Stop Losing Money in 2026: The Profit Plan for Higher EBITDA
Owned and Operated - A Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Business Growth Podcast
Why 2026 Demands Health Over Reckless Growth
Jack argues market changes and AI adoption make 2026 the year to prioritize cashflow and business health.
We’re heading into 2026 with one goal: stop losing money.
Not “grow at all costs.” Not “try harder.” Just: build a healthy business that actually cash flows.
In this episode, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down what they’re cutting, tightening, and renegotiating in 2026 to go from ~13% EBITDA to 20% EBITDA—and why they’re also targeting 10% net profit after realizing how big the gap can be between EBITDA and real take-home profit.
They walk through the exact planning process they used this year (operational inputs → revenue → profit plan), then share the unsexy truth: most of the gains don’t come from some magic tactic… they come from relentless efficiency—marketing discipline, killing bloated software, renegotiating vendor terms, tightening material spend, and finding hidden leaks everywhere.
If you run a home service business (at any size), this is your 2026 playbook for getting healthy first—then scaling from strength.
In this episode, we cover:
- “Just Don’t Lose Money” Mindset: Why refusing to lose changes everything
- Profit Planning for 2026: Planning off the P&L (not vibes)
- EBITDA Isn’t a Light Switch: Why profitability is an on-ramp (and takes time)
- Marketing Discipline: Cutting inconsistent channels + tracking cancellation rate
- Software Bloat: The hidden $10K–$50K/month leak almost everyone has
🚀 What You’ll Learn:
- Why “growth” doesn’t matter if you aren’t net profitable
- The fastest way to find 5–10% savings without cutting core staff
- How to audit marketing beyond ROI (book rate, cancels, demo rate, ticket)
- What to renegotiate with vendors (and how early to start)
- How to tighten materials spend from 25% → 23% without heroics
- Why consistent wins beat “one big lucky month” every time
🎙️ Hosts:
John Wilson: https://x.com/WilsonCompanies
Jack Carr: https://x.com/theHVACJack
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More Ways To Connect with O&O
John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies
Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC
📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.
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