Bigtfixit

Agree or disagree

We need to rethink how epoxy contractors grow.

Everyone is obsessed with coatings, equipment, flakes, and installation methods.

But here’s something most contractors don’t realize:

A busy schedule does not automatically mean a profitable business.

The mistake is assuming that being good at installs is the same thing as being good at building a company.

That’s the old model.

The next generation of epoxy contracting businesses will not be built on owners doing every estimate, every follow-up, every install check, and every customer update themselves.

They’ll be built on better positioning, stronger sales, smoother systems, and smart automation.

Imagine an epoxy company that sells the transformation instead of just selling “a floor coating.”

Imagine lead follow-up, estimate reminders, appointment scheduling, project updates, review requests, and customer communication happening behind the scenes without everything depending on the owner.

The homeowner does not care whether you used the newest software or the fanciest tech stack.

They care that the phone gets answered.

They care that you show up when you say you will.

They care that the floor looks amazing.

They care that the project gets done on time.

They care that the coating holds up.

They care that the final result feels worth the money.

The biggest opportunity over the next decade will not be learning more product features than everybody else.

It will be building an epoxy contracting company that consistently generates quality leads, closes better jobs, and delivers a premium customer experience.

The contractors who win will use systems and automation to make the business feel simple, responsive, and professional.

That’s where I think the real shift is happening.

I have more thoughts on this, but what’s your take?

Your Epoxy Contractor Ledger

Most epoxy contractors stay broke because they’re really good at looking busy.

So...

I made a little ledger for this.

Liabilities on the left. Assets on the right.

Stick with me, because this one might sting.

Liabilities: Buying more equipment. Chasing cheap garage jobs. Watching installation tutorials. Comparing coating systems. Switching suppliers. Collecting certifications. Tweaking your estimating process for the fourteenth time this month.

Notice anything?

Every one of those things feels like work.

You finish the day exhausted.

You cleaned grinders, answered messages, drove to estimates, and spent hours comparing products.

You put in the hours.

You earned that beer, fella...

And then another month rolls by and your bank account barely moved.

See the trap?

We confuse being busy with making progress.

We confuse installing more floors with building a profitable company.

You can work yourself into the ground and have nothing to show for it except worn-out equipment, a packed schedule, and thin margins.

Now look at the asset side:

Target premium homeowners. Understand the buyer. Create transformation offers. Show better before-and-afters. Learn sales. Run local ads. Build referral relationships.

That’s the dollar-productive work.

That’s what builds an epoxy flooring company you could actually sell one day.

Now look at that asset column again. Really look at it.

Targeting premium homeowners, understanding what they want, creating stronger offers, showing better transformations, and learning sales...

What are you really doing?

You’re positioning your company so a homeowner chooses you.

Yes, they choose you over every other contractor offering the same flakes, the same warranty, and the same “free estimate.”

That, my epoxy contractor friends, is the whole game.

And that is not a product.

It is not a coating system.

It is a skill.

AI can help write your ads.

It can draft follow-up messages.

It can create ten headline ideas before your coffee gets cold.

But...

It cannot decide what your company should be known for or why a homeowner should choose you over the coating company down the street.

That part is yours.

It lives inside your company, or it does not exist anywhere.

Without it, you’ll keep installing floors while wondering where the profit went.

So you have a choice.

Keep grinding on the left side and calling it hustle...

Or move to the right side, where the premium projects, stronger margins, and predictable growth live.

The assets.

The work that pays.

Come build the side of the ledger that actually matters.

Your General Contractor Ledger

Most general contractors stay broke because they’re really good at looking busy.

So...

I made a little ledger for this.

Liabilities on the left. Assets on the right.

Stick with me, because this one might sting.

Liabilities: Buying more tools. Chasing small repairs. Watching tutorials. Comparing software. Taking every job. Collecting certifications. Tweaking your estimating system for the fourteenth time this month.

Notice anything?

Every one of those things feels like work.

You finish the day exhausted.

You drove across town three times.

You answered twenty calls.

You put in the hours.

You earned that beer, fella...

And then another month rolls by and your bank account barely moved.

See the trap?

We confuse being busy with building a profitable company.

We confuse working harder with moving forward.

You can run yourself into the ground and have nothing to show for it except a packed schedule, worn-out tools, and a pile of low-margin jobs.

Now look at the asset side:

Choose profitable projects. Understand the homeowner. Create better offers. Write stronger estimates. Learn sales. Run local ads. Build referral relationships.

That is the dollar-productive work.

That is what builds a contracting company you could actually sell one day.

Now look at that asset column again. Really look at it.

Choosing the right projects, understanding the homeowner, presenting better offers, improving your estimates, and learning sales...

What are you really doing?

You are positioning your company so a homeowner chooses you.

Yes, they choose you over every other contractor giving the same vague promises, competing on price, and sending another plain estimate.

That, my contractor friends, is the whole game.

And that is not a tool.

It is a skill.

AI can help write your estimate.

It can draft your follow-up messages.

It can create ad ideas before your coffee gets cold.

But...

It cannot decide what your company should be known for, which projects you should pursue, or why a homeowner should trust you over the contractor down the street.

That part is yours.

It lives inside your company, or it does not exist anywhere.

Without it, you will keep filling your calendar with work while wondering where the profit went.

So you have a choice.

Keep grinding on the left side and calling it hustle...

Or move to the right side, where the profitable projects, stronger margins, and real business growth live.

Build the side of the ledger that actually matters.

Agree or disagree

We need to rethink how general contractors grow.

Everyone is obsessed with buying more tools, adding more services, and staying busy.

But here’s something most contractors don’t realize:

A full calendar does not always mean a profitable business.

The mistake is assuming that more jobs automatically means more money.

That’s the old model.

The next generation of contracting companies will not be built on owners personally handling every estimate, follow-up, scheduling issue, and customer question.

They’ll be built on better systems, stronger positioning, and automation.

Imagine a contracting company that sells the completed outcome instead of competing over labor hours and material costs.

Imagine lead follow-up, estimate reminders, appointment scheduling, project updates, review requests, and customer support happening automatically behind the scenes.

The homeowner does not care how complicated your internal process is.

They care that someone answers the phone.

They care that you show up when promised.

They care that the project stays on schedule.

They care that the work is done correctly.

They care that the final result looks like what they were promised.

The biggest opportunity over the next decade will not be taking on more random jobs.

It will be building a contracting company that delivers a consistent customer experience without the owner managing every detail personally.

The contractors who win will use technology to make the operation feel simple, fast, and professional.

That’s where I think the real shift is happening.

I have more thoughts on this, but what’s your take?

This is a beautiful ad...

But I think it makes the same mistake most flooring ads make.

It sells before it earns the click.

Look closely.

The photo alone is doing something most epoxy companies never pull off:

A floor that looks like poured glass, not a garage.
Color and movement that stop the scroll on its own.
A headline that could just be the hook: "Designed for depth, movement, and complete creative control."

You look at that floor and think:

"Wait... how is that a garage floor?"

That's a click.

🪣 Then two paint buckets show up in frame.

Now your brain flips from admiring the floor (good) to knowing you're being sold epoxy (bad).

"Oh... it's a bucket ad."

That's a completely different conversation.

So...

Here's the mistake almost every coatings company makes:

They try to sell the system in the ad.

The product hasn't earned its place yet. Not in the first three seconds.

When you're running ads to cold traffic, the ad has one job:

☝️ Sell the click.

The landing page sells the coating system.

Imagine this exact photo with no buckets in frame.

Just the floor.

Just the headline.

Just the question in someone's head: "How do I get this in my garage?"

😏 Curiosity would've done all the work.

After the click, then you introduce:

The system (epoxy vs. polyaspartic, and why it matters).
The timeline (most garages, done in 1-2 days).
The durability (why it doesn't peel like the box kit from the hardware store).
The proof (real installs, real garages, real names).
The offer.

Too many flooring ads answer questions no one's asked yet.

The best ones create a question people feel compelled to answer.

Don't sell the coating before you've sold the curiosity.

The click is earned by the floor.

The sale is earned after it.

Happy Friday.
Big T

Alright, now it’s time to vote.

Over the last 3 days, we rolled out three animated versions of Big T for the new Big T Fix It Podcast.

Big T is always busy out in the field, so these animated versions help us keep sharing stories, tips, project talk, business lessons, and real conversations without slowing him down.

But we want to make something clear:
This animated podcast style is not replacing Trey.

Trey will still be doing the podcast. We’ll have solo episodes, hosted conversations, guest interviews, business spotlights, contractor talk, homeowner tips, and behind-the-scenes stories.

The animated version is just an extra way to bring the Big T personality and message to life.

Now we want to know:
Which Big T should become the official animated podcast style?

Vote below and help us choose the look we’ll use moving forward.

Also, if you’re a business owner and want to be featured on the Big T Fix It Podcast, reach out to us. We’re focused on the contractor and home service space, but we’re open to helping any business owner promote their business, share their story, and get more visibility.

𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:
- Animation
- Claymation
- Miniature