Tropical MBA: Entrepreneurship & Founder Lifestyle #812 From Struggling Plumber to $57K MRR w/ Tom Richards
17 snips
Jun 19, 2025 Tom Richards, founder of PlumbElec Marketing, details his journey from a struggling plumber in Sydney to running a successful $57K/month agency in Bali. He dives into the power of niching down in the plumbing and electrical sectors and explains why Google Maps remains crucial for local SEO. Tom shares insights on using AI tools like ChatGPT for efficiency and discusses whether to scale his agency or maintain a lean operation. Additionally, he offers a glimpse into the evolving entrepreneurial lifestyle in Bali.
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Tom's Journey from Plumbing to Agency
- Tom Richards shares his journey from hating plumbing to founding a successful niche agency targeting plumbing and electrical businesses.
- He repeatedly quit plumbing, lived in Chiang Mai, and found his breakout by moving into SEO consulting on Upwork.
Retainer Model With Clear Reporting
- Charge an average retainer of about $2,500 per client with monthly deliverables like on-page SEO and PPC.
- Provide monthly reports with call tracking so clients can see exactly how leads convert, enhancing retention.
Efficient Team Communication Rhythm
- Conduct weekly team calls and one-on-ones rather than daily calls to maintain productivity without overhead.
- Use Slack for asynchronous communication and avoid unnecessary daily meetings unless daily deliverables require it.
