Looking to scale, need advice

Hello Matt, 

Hope all is well, I recently started working on my family's cleaning business and in many ways sounds similar to your industry/business. If new clients are not an issue, I would say focus on the relationships that you build with your clients and the quality of your work. We have raised our rates over the years and some clients might cancel services, however most of them continue services. These are clients that have been with us for up to 20 years and see my parents are friends. Many will express their thoughts on rates going up and not being happy however they do express that the quality of our work, reliability and long-time friendship is worth it. 

 We don't advertise, aside from our company cars, yet we get new clients almost daily. The business has grown to almost 70 employees at its peak and over 300 clients. This has allowed the business to invest in new software, new management and focus on its company goals. 

Hey Matt,

First off, props to you for asking the right question early, most people wait until they’re drowning before realizing they need to build a scalable structure. You're in a great position: you’ve got demand, momentum, and deposits coming in. That’s the hard part. Now it’s about turning that hustle into a machine.
Here’s a clear path to help you scale from “one-man hustle” to “crew-led business”:

1. Raise Your Prices
If you’re booked out, it means your pricing is too low. Undercutters will always exist, but they don’t last. You can’t win that race. Your edge needs to be premium service, reliability, and professionalism, not price. Clients who value that will pay more.
Price yourself to build a team, not just cover today's costs. Think: every quote should account for wages, profit, equipment reinvestment, and your time off the tools.

2. Hire Slow, Train Fast
Start with 1 part-time lead tech, not 5 employees. Teach them your systems. Then build a repeatable onboarding/training process. Think of your business like a franchise, how would someone else do what you do without you?

3. Create a “Rainy Day” Cash Buffer
To keep guys year-round, you need cash reserves. Snow work can help fill gaps, but save a % of revenue during peak months to carry slow periods. Aim for 1-2 months of payroll buffer minimum.

4. Outsource or Automate the Admin
Start removing yourself from:
Scheduling (using Jobber)
Invoicing & follow-ups
Answering calls (use a VA or AI Receptionist)
You can’t scale doing everything. Free yourself to sell, train, and lead.

5. Market to Your Ideal Clients Only
Stop selling to bargain hunters. Go after:
Property managers
Realtors
Retirees or dual-income families
Commercial accounts
Use Google Local Services, flyers with clear pricing tiers, and word-of-mouth referrals with incentives.

6. Get a Simple Org Chart Vision
Even if you’re solo now, map out a “Crew of 5” version of your business. Something like:
1 Crew Lead (lawn care)
1 Crew Lead (parging)
1-2 Techs per crew
You in sales/oversight

Then reverse engineer what revenue you need to support that team profitably.
You’re not far off. You don’t need to grow overnight, just build a system where you can remove yourself from the field without the whole thing collapsing. It starts with pricing right and hiring the first great person.

I'd recommend you check into an SBA Loan to help you grow your business and have operating money to grow your business.  There are also grants within most states or counties you are located in, research and maybe there's one that you can qualify for before using SBA.  There are also Credit Cards that offer 0% for a year, utilizing this could also help fund your expansion.  Be sure to stay within your means and not heavily in debt your company.  Try no to undercut your prices to compete with your companies, prove to your customers why they would pay more for your service (i.e., photos of your work, references, quality of service).  I always found that if you undercut your work, you miss out on great clients who want your service and will pay for it.  Good Luck in Your Company!   

Hey Matt,

If you can put yourself in their shoes and look back at your own company through their eyes it will give you a much more realistic view.

Once you do that - try to design and implement things with them in mind. Recognition, rewards - including sharing revenue. If you can design a compensation program that pays them a low minimum base rate - but that also gives them a substantial share of the revenue (the more they work and the harder they work the more they make - and in the process the more YOU make too) you will build a highly motivated, driven and successful team. One that will stay with you as long as you keep providing what they want and need.

The typical way most companies do business and try to grow is usually NOT the best. They look through the lenses of their own eyes only - and guess what? No body cares about you. Not really. What they all care about most is THEMSELVES. So once you understand their motivations from their viewpoint, the you have the beginning of being able to build something amazing.

Hope that helps, and wishing you all the best in all you do.

Best regards,

Louis Derrick Sewell