277 - Planning Your Exit: Building a Business That Doesn’t Need You with Aaron Mills

Want to build a construction business that runs without you? In this episode, Aaron Mills shares how accurate financials and strategic systems can transform your company from owner-dependent to highly valuable and sellable. Learn how one electrical contractor grew from $30M to $90M in four years while the owner reduced his involvement from 60 hours to just a few hours per week.What You’ll LearnHow to transform messy financials into strategic tools for growthThe importance of WIP schedules and how they reveal hidden profit opportunitiesWhy pricing increases often meet less resistance than you expectHow to strategically remove yourself from day-to-day operationsThe exact systems needed to triple net profits while working lessTime Stamps00:55 - Episode Intro02:32 - Financial Resource Optimization04:15 - Challenges in Construction Financials05:29 - Case Study: Electrical Contractor06:48 - Growing Broke: Understanding Revenue Pillars14:21 - Controller vs CFO: Roles and Responsibilities22:25 - Exiting the Business and Personal Success Stories28:51 - Understanding the WIP Schedule31:41 - Dissecting the WIP Schedule36:03 - Training Project Managers44:28 - Challenges in Implementing WIP46:03 - The Importance of Systems49:16 - Daaxit’s Free Strategy Session50:30 - Core Values and Asking for Help50:55 - The Story Behind Daaxit51:47 - Episode OutroSnippets from the Episode"If your financials are on a roller coaster month to month—if you're making a whole bunch of money one month and losing a whole bunch the next—then your financials are inaccurate and you need some help."— Aaron Mills"When you're going to sell your business, it's so much more attractive if you're not in the business running it every day. You want a business that operates by itself."— Aaron Mills"A controller's reporting the history; the CFO bridges the history to the future with the business owner and the vision."— Aaron Mills"I just took my first two weeks off. I didn't answer my phone. This spring, this summer, I've been going to my kids' sporting events for the first time ever, and I have the best relationship with my wife ever."— Construction Business Owner (Client Success Story)Key TakeawaysYour financials should be strategic tools, not just tax documentsWIP schedules reveal hidden profit opportunities when properly analyzedRaising prices on unprofitable clients is often easier than you thinkBuilding a business that runs without you increases its value dramaticallyDifferent revenue levels ($5M, $10M, $20M+) require completely different systemsProject managers need monthly financial reviews to maintain profitabilityA business that runs without you provides both financial and personal freedomResources⁠24 Things⁠ Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant⁠Schedule⁠ a 15-Minute Roadblock CallCheck out⁠ OpenPhone⁠Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our⁠ GrowthKits⁠ Need Marketing Help? We Recommend⁠ Benali⁠Need Help with podcast production? We recommend⁠ Demandcast⁠More from Aaron MillsAaron Mills - Founder/ CEO DaaxitDaaxit WebsiteAaron Mills on LinkedInMore from Martin Holland⁠theprofitproblem.com⁠⁠annealbc.com⁠ ⁠Email Martin⁠⁠Meet With Martin⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠Instagram⁠More from Khalil⁠benali.com ⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠Instagram⁠More from The Cash Flow ContractorSubscribe to our⁠ ⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠Subscribe to our ⁠Newsletter⁠Follow On Social:⁠ LinkedIn⁠,⁠ Facebook⁠,⁠ Instagram⁠, ⁠X(formerly Twitter)⁠Visit our ⁠website⁠⁠Email⁠ The Cashflow Contractor