Owned and Operated - A Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Business Growth Podcast

How do you manage marketing across seven HVAC and plumbing companies generating $75 million in annual revenue?

John Wilson sits down with Cory Creekmore, Marketing Director overseeing seven home service brands, to break down the strategies behind scaling lead generation, building referral programs, and growing HVAC and plumbing businesses across multiple markets.

They discuss how smaller locations have nearly doubled in size, why marketing a $5 million company looks completely different from marketing a $25 million operation, and how a referral program is generating an estimated five referrals per branch per day.

Plus, how to allocate marketing budgets, decide between building one unified brand or keeping established local identities, and shift spending away from underperforming traditional advertising toward measurable lead generation.

Whether you're running a single HVAC or plumbing company or managing multiple locations, this episode breaks down practical ways to generate more leads, lower customer acquisition costs, and build a marketing strategy that scales.

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In This Episode:
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• How to manage marketing across 7 HVAC and plumbing businesses generating $75M
• Why marketing a $5M company is different from a $25M company
• Building a referral program generating roughly 5 referrals per branch per day
• How smaller HVAC businesses nearly doubled through better marketing
• Where to allocate marketing budgets and when traditional advertising stops making sense
• Centralizing marketing across multiple locations without losing established local brands
• How Google reviews, Local Services Ads, and AI search are changing home service lead generation
• Using local partnerships and community events to generate leads beyond digital advertising

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Sponsors
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Avoca

See how Avoca helps home service companies book more jobs with AI that handles calls, texts, follow ups, and dispatching without adding more chaos. Book a demo:https://www.avoca.ai/partners/oao

Service Scalers

Get more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies. Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs:

https://www.servicescalers.com/

Big Reputation

Get more from your Google Business Profile with Big Reputation. Automate reviews, improve local visibility, and turn more Google searches into inbound calls. Learn more: https://www.bigreputation.ai/oao

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Connect
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John Wilson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/

Cory Creekmore
Marketing Director, Cassidy Services Partners
https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreycreekmore/

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Send Us Mail!

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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.

Google Local Service Ads (LSAs) are changing, and HVAC and plumbing contractors need to pay attention.

John Wilson sits down with Sam Preston, CEO of Service Scalers, to break down the latest Google LSA changes in 2026 and how home service businesses can generate more leads while improving their return on ad spend.

They discuss Google's new missed-call billing, changes to the LSA platform, and why Google Business Profiles, reviews, and local SEO are becoming increasingly important.

Plus, John shares real marketing data from his home service companies, while Sam breaks down current HVAC, plumbing, and electrical lead costs and how contractors can track LSA performance all the way to actual revenue.

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In This Episode:
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• What's changing with Google Local Service Ads in 2026
• Why missed LSA calls can still cost you money
• How Google Business Profiles and reviews affect LSA performance
• Current HVAC, plumbing, and electrical cost-per-lead benchmarks
• How to optimize LSA budgets, targeting, and lead quality
• Tracking Google LSA leads to booked jobs and actual ROI
• Using LSAs to expand into new service areas

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Sponsors
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Catalyst | May 3–5 | Akron, Ohio

100+ home service owners and operators. Three days of tactical sessions, real conversations, and learning from great operators.

Grab your seat: https://www.ownedandoperated.com/catalyst

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Resources
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What Are Google Local Service Ads? A Clear Explanation for Business Owners

https://www.ownedandoperated.com/post/what-are-google-local-service-ads

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Connect
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John Wilson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/

Sam Preston | Service Scalers
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-preston-a682103b6/

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Send Us Mail!

More Ways To Connect with OAO

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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.

How do you turn a failing $500M home service company into a profitable business in just three years?

John Wilson sits down with the former operator behind one of the largest HVAC and plumbing turnarounds in the country to break down how Service Experts went from losing $30 million annually to generating $30 million in EBITDA across 110 locations.

They discuss the operational changes that made the turnaround possible, from restructuring sales compensation and cutting equipment costs to rebuilding local brands and improving customer retention.

Plus, why traditional HVAC maintenance agreements often fail, how financing and recurring revenue models can change the economics of a home service business, and what smaller contractors can learn from scaling and fixing a massive operation.

Whether you're buying, building, or turning around a home service company, this episode explores what actually drives profitability and long-term growth.

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In This Episode:
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• Turning a 500M HVAC Business 30M to +$30M EBITDA
• Why HVAC financing is becoming essential as equipment prices rise
• How leading with monthly payments can improve HVAC sales and close rates
• The difference between traditional financing, leasing, and subscription-based HVAC services
• Why some contractors finance 70–80% of their HVAC installations
• How to improve financing approval rates and track sales performance
• Why traditional HVAC maintenance agreements struggle with customer retention

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Sponsors
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Big Reputation

Get more from your Google Business Profile with Big Reputation. Automate reviews, improve local visibility, and turn more Google searches into inbound calls. Learn more: https://www.bigreputation.ai/oao

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Connect
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John Wilson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/

Anuj Khanna
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anujkhannapremierprogram
Comfort Connect
https://bit.ly/4wGXqSX

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Send Us Mail!

More Ways To Connect with OAO

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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.

What if you could grow your home service business without spending another dollar on marketing?

John Wilson sits down with Brian Burton, co-host of Waste No Day and creator of Blue Collar Closer, to break down how better sales training, higher average tickets, and a stronger sales culture drive growth.

Brian shares how he helped scale a plumbing company from $2.4M to $6.2M in two years without acquisitions, and another business from $6M to $32M with 20% net profit.

Plus, why technicians struggle to close sales, how to build repeatable sales processes, and why increasing your average ticket could be more valuable than generating more leads.

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In This Episode:
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• Growing a plumbing business from $2.4M to $6.2M through organic growth
• Scaling a home service company from $6M to $32M with 20% net profit
• Why increasing average tickets can outperform spending more on marketing
• Building a sales culture that drives technician performance
• How daily role-playing and sales training improve closing rates
• Why technicians struggle to ask customers for the sale
• The GO PRO sales process and presenting multiple service options
• Performance-based pay and technician commission structures

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Sponsors
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Service Scalers

Get more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies. Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs: https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/podcast

Quick Staffers

Hire trained HVAC and plumbing CSRs without the overhead of traditional hiring. Save $500 on your first placement with Quick Staffers: https://www.quickstaffers.com/

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Connect
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John Wilson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/

Brian Burton | Waste No Day & Blue Collar Closer
https://wastenoday.com/
https://www.bluecollarcloser.com/

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Send Us Mail!

More Ways To Connect with OAO

• Start Here
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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.

From $700K to $15M in just five years. Shane Viggiani has nearly doubled his electrical business every year, growing from one truck to a 50-person operation in Las Vegas.

John Wilson sits down with Shane, owner of Ampere Electric, to break down the strategies behind that growth. They discuss how Shane built over 3,000 Google reviews, structured technician commissions, developed his management team, and maintained roughly 15% net margins while scaling.

They also get into the mistakes that nearly derailed his early growth, why hands-on technician training has been so effective, and how he's thinking about acquisitions as he works toward $30M in annual revenue.
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In This Episode:
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• Growing an electrical business from $700K to a $15M annual revenue pace
• How 3,000 Google reviews became a competitive advantage
• Hiring managers, building teams, and scaling operations
• Technician commissions, sales training, and incentives
• Maintaining profitability during rapid growth
• Buying vs. building a home service business
• The path from $15M to $30M

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Sponsors
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FieldPulse

Ready to ditch the whiteboard and spreadsheets? See how FieldPulse helps home service companies simplify scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and more.

Book a free demo: https://landing.fieldpulse.com/owned_and_operated
Service Scalers
Get more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies.

Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs: https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/youtube
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Connect
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John Wilson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/

Shane Viggiani | Ampere Electric
https://ampereelectricnv.com/about-us/

Send Us Mail!

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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.

The HVAC industry doesn't just have a labor shortage. It has a training problem.

John Wilson sits down with Jennifer Manzo, HVAC business owner and founder of HVA-Chicks Coalition, to discuss why contractors struggle to hire and develop technicians, and why the next generation of HVAC workers might be the solution.

They break down how one HVAC company reduced callbacks by 52% in just three months, why experienced technicians aren't always the best hires, and how better training, technology, and company culture can help operators build stronger businesses.

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In This Episode:
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• Why the HVAC labor shortage might be a training problem
• How one company reduced callbacks by 52%
• Hiring Gen Z vs. experienced technicians
• Building better technician training programs
• Supporting women entering the trades
• Adapting to heat pumps, inverters, and new refrigerants

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Sponsors
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Catalyst | May 3–5 | Akron, Ohio

100+ home service owners and operators. Three days of tactical sessions, real conversations, and learning from great operators.

Grab your seat: https://www.ownedandoperated.com/catalyst

Profit & Grit

Running a 3M–15M home service business? Profit & Grit helps contractors improve cash flow, pricing, forecasting, and profitability with guidance from an operator who's built and sold a $25M service business. Book your free 20-minute strategy call: https://www.profitandgrit.com

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Connect
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John Wilson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/

Jennifer Manzo
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hvachicks-jennifer-206832280/?isSelfProfile=false
https://www.instagram.com/hvachicksjennifer/?hl=en

A quick thank you to FieldPulse for helping make this conversation happen! If you're looking to simplify scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and more for your home service business, check them out here:

https://landing.fieldpulse.com/owned_and_operated

Send Us Mail!

More Ways To Connect with OAO

• Start Here
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Leave a Review

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.

You don't need a massive marketing budget to grow a home service business. You just need to find opportunities your competitors are missing.

Jack Carr sits down with Sam Preston of Service Scalers to break down low-cost marketing strategies for growing a home service company. From Nextdoor and Facebook groups to yard signs, local partnerships, and community events, they share practical ways to generate leads without spending a fortune.

They also cover how one company generated over $500K in leads from Nextdoor, how yard signs helped grow an $8M plumbing business, and why getting creative with local marketing can give smaller operators an advantage over larger competitors.
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In This Episode:
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• Where to spend your first marketing dollars
• Generating leads without expensive advertising
• Nextdoor, Facebook groups, and Google Business Profile
• How yard signs helped grow an $8M plumbing business
• Building local partnerships and referral networks
• Marketing expenses to avoid early on
• Competing with larger companies on a smaller budget

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Sponsors
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Quick Staffers

Hire trained HVAC and plumbing CSRs without the overhead of traditional hiring. Save $500 on your first placement with Quick Staffers: https://www.quickstaffers.com/

Catalyst | May 3–5 | Akron, Ohio

100+ home service owners and operators. Three days of tactical sessions, real conversations, and learning from great operators.

Grab your seat: https://www.ownedandoperated.com/catalyst

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Connect
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Jack Carr
https://x.com/thehvacjack

Sam Preston
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-preston-a682103b6/

Send Us Mail!

More Ways To Connect with OAO

• Start Here
• Owned and Operated Newsletter
• Bonus Videos From John

Leave a Review

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.

Your home service business can be profitable on paper and still run out of cash.

John Wilson sits down with Tyler Martin of Profit & Grit to break down where cash actually goes as a home service company grows and why strong EBITDA doesn’t always translate to money in the bank.

They cover the biggest cash drains, including trucks, inventory, accounts receivable, debt payments, and hiring ahead of demand. They also break down how much cash to keep in reserve, what owners should be watching every week, and how a 13-week cash flow forecast can help you stay ahead of a crunch.

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In This Episode
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• Why profitable businesses still run out of cash
• Profit vs. actual free cash flow
• How growth eats cash
• The hidden impact of AR, inventory, trucks, and debt
• How much cash to keep in reserve
• What financial numbers to review every week
• Building a 13-week cash flow forecast

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Sponsors
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Service Scalers

Get more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies. Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs: https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/podcast

FieldPulse

Ready to ditch the whiteboard and spreadsheets? See how FieldPulse helps home service companies simplify scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and more. Book a free demo: https://landing.fieldpulse.com/owned_and_operated

Comfort Connect

Turn one installation into years of repeat business with Comfort Connect. Give homeowners flexible payment options, stay connected after the job, and create new recurring revenue opportunities. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4wGXqSX

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Connect
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John Wilson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/

Tyler Martin
Profit & Grit
https://profitandgrit.com/

RESOURCE: Understanding Your Cash Flow Statement

https://profitandgrit.com/quickbooks-cash-flow-statement-home-service/

Send Us Mail!

More Ways To Connect with OAO

• Start Here
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Leave a Review

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.

What does the perfect marketing team actually look like for a $5M home service company trying to reach $10M?

John Wilson and Jack Carr go head-to-head to build a marketing department from scratch, with Sam Preston judging every decision.

They start with the exact same $5M appliance repair business, zero internal marketing employees, and a $400K payroll budget. Across five rounds, they have to decide who to hire first, what to keep outsourced, when to bring marketing in-house, and what gets cut when the budget tightens.

Along the way, they break down lifecycle marketing, lead generation, PPC, SEO, content, branding, business development, multi-location growth, and why the marketing team that gets you to $5M may not be the one that gets you to $10M.

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In This Episode
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• The first marketing hire John and Jack would make at $5M
• Marketing coordinator vs. lifecycle marketer
• Using your existing customer database to drive more revenue
• How the marketing team changes from $5M to $10M
• When growth requires expanding into new markets
• What should stay outsourced at $7M
• Why PPC, LSA, and SEO may belong with an agency

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Sponsors
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Avoca

See how Avoca helps home service companies book more jobs with AI that handles calls, texts, follow ups, and dispatching without adding more chaos. Book a demo: https://www.avoca.ai/partners/oao

Quick Staffers

Hire trained HVAC and plumbing CSRs without the overhead of traditional hiring. Save $500 on your first placement with Quick Staffers: https://www.quickstaffers.com/

Big Reputation

Get more from your Google Business Profile with Big Reputation. Automate reviews, improve local visibility, and turn more Google searches into inbound calls. Learn more: https://www.bigreputation.ai/oao

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Connect
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John Wilson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/

Jack Carr
https://x.com/thehvacjack

Sam Preston
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-preston-a682103b6/

Send Us Mail!

More Ways To Connect with OAO

• Start Here
• Owned and Operated Newsletter
• Bonus Videos From John

Leave a Review

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.

Most home service companies think they need more leads. But as you approach $5M, the real problems are often attribution, capacity, booking rates, sales, and fulfillment.

Jack Carr and Sam Preston break down where home service marketing starts to break as a company grows, why cost per lead can be misleading, and how to track marketing all the way to actual revenue.

They also cover Google Ads and Performance Max, AI search, review velocity, and why the next era of home service marketing could extend well beyond Google.

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In This Episode
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• What breaks in marketing around $5M
• Tracking leads all the way to revenue
• Why cost per lead can be misleading
• Using phone numbers and campaigns for attribution
• Matching marketing spend to technician capacity
• Why booking rate is one of the biggest missed opportunities
• When a “lead problem” is actually a sales problem

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Sponsors
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Big Reputation

Get more from your Google Business Profile with Big Reputation. Automate reviews, improve local visibility, and turn more Google searches into inbound calls. Learn more: https://www.bigreputation.ai/oao

Service Scalers

Get more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies. Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs: https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/podcast

Avoca

See how Avoca helps home service companies book more jobs with AI that handles calls, texts, follow ups, and dispatching without adding more chaos.
Book a demo: https://www.avoca.ai/partners/oao

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Connect
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Jack Carr
https://x.com/thehvacjack

Sam Preston

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-preston-a682103b6/

Send Us Mail!

More Ways To Connect with OAO

• Start Here
• Owned and Operated Newsletter
• Bonus Videos From John

Leave a Review

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.

AI search is changing how homeowners find HVAC, plumbing, and home service companies.

John Wilson sits down with Julie Phan of Big Reputation to break down how ChatGPT and other AI platforms decide which contractors to recommend and what home service owners can do to show up more often.

They cover why your Google Business Profile, reviews, website, service pages, local listings, and overall digital footprint are becoming increasingly important as search moves beyond Google.

John and Julie also walk through how AI evaluates things like location, service type, reputation, availability, and customer feedback, plus how operators can test their own AI visibility and start building an advantage before the space gets more competitive.

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In This Episode
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• How AI search is changing home services
• How ChatGPT chooses which contractors to recommend
• Why reviews matter for AI visibility
• Google Business Profile and AI search
• Building a stronger digital footprint
• Service and location pages that give AI more context
• How to track your visibility in AI search
• Why smaller contractors may have an advantage
• How to start optimizing for AI search today

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Sponsors
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Profit & Grit

Running a $3M–$15M home service business? Profit & Grit helps contractors improve cash flow, pricing, forecasting, and profitability with guidance from an operator who's built and sold a $25M service business. Book your free 20-minute strategy call: https://www.profitandgrit.com

Catalyst | May 3–5 | Akron, Ohio

100+ home service owners and operators. Three days of tactical sessions, real conversations, and learning from great operators.

Grab your seat:https://www.ownedandoperated.com/catalyst

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Connect
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John Wilson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/

Julie Phan/Big Reputation

https://www.bigreputation.ai/

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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.

What’s working in home service marketing in 2026?

John Wilson and Sam Preston break down Meta Ads, Google Ads, LSAs, speed to lead, call centers, and how contractors can find their next growth channel.

They cover why marketing channels eventually level off, the rise of Meta Ads, Google’s shift toward AI and Performance Max, and why your call center is a critical part of your marketing engine.

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IN THIS EPISODE
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
• What’s working in home service marketing in 2026
• Why marketing channels eventually level off
• Meta Ads for HVAC, plumbing, and home services
• Why speed to lead matters
• Turning low-intent leads into booked jobs
• Why your call center is part of marketing
• Google Ads, LSA, and Performance Max
• Testing new marketing channels faster
• Growing through new markets and services
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SPONSOR
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Catalyst | May 3–5 | Akron, Ohio

100+ home service owners and operators. Three days of tactical sessions, real conversations, and learning from great operators.

Grab your seat: https://www.ownedandoperated.com/catalyst

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CONNECT
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
John Wilson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/

Sam Preston
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-preston-a682103b6/

Service Scalers
https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/podcast

Send Us Mail!

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• Start Here
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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.

John Wilson sits down with Julie Phan, founder of Big Reputation, to break down how home service companies can use Google Business Profiles to expand into new markets.

They cover how to choose the right location, how many reviews you need before expanding, Google's verification process, and how to build authority on a new GBP without weakening your existing locations.

John also shares how The Wilson Companies has used GBPs through acquisitions and organic expansion, including a $10,000 acquisition that may have generated roughly $1 million in revenue.

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In This Episode
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
• When to open another Google Business Profile
• How to choose your next market
• Building reviews and authority
• Google's GBP verification requirements
• Buying existing GBPs through acquisitions
• Google Business Profiles and AI search
• Why more locations don't automatically mean more leads

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Sponsors
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FieldPulse

Ready to ditch the whiteboard and spreadsheets? See how FieldPulse helps home service companies simplify scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and more.
Book a free demo: https://landing.fieldpulse.com/owned_and_operated

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Connect
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

John Wilson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/

Julie Phan/Big Reputation

https://www.bigreputation.ai/

Send Us Mail!

More Ways To Connect with OAO

• Start Here
• Owned and Operated Newsletter
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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.

John Wilson has spent the last decade growing a home service company from $1M to $53M in revenue.

On Owned and Operated, John breaks down what it actually takes to build and scale a home service business, including hiring, sales, marketing, operations, acquisitions, pricing, and everything in between.

Real operators. Real numbers. Real problems being solved in real time.

If you own a plumbing, HVAC, electrical, or other home service business and want to build something great, this show is for you.

New episodes twice a week.

Find Owned and Operated:

https://www.youtube.com/@JohnWilsonOAO

https://www.ownedandoperated.com/

Send Us Mail!

More Ways To Connect with OAO

• Start Here
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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.

The SBA rules for buying a business are changing in 2026. Here’s what buyers and home service operators need to know.

Jack Carr sits down with Alan Peterson from First Internet Bank to break down the latest SBA 7(a) changes, including how buyers can finance up to 90% of an acquisition, new equity requirements, seller financing, and changes affecting minority investors.

They also cover how sellers can stay involved for up to 24 months after closing, strategies for navigating licensing when buying HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and other skilled trades businesses, and new Quality of Earnings requirements for larger acquisitions.

Plus, Alan explains one of the biggest opportunities for existing business owners: using SBA expansion financing to acquire another company with potentially 0% down when the deal qualifies.

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Inside This Episode
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
• Buying a business with an SBA 7(a) loan
• Financing up to 90% of an acquisition
• New 2026 SBA equity requirements
• Seller financing and transition rules
• Licensing strategies for home service acquisitions
• Quality of Earnings and business valuations
• SBA expansion loans and potential 0% down acquisitions
• What buyers should know before making an offer
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Sponsors
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Avoca

See how Avoca helps home service companies book more jobs with AI that handles calls, texts, follow ups, and dispatching without adding more chaos.
Book a demo: https://www.avoca.ai/partners/oao

FieldPulse

Ready to ditch the whiteboard and spreadsheets? See how FieldPulse helps home service companies simplify scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and more.
Book a free demo: https://landing.fieldpulse.com/owned_and_operated

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Connect
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Jack Carr
https://x.com/thehvacjack

Alan Peterson
https://alanfib.com/

Owned and Operated
https://www.ownedandoperated.com/

Send Us Mail!

More Ways To Connect with OAO

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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.

What is EBITDA, and why does it matter so much when building, financing, or selling a home service business?

John Wilson and Jack Carr break down EBITDA in simple terms, including how it differs from net income and SDE, what a healthy EBITDA margin looks like, and why buyers, banks, and lenders pay so much attention to it.

They also explain how EBITDA impacts business valuation, why maximizing profit doesn't always maximize company value, and the other financial metrics buyers look at during an acquisition.

Plus, John shares the 50/30/20 framework used at Wilson: 50% gross margin, 30% SG&A, and 20% EBITDA.

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In This Episode
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
• What EBITDA means and why it matters
• EBITDA vs. net income and SDE
• Healthy EBITDA margins for home service businesses
• How EBITDA impacts business valuation
• Using strong financials to access capital
• Why higher EBITDA doesn't always mean a better business
• The 50/30/20 framework

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Sponsors
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Quick Staffers

Hire trained HVAC and plumbing CSRs without the overhead of traditional hiring. Save $500 on your first placement with Quick Staffers:
https://www.quickstaffers.com/

Service Scalers

Get more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies. Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs: https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/podcast

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Connect
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
John Wilson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/

Jack Carr
https://x.com/thehvacjack

Send Us Mail!

More Ways To Connect with OAO

• Start Here
• Owned and Operated Newsletter
• Bonus Videos From John

Leave a Review

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.

What does it actually take to buy and grow a roofing company?

Nicholas Riley left Deloitte to buy Driftwood Builders Roofing, a 20-year-old roofing company in Austin, Texas. After reviewing roughly 2,000 businesses, he finally made his first home service acquisition.

In this episode, John Wilson and Nicholas break down the economics of the roofing business, including $20,000 average roof replacements, cash vs. insurance margins, roofing marketing, direct mail, referral partnerships, and competing in a market with more than 1,000 roofing companies.

They also cover Nicholas' biggest mistakes during his first year as an operator, what buyers should look for when acquiring a home service business, and why roofing ultimately comes down to two things: marketing and sales.

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In This Episode
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
• Buying your first home service business
• The economics of running a roofing company
• $20K average roof replacements
• Roofing marketing and direct mail
• Building referral partnerships that generate leads
• Why seller integrity matters when buying a business
• Competing against private equity and local roofers
• Why roofing is a marketing and sales business

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Sponsors
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
The Military Veteran (TMV)

Hiring a VP, GM, or C-suite leader? The Military Veteran (TMV) specializes in executive search for home service businesses, connecting you with proven veteran leaders who know how to execute, build teams, and drive growth.

Select Owned and Operated as your referral source when you schedule a consultation: https://themilvet.typeform.com/to/BDwkmCU0?typeform-source=www.themilvet.org

Big Reputation

Get more from your Google Business Profile with Big Reputation. Automate reviews, improve local visibility, and turn more Google searches into inbound calls.

Learn more: https://www.bigreputation.ai/oao
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Connect
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
John Wilson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/

Nicholas Riley
https://www.instagram.com/nickriley2/
https://driftwoodbuildersroofing.com/

Owned and Operated
https://www.ownedandoperated.com/

Send Us Mail!

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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.

Ismael Valdez built NexGen Air Conditioning & Plumbing from $0 to $108 million in just 6.5 years. Now he’s back on Owned and Operated to share the blueprint for his next $100M home service company.

John Wilson and Ismael break down what worked at NexGen, the mistakes he would never repeat, why most HVAC and plumbing contractors stall below $2M, and why sales and marketing are the real engines behind rapid growth.

Ismael also shares what he’s building next. After investing more than $22 million of his own money into Nuve, generating $15.2 million in first-year sales, and selling more than 110,000 units, he’s turning his attention back to home services.

His vision: an AI-powered, hyper-efficient HVAC and plumbing company with almost no traditional back office, lower prices, higher close rates, and the potential for 40%+ EBITDA margins.

In This Episode:

• How Ismael Valdez built NexGen from $0 to $108M
• What he learned from a nine-figure home service exit
• Building Nuve to $15.2M in first-year sales
• Why most contractors stall below $2M
• NexGen’s biggest wins and mistakes
• Why sales and marketing drive growth
• Building an AI-powered home service company
• Ismael’s blueprint for his next $100M company

Connect

John Wilson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/

Ismael Valdez
https://www.instagram.com/nuveceo/

Owned and Operated
https://www.ownedandoperated.com/

Sponsors

Quick Staffers

Hire trained HVAC and plumbing CSRs without the overhead of traditional hiring. Save $500 on your first placement with Quick Staffers:
https://www.quickstaffers.com/

Avoca

See how Avoca helps home service companies book more jobs with AI that handles calls, texts, follow ups, and dispatching without adding more chaos. Book a demo:
https://www.avoca.ai/partners/oao

Send Us Mail!

More Ways To Connect with OAO

• Start Here
• Owned and Operated Newsletter
• Bonus Videos From John

Leave a Review

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.

How would we turn a $5 million home service business into a $10 million company?

In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down how they’d invest $1 million to double a profitable home service business.

They cover where they’d invest first, finding the next high-ROI marketing channel, hiring salespeople ahead of demand, expanding the balance sheet, and building the capacity to scale.

Could they reach a $10M run rate in just 12 months? This is the playbook they’d use.

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In This Episode
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
• How to grow a $5M home service business to $10M
• Where they’d invest $1 million for growth
• Finding your next high-ROI marketing channel
• Why one marketing channel could double the business
• Branding, radio, LSAs, and commercial sales
• Hiring salespeople ahead of demand

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Connect
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
John Wilson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/

Jack Carr
https://x.com/thehvacjack

Owned and Operated
https://www.ownedandoperated.com/

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Sponsors
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Yelp

Looking for more qualified leads beyond Google? See how contractors are using Yelp to reach homeowners who are ready to book and diversify their lead generation. Learn more: https://business.yelp.com/campaign/ownedandoperated/

Comfort Connect

Turn one installation into years of repeat business with Comfort Connect. Give homeowners flexible payment options, stay connected after the job, and create new recurring revenue opportunities. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4wGXqSX

FieldPulse

Ready to ditch the whiteboard and spreadsheets? See how FieldPulse helps home service companies simplify scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and more. Book a free demo:https://landing.fieldpulse.com/owned_and_operated

Send Us Mail!

More Ways To Connect with OAO

• Start Here
• Owned and Operated Newsletter
• Bonus Videos From John

Leave a Review

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.

If John Wilson and Jack Carr lost everything and had to start a plumbing company from scratch, what would they actually do?

In this episode of Owned and Operated, John and Jack break down exactly how they’d build a plumbing business from $10,000 to $1 million in revenue using everything they’ve learned as home service operators.

They compare two different paths: staying extremely lean by subcontracting work and proving demand before spending money, or hiring early and building the operation one truck at a time. They cover how they’d land their first customers, where they’d spend their first marketing dollars, when they’d hire, what jobs they’d target, and how they’d build toward four productive trucks.

John also explains why he’d eventually use a small acquisition to accelerate the business, including examples of companies he’s previously acquired with very little cash down.

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In This Episode
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
• How to start a plumbing company with $10,000
• Getting your first customers without a big marketing budget
• Subcontracting vs. hiring your first plumber
• Why John would prioritize revenue before investing
• Using Facebook, Nextdoor, referrals, and LSAs to generate leads
• The plumbing jobs Jack would target first
• When to add your first truck and technician

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Connect
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
John Wilson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/Jack Carr
https://x.com/thehvacjack

Owned and Operated
https://www.ownedandoperated.com/

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Sponsors
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Service Scalers

Get more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies. Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs: https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/podcast

Yelp

Looking for more qualified leads beyond Google? See how contractors are using Yelp to reach homeowners who are ready to book and diversify their lead generation. Learn more: https://business.yelp.com/campaign/ownedandoperated/

Send Us Mail!

More Ways To Connect with OAO

• Start Here
• Owned and Operated Newsletter
• Bonus Videos From John

Leave a Review

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.