From Chuck in a Truck to $20M: Your Marketing Budget by Revenue Stage
Release Date: 12/15/2025
Contractors Edge Takes on Vegas (World Of Concrete Insights + Industry Talk)
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The World of Concrete wasn't just about "concrete". Mike and Anthony recap their time in Las Vegas, and break down what they saw across the halls, why networking after hours is where the real value lives, and what contractors can learn from how exhibitors position, differentiate, and pull people into their booth. If you’ve been thinking “I just need more leads,” this episode will be another reminder to find the leak in your funnel first. Better close rate, faster follow-up, tighter lead management, and a sharper offer will beat “more spend” every time. Important Timestamps and...
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The Math Behind A $3M Contractors 30% Growth Year
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What does a real 30% growth plan look like for a $3M home service contractor? In this episode, Mike Stiers and Anthony Brown walk through the math behind taking a $3,000,000 business to $3,900,000 in 1 year using real KPIs, funnel math, and budget allocations. You will learn how to reverse engineer your numbers from your revenue goal, and build a marketing plan based on where you are going, not what felt comfortable last year. We break down the core “engine” KPIs every contractor needs visibility on (set rate, run rate, bid rate, close rate, average ticket), then we work the funnel...
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The In Home Sales Cheat Code For Contractors + The FRS Difference With Scott Llewellyn
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In Episode 15, we sit down with Scott Llewellyn, Director of Business Development at Foundation Rescue Supply (FRS), who's on a mission to change the foundation repair space, as well as help contractors improve their in-home close rates. Scott has spent more than 20 years inside the foundation repair and waterproofing industry, holding roles across sales, production, marketing, and operations. In this conversation, he breaks down why most companies have a massive gap between the number one rep and everyone else, and how a repeatable in home sales presentation becomes a cheat code for closing...
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From Chuck in a Truck to $20M: Your Marketing Budget by Revenue Stage
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Most owners don’t set a marketing budget. They pick a number that “feels okay” and hope it’s enough to maximize their lead generation. In this episode, Mike explains a simple way to stop guessing and start using math to decide how much to invest in your marketing at every revenue stage. From chuck-in-a-truck under $1M to $20M+ operators, the strategy is different when you're entering the next level. He breaks your business into two gauges: Marketing RPM: the percentage of revenue you put back into marketing and advertising Revenue MPH: how fast you’re moving in...
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The Top Contractor Mistakes Of 2025 & How To Avoid Them: Pt 2
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What if your revenue wasn't stalling due to bad marketing? What if it's about what happens after the phone rings. In Part 2 of this Contractors' Edge episode, Mike Stiers and Anthony Brown dig into the real money leaks they often find in home service businesses: Missed calls and slow follow-up Business hours that don’t match how homeowners actually live Weak nurturing and almost zero rehash Sales reps with no system, no presentation, and no proof assets “Bid rate” as the silent killer in your sales funnel Awkward or non-existent financing conversations KPI...
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The Top Contractor Mistakes Of 2025 & How To Avoid Them: Pt 1
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Episode 10: Manager vs Coach - Fixing the Sales Leadership Trap With Ed Meyer
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Are your “sales managers” actually coaching? Or just policing KPIs? In this episode, Mike sits down with long-time friend, and home-service veteran Ed Meyer (Executive Director, NFRA; 25+ yrs leading and coaching sales teams nationwide), to unpack the critical difference between sales managers and coaches, and why most companies burn out reps by forcing one person to do both. You’ll hear how to split responsibilities without blowing up payroll, where AI call-analysis tools like Rilla or Ciro help (and hurt), and a step-by-step exercise you can use to level up your team this week....
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Episode 9: Behind The Scenes Of The Foundation Repair Industry: BHA Insights + Interviews with Mike Stiers
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In this episode of The Contractors’ Edge, hosts Mike Stiers and Anthony Brown take you behind the scenes at the Basement Health Association (BHA) National Conference in Chicago, IL, one of the larger events dedicated to foundation repair, waterproofing, and crawl space contractors. Get real, on-the-ground conversations with industry leaders and vendors shaping the future of the trade, from CRMs that streamline operations, to innovative mold remediation systems and connected smart-home products for moisture control. You’ll hear from: Contractor Accelerator on automation, open API...
info_outlineMost owners don’t set a marketing budget.
They pick a number that “feels okay” and hope it’s enough to maximize their lead generation.
In this episode, Mike explains a simple way to stop guessing and start using math to decide how much to invest in your marketing at every revenue stage. From chuck-in-a-truck under $1M to $20M+ operators, the strategy is different when you're entering the next level.
He breaks your business into two gauges:
-
Marketing RPM: the percentage of revenue you put back into marketing and advertising
-
Revenue MPH: how fast you’re moving in millions per year
By the end, you’ll know whether you’re spending like you want to maintain, grow, or get truly aggressive, and whether that lines up with the end revenue goal you have in mind.
Power Topics:
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Why 7%, 10%, and 13% are the three numbers you need to remember
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How “road conditions” (competition, economy, politics, seasonality) change how hard you need to push
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What marketing typically looks like at the 6 different revenue stages
- When “spend more” actually turns into waste, not growth
Timestamps:
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01:00 – Why flat marketing percentages don’t tell the whole story
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07:00 – Under $1M: chuck in a truck, rented leads, and early-stage priorities
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11:00 – $1-3M: 5-7% vs 7-10% and why staying underfueled stalls growth
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15:30 – $3-7M: building the machine & moving away from aggregators
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20:00 – $7-10M: advanced SEO, heavy brand, and living in the right marketing zone
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24:30 – $10-20M: saturation, efficiency, and when percentages can come down
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27:30 – 20M+ companies: coasting, push years, and strategic expansion
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31:00 – Homework: calculate your true marketing RPM & sanity check your goals
Connect With Your Hosts Mike & Anthony
Want to know more about strategy, ask questions on your KPIs, or connect one-on-one?
Reach Mike Stiers on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstiers/
Reach Anthony Brown on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-brown-419009106/
Follow The Contractors' Edge Community on Facebook or LinkedIn for updates on marketing strategy, contractor-focused events, and more. https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-contractors-edge/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61582854697608
Podcast Sponsored by: Greenbaum Stiers Strategic Marketing Group
Helping home service contractors, non-profits, and local companies build stronger brands, maximize lead volume, and create a profitable business.
Always data-driven, creative-centered, and strategy-focused.
www.greenbaumstiers.com