you’re not crazy. Just like any other market, the labor market has demand forces and supply forces. A price that moves up and down as those two forces shift and equilibrium points that get found and then disrupted and found again. #laborshortage #skilledlaborshortage #contractors #bluecollarlife

Money chases easy. Entrepreneurs overcome hard. It takes courage to do the right thing for your business financially, culturally and structurally. If it feels like making decisions is hard, it’s supposed to be. That’s what makes it worth doing. On today's episode of Contractor Evolution, Greg Crabtree breaks down the confusing world of business accounting using the framework in his book, Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits! Full Episode links ⤵️ 🎥 Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gpunFdJr 🎙️ Listen on Apple/Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gd_kFHSz #bluecollarbusiness #simplenumbers #accountingtips #entrepreneurship

What exactly does it mean to have "good" profit margins, and why is that question so hard to find an answer to? 🤔 After working with thousands of contractors, we've put together an industry-specific list of benchmarks to help you figure out where you stand. Check out the full video here: https://lnkd.in/gyhbgSDG

Am I an idiot? Or bang on here? At the start of 2024, I made 11 predictions about the large and fragmented “blue-collar business” space we advise here at Breakthrough Academy. Here is my self-assessment. I would love to know if you see things differently, so let me know in the comments: ----- 1. Private Equity will continue to enter the market ✅ While interest rates have slowed overall acquisition activity, blue-collar businesses remain a very interesting prospect for smart money. 2. Early adopters of video (in their marketing efforts) are going to destroy the laggards ✅ Marcus Sheridan has long warned about this, and while this is anecdotal evidence, we can all agree that marketing efforts without video are a bust. 3. The Canadian economy is in for a SLUGGISH year or longer, while the American economy seem fine ✅ This turned out to be exceptionally true, and it is becoming more so every day. Despite our decade-long doldrums here, I am still bullish on Canada's long-term prospects. Stronger leadership would be a starting point. 4. Businesses that focus on the Buyer's Journey to create “self-serve” sales processes will enjoy more time back in their schedule, happier customers, and significant revenue growth ✅ All day! Check out Artisan Roofing’s or Van City Electric’s websites for examples of what I am talking about. I will link to them in the comments. 5. A focus Cost Reduction could save your ass ✅ Again, this is anecdotal, but we have access to the books of over 600 businesses, and the data clearly show that Contractors who aggressively cut costs early in the year are extremely glad they did. 6. Productizing your offer will pay dividends ✅ Admittedly, this one is tricky to measure. However, pay attention to how many competitors are branding their processes and using infographics on their websites. Your work is complex, but try to make it simple for customers to understand. 7. The silver tsunami will create a Buyer’s market for you ✅ 10,000 retirees a day with no exit strategy screams opportunity. 8. The labor market will not improve ❌ I was wrong about this one. The labor market has softened considerably, and hiring the talent you need, while not easy, is easier. 9. Election year could boost your CPMs ✅ I don’t know about you, but the efficiency of our paid ads plummeted from the end of September right up to November 5th. 10. Salespeople who don’t know how to sell are a thing of the past  ✅ Many “order taker” salespeople were laid off this year as the market stiffened. It sucks to suck; not sure what else to say there. 11. Your Google Rating will be your best salesperson ❓(still too early to tell) I can’t prove this one out yet, but I am beyond bullish on maximizing visible online social proof for your brand through your Google Rating management tools like NiceJob.

Are you tip toeing around a conversation you’d rather avoid? Whether it be an employee whose attitude fell off a cliff this year and is now emanating toxicity. Or a customer whose demands have gone from needy to straight up unreasonable and even cruel. Critical Conversations are a part of business (and life)! These are those high stakes conversations we know we need to have, but deep down would rather avoid if we could. Guess what? You CAN’T! This problem is especially pernicious with us Canadians. We’re known for our “politeness” but the truth is that’s just well hidden conflict avoidance and passivity. I’ve always admired our American neighbors for their directness and “straight up-ness” when it comes to communication (Germans are pretty good too ;) Look it’s the end of the year. It’s a time for optimism and excitement about 2025. And it’s also a time for reflection on the underbelly of business: broken promises, disappointing results, sub-optimal behaviours. You know the people you need to “have a talk with.” You even know what about, too. The problem is your a little nervous (and that’s okay). We all are. A little structure and a little prep go a long way in quelling those nerves. We find this 5 part Critical Conversations framework super helpful. And I think you will to!

Somewhere between 20% and 50% of new hires quit their new job within the first 100 days. …that’s a LOT 🤯 According to Joey Coleman, this is because so few employers take the time to properly onboard people to their team. If you don’t invest in your people, they won’t invest in you. In today's episode of Contractor Evolution, Benji Carlson talks to Joey all about employee retention and—more importantly—employee experience, and how to optimize it to keep your A-players around for longer. Full episode: 🎥 Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gyswed3b 🎙️ Listen on Apple/Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gd_kFHSz

😤 Tired of doing EVERYTHING yourself because you can’t rely on your team? We’ve been there. But there’s a way out. 👇 Tomorrow, we’re hosting a LIVE online Roundtable where you'll learn: ✅ How top contractors fix team problems fast. ✅ Get your crew executing at a higher level (without micromanaging). 👉 Register now 👉 https://lnkd.in/gJdZSV8X LMN #BreakthroughAcademy #LandscapingBusiness #LandscapingCoach #ContractorSuccess

How do you cut out staff gossip and drama…and get more sh*t done? 👇It all comes back to one thing: your company culture. On December 10th, join us for a LIVE online Roundtable to learn: ✅ The secrets to building A-players on your crew. ✅ Real examples from $4.6MM contractors. ✅ Practical frameworks to drive results fast. This is your chance to stop the drama and get your business running smoother than ever. Register now 👉 https://lnkd.in/gJdZSV8X #BreakthroughAcademy #LandscapingBusiness #LandscapingCoach #ContractorSuccess

This year, you hustled hard—maybe a little too hard. You worked 70+ hours a week, spent 720 hours sitting in your truck 🛻, and onboarded 12 new hires (but only 3 made it past week two…ouch). Sound familiar? 🫠 Here’s the thing: You didn’t start your business to be stuck in the chaos.💡 It’s time to step into 2025 with a plan to work on your business—not in it. Swipe through to see how 640 contractors took back their time, grew their revenue, and got their teams running efficiently. Because next year’s theme is Smooth Scaling, Zero Drama. 🎶 Book a call now: https://lnkd.in/gNGh-nCi #BreakthroughAcademy #Leadership #ContractorLife #BusinessGrowth