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- You Don't Build a $9M Business Alone
Hello home service operators,
Growing from $0 to $9 million takes more than hard work. It takes knowing when to stop doing everything yourself.
In this week's podcast episode, Ryan and Erin Osterkamp share how early leadership hires, intentional delegation, and a willingness to invest ahead of growth transformed a one-man HVAC operation into a company with its sights set on $9.1 million in revenue.
Today’s resources:
Before you sign another expensive software contract, see why more operators are making the switch to FieldPulse.
The Department of War just committed $10 million to train the next generation of skilled trades workers.
HVAC distributor sales fell 4.8% in May, but the headline doesn't tell the whole story.
Don’t Let Bookkeeping Steal Your Time
Growing companies eventually hit the same bottleneck: the back office can't keep up.
That was the case for one HVAC contractor. Sales were strong, but the owner was spending late nights reconciling accounts, chasing overdue invoices, and trying to keep the books in order. Instead of hiring an expensive local accountant, they partnered with Quick Staffers to bring on a remote accounting clerk with experience in QuickBooks and the home service industry.
The results speak for themselves:
40% fewer late payments
10+ hours reclaimed every week
$15,000 saved by correcting accounting errors
The best part? The owner stopped worrying about bookkeeping and got back to focusing on the business.
If your back office is becoming the bottleneck, QuickStaffers can help you find experienced remote accounting professionals without the cost and headaches of hiring locally.
The Hires That Built a $9M Business
Ryan started his HVAC business the same way a lot of home service owners do.
One truck. One technician. Seven days a week.
During the day he was running service calls and installs. At night he was sending estimates, running payroll, answering customers, and trying to keep up with everything else that comes with owning a business.
For a while, that worked.
The business kept growing through referrals and good work. But eventually he reached a point every owner recognizes. There simply weren't enough hours in the day.
The instinct is usually to work harder.
While we’re on the subject of hiring, here’s a copy of my “Home Service Hiring Guide” for 2026. No more guessing. Just guidance on who and when to hire. Click the image to view.
Ryan made a different decision.
He started investing in leadership before the business absolutely needed it.
The first major hire wasn't another technician. It was a full-time marketing leader.
At the time, most companies their size were outsourcing marketing or trying to handle it themselves. They decided to bring someone in-house who could focus on SEO, content, branding, campaigns, and lead generation every single day.
That one decision changed the trajectory of the business.
More consistent marketing created more consistent demand.
More demand required better operations.
Erin joined the business to build those operational systems. As the company continued growing, they added department leaders who could take ownership instead of constantly waiting for direction from the founders.
Each hire solved a different problem.
Marketing created a predictable pipeline of opportunities.
Operations built systems that could support more customers.
Department managers coached people, tracked performance, and removed day-to-day decisions from the owners.
Leadership gave Ryan the space to spend less time reacting and more time thinking about where the business should go next.
What I found interesting is that none of those hires immediately produced revenue.
In fact, they all increased overhead before they increased profit. That's uncomfortable for a lot of owners.
You're adding salaries before you see the return.
You're trusting people with responsibilities you've always handled yourself.
You're making investments based on where you believe the business is going, not just where it is today.
That's exactly what scaling requires.
I see the same thing in my own business.
Every stage of growth changes my job.
The work that got us to one level rarely gets us to the next. As the company grows, my responsibility shifts from solving today's problems to building a leadership team that can solve tomorrow's.
One line from our conversation really stuck with me.
Ryan said they're always thinking about the next leadership hire that unlocks growth.
That's a useful framework for every owner.
Ask yourself:
Where am I still the bottleneck?
Which responsibilities only exist because I haven't delegated them yet?
What leadership role would create the most leverage over the next 12 months?
Am I hiring for today's business, or the business I'm trying to build?
Those are the questions that determine whether a company keeps growing or eventually hits a ceiling.
My Takeaway
Every stage of growth requires a different version of you as an owner. The sooner you invest in leaders who can own pieces of the business, the sooner you'll stop being the bottleneck.
Your Team Should Never Ask, "What Happened?"
Quo brings every call, text, voicemail, and customer conversation into one shared inbox, giving your entire team the context they need to respond faster and deliver a better customer experience.
Owned and Operated readers get 20% off their first six months with Quo.
How do you feel about today's newsletter? |
👊 John
Disclosure: Some of the content and links in this newsletter are sponsored or affiliate links, which means we may receive payment or earn a commission if you click through or purchase. However, all opinions expressed are entirely my own.
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