Podcast Summary: Owned and Operated

Episode: How To Scale a Service Based Business by Implementing a CRM System

Host: John Wilson
Guest: Richard Dunbar, FieldPulse
Date: November 20, 2025

Overview

This episode dives into how service-based businesses—particularly in the plumbing, electrical, and HVAC sectors—can achieve growth and professionalization by adopting a modern field service management (FSM) system or CRM. John Wilson and guest Richard Dunbar (FieldPulse) go deep on case studies, best practices, and actionable advice for contractors seeking to scale, improve efficiency, and streamline operations by embracing technology.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The State of Service Business Operations: From Owner-Operators to Professional Teams

• Typical Owner Profile:

  • Most small businesses have owners playing the "player-coach" role: running operations and also going out on jobs themselves.
  • “90 plus percent of the time I’m talking to the business owner...they're running the business but they're also operating a truck.” — Richard [05:52]

• Challenge with Scaling:

  • The difficulty is in stepping away from field work to focus on business growth.
  • Owners often struggle with "relinquishing control" and worry about whether their team can maintain standards without direct involvement.
  • “Maybe that's a little bit of fear, which I get. You've put everything you've got into this business...when I hand this off, is this the right time?” — Richard [07:16]

2. Three Big Decisions in Professionalizing & Scaling

Wilson outlines three key changes needed to professionalize a service business:

1. Adopting Flat Rate Pricing ([08:04])
2. Ditching Legacy Tools & Embracing Forecasting/Data ([09:27])
3. Centralizing Scheduling, Dispatch, and Job Data ([09:27])

2.1 Flat Rate Pricing

• Why It Matters:

  • Simplifies job quoting for sales staff and technicians.
  • Provides transparency and consistency for customers.
  • Helps businesses move away from unpredictable profit margins tied to time-and-material billing.
  • “If you're operating the business, you really should be laser focused on how do you make everyone's experience within this process as simple as possible.” — Richard [00:08], [09:27]

• Barriers:

  • Many contractors still use outdated time-and-material models due to legacy habits or sheer inertia; roughly 40% in John’s workshops aren’t on flat rate.
  • “I thought [flat rate] was like a decade ago solution. I can't believe that this is still a thing…that is showing up in the industry.” — John [11:33]

• How FieldPulse Helps:

  • Integrates real-time supplier data for price book management.
  • Allows for immediate, consistent job pricing.
  • “Prior to that they would just pull up at the supply shop and get a post it note, slap it on the counter and say, here, I need this stuff. Like, well, I got half of that stuff. The other half you're gonna have to go to the other branch to get it. Oh, that's not good.” — Richard [14:48]

2.2 Ditching Legacy Tools & Data Visibility

• Transition Story:

  • Many companies still run on whiteboards and Excel spreadsheets.
  • Moving to a FSM/CRM platform allows for real-time visibility and instant data access.
  • “If we didn't have hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute sales, like how would we know what was going on?” — John [17:30]

• Benefits of Digital Systems:

  • Historical and real-time data drives better business decisions, from dispatch to marketing to financial planning.
  • “Even if a business has been around for a couple of years, how much data have they accumulated that can then, if it's unpacked and they look at it right...tell them about the trajectory of their business, what's working, what's not working?” — Richard [18:01]

• Role of AI and Analytics:

  • New technologies can mine business data for actionable insights, removing guesswork.
  • “AI isn’t going to fix your pipes, but you still need the trades. I think these guys are probably one of the most protected industries in our world right now. So for them it's all upside.” — Richard [18:01]

2.3 Centralizing Operations

• Efficiency Gains:

  • Moving all core business functions (scheduling, dispatch, pricing, invoicing) onto a single technology platform transforms operations.
  • Reduces friction and boosts employee and customer satisfaction.
  • “It should be, in my opinion, top priority for any operator to make it as easy as possible for those folks to come to work every day, to go out and do the work…” — Richard [26:22]

• Industry Scale:

  • The average contractor’s business size has multiplied, with $5–10 million in revenue now common, thanks in part to these operational shifts.
  • “People are considered small, under $10 million, which—that's kind of ridiculous if we look at the history of the industry.” — John [27:56]

• Standardization and Predictability:

  • Consistent experience for employees and customers alike.
  • “Those types of aspects of standardization and just operational efficiency...trickle all the way down to the end user.” — Richard [30:34]

3. Implementation: Lessons & Best Practices

3.1 Onboarding and Customization

• FieldPulse works with owners (or their tech-savvy designates) to understand processes and business goals before setup.
• “We just want them to educate us on their business...help us understand your business. What are you doing today? What is it that you're trying to accomplish?” — Richard [32:50]

3.2 Core Lessons for Scaling

• You Can’t Scale on Manual Systems:

  • KPIs, clear vision, and honest operational assessment are essential before growth.
  • “Know your KPIs, how much does new business cost you? How much do you make from the types of business you do?...and then work backwards from there.” — Richard [34:19]

• Clarity is Better than Raw Efficiency:

  • Prioritize clear visibility, standardization, and simplicity for techs and office staff.
  • “They wanted very clear visibility into data from day one...make work as simple for their technicians as possible...” — Richard [35:37]

• Growth = Removing Friction, Not (Just) Adding Tech:

  • Look for the “one click” experience for your clients.
  • “That's the trick. How do I create the one click or swipe to buy experience in whatever line of work that I'm in?” — Richard [40:20]

• Prioritize Easy Payment:

  • Solve cash flow by making it extremely simple for customers to pay at point of sale.
  • “Make it really, really easy for the customer to pay...If you have a strong team and you have strong processes built around getting paid, that solves and unlocks so many things.” — Richard [43:10]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Breaking Old Habits:

  • “This industry is just really prone to just doing things the way things have always been done. My grandfather did this, and he did it this way, so I do it this way.”
    — Richard [12:36]

• On Simplicity as a North Star:

  • “How do I create the one click or swipe to buy experience in whatever line of work that I’m in?”
    — Richard [40:20]

• On Removing Friction, Not Just Adding Tech:

  • “The real unlocking growth isn’t tools or tech or technology. It’s removing friction.”
    — John [37:13]

• On Centralization and Growth:

  • “People are considered small, under $10 million...which, like, that's kind of ridiculous if we look at the history of the industry.”
    — John [27:56]

• On Cash Flow and Payments:

  • “I tried to pay her for three months. I was texting, I was calling, I was like, hey, I want to pay you. I want to pay. Send me a link…Make it easy. Take the cash flow variable out of the equation and just make that piece super simple for everybody.”
    — Richard [43:10]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:08 – The challenge of owner/operators shifting to business leaders
• 05:52 – Typical profile of small to mid-sized service business
• 08:04–09:27 – The “three big decisions” for scaling
• 09:27 – Flat rate pricing and benefits
• 14:48–16:26 – Importance of price books and FieldPulse’s integration
• 17:30 – Moving away from legacy tools; value of real-time data
• 18:01–21:51 – The role of AI/data and business growth
• 26:10–31:59 – Centralizing operations, tech stack consolidation
• 32:50–37:13 – Best practices on onboarding and systemizing
• 40:20 – The “one click” frictionless experience as business goal
• 43:10 – Why easy payment solves growth bottlenecks

Closing Thoughts

The episode emphasizes that true scaling in a service business isn’t the result of piling on more technology but rather by strategically using tools (like a robust FSM/CRM) to simplify, centralize, and remove friction in every process—from quoting and scheduling to invoicing and payment. The transition from owner-operator to business leader is marked by letting go of legacy habits, teaching trust in processes and people, and leveraging data and streamlined systems for consistent, predictable growth.

Connect with Richard Dunbar:
Email: rick@fieldpulse.com
LinkedIn: Richard Dunbar

For more info: www.ownedandoperated.com