Tommy Mello is the author of Home Service Millionaire and the founder of A1 Garage Doors, a $100 million-plus home service business with over 400 employees in 16 states. Through HomeServiceMillionaire.com and the Home Service Expert podcast, Tommy shares his experience and insights to help fellow entrepreneurs scale their businesses.
In this special episode of the Home Service Expert podcast, host and A1 Garage Doors owner Tommy Mello answers your biggest questions about the 1099 model, branding for new business, hiring, pay-for-performance programs…
Show notes
- About the Garage Door Freedom Event. [01:08]
- Tommy’s advice on 1099 vs a W-2. [03:44]
- Working with an independent contractor model. [05:34]
- Disadvantages of the 1099 model. [06:29]
- Tommy’s Gino Wickman book recommendations [07:20]
- Why Tommy recommends doing an asset purchase only. [08:12]
- Tommy’s view on Angie’s List and lead sources. [08:44]
- Choosing effective sales wording. [10:42]
- Setting up multiple locations. [12:48]
- How to start building a brand when you’re a new business. [14:09]
- Using your USP to stand out in a price-conscious market. [15:35]
- When you need to hire for your business. [17:23]
- Establishing an effective performance pay program. [21:45]
- Tommy’s recommendation on commission payments. [23:40]
- Tommy’s financing system. [26:07]
- How to build business relationships. [28:08]
- When to hire the next employee, financially speaking. [29:48]
- Key performance indicators and bonus programs. [31:31]
- How to handle supply shortages. [34:07]
- Things to focus on first to grow your business. [36:57]
- Implementing price increases. [40:11]
- Tommy’s target gross margin. [40:55]
- Building a training center. [43:36]
- Backlinking strategies. [45:34]
- Automation for business. [49:50]
- How to approach successful companies to visit them. [53:25]
- The advantages of partnering with A1 Garage. [54:54]
Resources And People Mentioned:
- Garage Door Freedom
- Al Levi
- ServiceTitan
- Shannon McCord
- Home Service Expert
- Traction by Gino Wickman
- How to Be a Great Boss by GIno Wickman and Rene Boer
- Get a Grip by Gino Wickman and Mike Paton
- Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman and Mark Winters
- What the Heck is EOS? By Gino Wickman
- Angi (formerly Angie’s List)
- Home Advisor
- Groupon
- Living Social
- Craigslist
- Yelp
- Nextdoor
- Thumbtack
- Maximum Influence by Kurt Mortensen
- The Cheesecake Factory
- Valpak
- McDonald’s
- Mercedes
- Callcap
- Green Sky
- GoodLeap
- The Dream 100 by Dana Derricks
- YouTube
- TikTok
- Harley Davidson
- Garage Door Doctor
- Maid Brigade
- Complete Comfort
- Clopay
- Western State Bank
- Zapier
- Upwork
- Quickbooks
- Yext
- Amazon
- Giftology by John Ruhlin
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