263 -Why Your 40% Margin Becomes 33% (And How to Fix It)

Think your 40% profit margin is solid? Think again. Martin and Khalil expose the hidden costs that eat into your profits—and show you how to stop the bleed


Time Stamps

  • 00:56 - Martin's Client's Issue

  • 02:14  - Understanding Variable Expenses

  • 03:30  - Allocating Costs and Overhead

  • 05:27  - Realizing the Impact on Profit Margins

  • 18:08  - Employee Compensation and Tariffs

  • 18:44  - Bulk Purchases and Inventory Challenges

  • 22:33  - Understanding Burdening in Business

  • 33:46  - Practical Steps to Improve Bidding Accuracy

Snippets from the Episode

  •    “You bid everything just fine, but then you look at your books and you're not making any money. Something’s off—and the good news is, it can be fixed.” - Martin Holland

  • “If you’re bidding for 40% and you’re not seeing that in your gross profit margin, you’ve got to find the difference. That is management.” - Martin Holland

  • “Nothing’s worse than thinking you’re going to get something and coming in 7% lower. That’s more than just a rounding error—that’s a business risk.” - Khalil Benalioulhaj

  • “You could be winning bids while losing money. When you fix your pricing, you gain margin on every future job without chasing more sales.” - Khalil Benalioulhaj

Resources

  • CFC 249 - The $600,000 Accounting Error That Almost Destroyed My Business with Cory Parks

  • The Break-Even System by Spencer Tucker

  • 24 Things Construction Business Owners Need to Successfully Hire & Train an Executive Assistant

  • Schedule a 15-Minute Roadblock Call

  • Check out OpenPhone

  • Build a Business that Runs without you. Explore our GrowthKits 

  • Need Marketing Help? We Recommend Benali

  • Need Help with podcast production? We recommend Demandcast

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262 -Stop Losing Money on HVAC Jobs: Automate Your Workflows with AI