Owned and Operated - A Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Business Growth Podcast Start or Buy a Business? One Founder’s Surprising Answer
Oct 14, 2025
In this insightful chat, Tyler Griffin, the founder of Swift Pro Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, shares his journey of building a thriving HVAC and plumbing startup in Washington, D.C. After selling his previous business, he took a six-month break before launching from scratch. Tyler discusses why starting fresh can outpace expensive acquisitions, emphasizes the importance of vendor partnerships, and reveals his strategies for scaling quickly, including prioritizing reviews and leveraging Angie Ads. He also explains how to cultivate a winning culture and promote talent from within.
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Win With Reviews First
- Prioritize reviews over short-term revenue to build Day 1 legitimacy and Google visibility.
- Use review momentum to convert leads into higher-ticket system replacements.
Jumpstart Demand With Angie Ads
- Start paid lead channels immediately (Tyler used Angie Ads) to jumpstart demand in a new market.
- Combine paid leads with reputation work to begin selling big-ticket installs fast.
Use Nexstar OPEX For A Roadmap
- Use Nexstar's OPEX roadmap and coaching to shortcut what a mature company looks like.
- Apply OPEX checklists (next-day installs, budgets) to avoid common HVAC scale mistakes.