The Cash Flow Contractor

Struggling to visualize how your business actually functions? In this practical follow-up episode, Martin and Khalil demonstrate how to create comprehensive business function charts using AI tools like Claude. Learn how to map out your entire sales process, identify sub-functions, define core activities, and transform chaotic operations into clear, manageable systems for your contracting business.What You’ll LearnHow to create visual function charts that clarify business operationsThe difference between functions, sub-functions, and core activitiesTechniques for using AI to map and organize your business processesHow to identify ownership of critical business activitiesPractical steps to transform abstract workflows into actionable systemsTime Stamps00:39 - Episode Intro01:27 - Visualizing the Workflow02:56 - Detailed Workflow Breakdown06:21 - Defining Business Functions18:56 - Understanding Core Activities and Checklists21:16 - Creating a Function Chart23:42 - Exploring Wispr Flow29:02 - Mapping Roles and FunctionsSnippets from the Episode"When you think about SOPs and checklists, you really want to start with checklists at the core activity level. That basic level is where you create your checklists for the things you need to do."- Khalil Benalioulhaj"By having this function chart together, you can really start to map your business. You can map roles, identify who owns each activity, and figure out capacity issues across your team."- Khalil Benalioulhaj"How cool would it be for your business if you were thinking, 'Hey, I'm trying to work on my business. Where do we have the most problems? Which sub-function is causing us the most issues right now?'" - Khalil Benalioulhaj"Unlike an org chart, in a function chart one person can own multiple sub-functions. You're not saying this is your role, you're telling people these are the things you need to do."- Khalil BenalioulhajKey TakeawaysFunction Hierarchy MattersStart With Visual MappingCore Activities Need ChecklistsAI Can Build Your FrameworkAssign Ownership to FunctionsFocus on Problem Sub-FunctionsMap Your Tech Stack to FunctionsResourcesCFC 280 - Mapping Your Workflows with AI: A Guide to Business Function Charts Part 1WisprFlow Referral LinkClaude Artifact - Sales WorkflowClaude Artifact - Sales Function ChartClaude AI PowerPoint/Google Slides HTML Flowchart GeneratorsKanban board systems⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠24 Things⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock CallCheck out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ OpenPhone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ GrowthKits⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Need Marketing Help? We Recommend⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Benali⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Need Help with podcast production? We recommend⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Demandcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from Martin Holland⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠annealbc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from The Cash Flow ContractorSubscribe to our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow On Social:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X(formerly Twitter)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Cashflow Contractor

Is your service department draining profits instead of generating them? In this practical episode, Martin and Khalil tackle a real contractor dilemma: how to transform service calls from costly overhead into a profitable business segment. Discover why your current pricing model might be leaving thousands on the table and the straightforward systems you need to fix it.What You’ll LearnWhy mixing service and install teams creates hidden profit leaksHow to properly calculate service call pricing (hint: it's much higher than you think)Simple systems to separate service operations for clarity and profitabilityWhy treating service as a "loss leader" is destroying your marginsTime Stamps00:52 - Episode Intro01:02 - The Service Dilemma03:23 - Exploring Solutions and Pricing17:37 - Final Thoughts and TakeawaysSnippets from the Episode"If I can't figure out what something costs me and what I gotta sell it for, then I shouldn't be doing it." - Martin Holland"I think the way that this gets created is you start thinking 'If I can't service these clients, the builder's gonna get upset and not give me new jobs.' So we have it as a loss leader. That's a recipe for disaster."- Khalil Benalioulhaj"Make some estimate and just make sure the estimate is high enough that it's worth it. If we get half of our estimated calls, we still make money."- Martin Holland"You gotta know your costs. That's the takeaway."- Martin HollandKey TakeawaysDouble your service department costs at a minimum when setting pricesSeparate service from installation teams completelyStop treating service as a loss leaderUnderstand the full cost of running a dedicated service departmentBe bold with pricing until you get pushbackService should have its own tracking and profit metricsService work requires specialized skills and dedicated resourcesResources⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠24 Things⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock CallCheck out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ OpenPhone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ GrowthKits⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Need Marketing Help? We Recommend⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Benali⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Need Help with podcast production? We recommend⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Demandcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from Martin Holland⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠annealbc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from The Cash Flow ContractorSubscribe to our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow On Social:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X(formerly Twitter)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Cashflow Contractor

Duane Deason, a cost management expert and author of 'Operationally Svelte,' sheds light on hidden expenses that can waste 10-20% of business budgets. He reveals simple strategies for identifying cash flow issues without being a financial whiz. Deason emphasizes the importance of creating a culture that celebrates cost-cutting and encourages accountability in spending. He also discusses the concept of Cost Management Centers and how proper governance can lead to significant savings, transforming cash flow for contractors.

Khalil and Martin dive into the importance of mapping business workflows, using a past sprinkler company as a case study. They break down the difference between org charts and function charts, highlighting how visualizing processes enhances management. Practical tools like Kanban boards and AI methods streamline workflow design. The discussion also covers lead qualification, job scheduling, and post-job follow-ups, emphasizing how structured workflows can transform chaos into clarity and scalability for small businesses.

Discover how 29-year-old Shaun Sykes transformed from a labor worker dragging brush to the proud owner of Arbor Image, a thriving tree care company. In this revealing conversation, Shaun shares the exact systems that allowed him to cut $47,000 in monthly overhead, increase gross profit margins from 40% to over 60%, and structure a successful ownership transition—all while making both clients and team members happier.What You’ll LearnHow to identify and cut unnecessary overhead that's killing your profitsPractical strategies to increase your gross margins by 20%+ within monthsWhy your pricing fears are holding you back (and how to overcome them)How to implement pay-for-performance systems that make your team more efficientWays to leverage global talent to multiply your business capabilitiesTime Stamps01:16 - The Glass Wall Incident03:30 -Tree Talk: Assessing the Yard04:37 -Meet Shaun Sykes: From Laborer to Arborist08:35 -The Business of Tree Care17:36 -Taking Ownership: The Journey to Becoming a Business Owner34:16 -Legal Aspects of the Deal37:56 -Cutting Overhead Costs43:46 -Leveraging Virtual Assistants for EfficiencySnippets from the Episode"My unique skill isn't being an arborist, it's aligning incentives. That is my number one skill. I love writing up incentive plans and working with the team on bonus programs." - Shaun Sykes, Owner of Arbor Image"We were paying out less money per job on labor than we ever had, and they are making more money than they've ever had." - Shaun Sykes on the pay-for-performance results"We made a 20% price increase, didn't see a drop in close rate. So we took another 20-30% increase, and then finally saw a small drop to about 50% close rate." - Shaun Sykes on pricing courage"The biggest thing that started the confidence to make changes was getting our marketing in order and having way more than enough leads." - Shaun Sykes on transformation catalyst"Nearly every change we were scared to make ended up getting us more customers because we came across as more professional."- Shaun Sykes on implementing systemsKey TakeawaysStart with your bookkeepingTrack every lead source religiouslyRaise prices until you see resistanceAlign incentives across your entire teamCut overhead ruthlessly ($47,000 monthly)Require deposits and payment methods on fileLeverage global talent for critical admin rolesResources⁠⁠⁠24 Things⁠⁠⁠ Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant⁠⁠⁠Schedule⁠⁠⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock CallCheck out⁠⁠⁠ OpenPhone⁠⁠⁠Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our⁠⁠⁠ GrowthKits⁠⁠⁠ Need Marketing Help? We Recommend⁠⁠⁠ Benali⁠⁠⁠Need Help with podcast production? We recommend⁠⁠⁠ Demandcast⁠⁠⁠More from Shaun SykesShaun Sykes - Owner, Arbor ImageArbor Image websiteMore from Martin Holland⁠⁠⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠annealbc.com⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Email Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠More from Khalil⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠More from The Cash Flow ContractorSubscribe to our⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠⁠Follow On Social:⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠X(formerly Twitter)⁠⁠⁠Visit our ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠ The Cashflow Contractor

Christian Olson, an investment banker and M&A advisor at Footprint Capital, reveals strategies for maximizing contractor business sales. He discusses how standardizing systems boosts valuations, the critical role of culture in deals, and the importance of preparation for acquisitions. Christian highlights the difference between business brokers and investment bankers, emphasizes the value of a solid tech stack, and warns against accepting initial offers without knowing true worth. Engage with expert insights on becoming a 'platform company' to ensure long-term benefits.

Aaron Mills, a construction finance and accounting expert with over 20 years of experience, discusses how to create a construction business that operates independently of its owner. He shares success stories, including how one contractor skyrocketed from $30M to $90M while reducing their work hours to just a few per week. Mills emphasizes the power of accurate financials, the importance of WIP schedules, and practical strategies for freeing owners from daily operations, ensuring the business remains profitable and valuable.

Ryan Englin, founder of Core Matters and expert in recruitment marketing, reveals that hiring issues often stem from a marketing perspective rather than an HR one. He discusses innovative methods to attract and retain quality talent by treating recruitment like a marketing initiative. Englin emphasizes creating a 'bench' of candidates, measuring behaviors instead of hours, and establishing engaging systems to keep employees invested. He also highlights the hidden costs of bad hires and the importance of nurturing a positive work environment.

Unlock your team's potential with daily huddles that enhance clarity and accountability in just 10 minutes. Explore how tailored employee incentives can boost morale, steering clear of the common pitfalls. Learn the importance of choosing the right software to improve productivity and profitability. Discover creative ways to motivate your crew beyond monetary rewards, including recognition strategies aligned with personal values. Plus, get insights on leveraging AI for better communication and effective knowledge management within your team.

In this engaging discussion, Chad Hufford, a financial advisor and founder of Veritas Alaska, shares invaluable insights for business owners aiming for financial independence. He introduces a practical tool to calculate a 'target number' for wealth and emphasizes the importance of a work-optional mindset. Chad also tackles debt elimination strategies that create wealth momentum and the significance of custom investments tailored to individual goals. His advice on balancing business cash reserves with personal finances is a game changer for contractors seeking financial freedom.