The residential market is starting to wear on me. The cost per customer is high and inevitably they want the world but don’t like the price tag. This leads to either negotiation of price and the only way I negotiate price is to drop services not quality. I’d like to actively pursue repeatable commercial work but I’m sure there are trade offs. I’ve retired once already and am not trying to set the world on fire with growth, I’d like to stay relatively small and agile, limiting the number of direct hires and bring on subs as necessary. What routes or methods have you found to make the transition doable?

I want to start this thread by saying thank you to each and everyone of you for joining this group and its early stages and uneven greater. Thank you to everyone that’s taking time to contribute to the discussions and help create the little momentum with built. I have two things I wanna go over with you guys. 1. Is an extension of my appreciation above and has to do with the photo attached. We’re just a little over a weekend to the inception of this group and the first day that we were ranked as a community. We started around 17,500 and as you can see, we’ve already moved into the top 13,000. Small goal for us is to crack the top 10,000 by the end of the month. Keep coming back, keep showing up for others. They aren’t just posting for my feedback. People are commenting because they respect what this group can be 2. I came across another community with the exact same name as the one I chose. It looks like they started their community before me so I’m going to do the right thing and pivot to another name. Leave a comment with what you think our new name should be! Let’s all have a huge week! Good luck out there!

What’s the biggest thing on your plate right now? Could be sales, leads, hiring, systems, marketing, or just staying sane. Drop it below 👇 No fixing—just sharing where you’re at.

Most service businesses don’t struggle because their service is unclear. They struggle because the path from interest → paid job is messy. Quick self-check: • How does a new customer contact you? • What happens immediately after they reach out? • Do you control that process—or does it happen randomly? If a lead has to: – wait too long for a response – explain themselves twice – guess what happens next You’re leaking opportunities without realizing it. What’s one small change you could make this week to make it easier for someone to hire you?

The Blue Collar Board Room is a place for people who: - Build things - Run crews - Own service businesses - Or are working toward owning one No gurus. No fake success. No fluff.Just real conversations, real work, and real progress. This thread is the front door to the community. 👋 Introduce Yourself Below If you’re new, drop a comment with: 1. Name 2. Location 3. What you do (job, trade, business, or goal) 4. One thing you’re currently working to improve(business, income, time, family, health, mindset—anything) 👉 You don’t need to impress anyone here. 👉 Lurkers are welcome—but posting helps you get value faster. 🧭 How to Use This Community - Read threads at your own pace - Engage when something resonates - Ask real questions - Share lessons—wins and mistakes This is a long-term room, not a hype cycle. ⚓ A Note From the Founder I’m building this alongside you—running real businesses, making real decisions, and documenting what works and what doesn’t. If you’re here to learn, contribute, and grow—you’re in the right place.