What I'd Do Differently If I Started My Business Today
Modern Craftsman
Modern Craftsman
4.8 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 27 November 2025
⏱️ 35 minutes
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Summary
Tyler answers a listener email about what he'd do differently if he were starting his business today, beyond just setting up insurance, lawyers, and an LLC. He digs into why chasing "sexy" high-end projects can crush your margins, how T&M and paid pre-con changed his business, and why the less you work, the more you can actually make when your systems and numbers are dialed.
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Show Notes:
00:00 What I'd Do Differently Starting Today
03:59 Chasing Sexy Projects Instead Of Profit
08:42 Scaling Back And Resetting The Business
12:30 Dialing In Pre Con Overhead And Job Type
21:56 Forty Hours Vs Eighty Hours For The Same Pay
27:00 The Three Levers Of Profit In A Small Shop
30:28 Learn To Walk Before You Run Your Company
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | What would I do differently? I would do a lot differently, a lot. I don't know how much I would do the |
| 0:04.6 | same. It worked out. I'm glad that I struggled through it, but there's a lot of things that I would |
| 0:09.8 | definitely do differently to refine my business. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, whatever time it is for you, wherever you are. Welcome back to Midweek Modern Craftsman, where this week I'm replying to an email that I got from a listener named Drew who had a question for me. And I actually read the email today and was like, |
| 0:39.0 | this is a really great question. It probably is something that a lot of people go through. |
| 0:45.4 | And I think it would make for a great podcast topic. So thank you, Drew. It is what I would do |
| 0:52.3 | differently if I started my business today. |
| 0:56.4 | And if anyone else has any suggestions or ideas, topic ideas, shoot them over to me, Tyler, |
| 1:02.4 | at TRG Homeconcepts.com. |
| 1:05.0 | And I would love to take a look at them and possibly get them answered for you live on the podcast. |
| 1:13.0 | So Drew said, I'd love to hear your thoughts and or recommendations on what you would do |
| 1:18.9 | differently, if anything, if you were to start your own company today. I've been a PM for seven |
| 1:25.0 | and a half years. I have a couple clients that are wanting me to go out on my own and start their builds. |
| 1:31.0 | It's always been a dream to do this. |
| 1:33.1 | The business side of things seems daunting as I've worked for two well-established builders |
| 1:37.9 | and their systems are already set up. |
| 1:40.3 | From finding healthcare, insurance, lawyers, etc., |
| 1:42.7 | it all seems like a lot to take on starting from |
| 1:46.8 | scratch so what would I do differently I would do a lot differently a lot I don't know how much I would |
| 1:53.7 | do the same it worked out and I'm glad that I struggled through it but there's a lot of things |
| 2:00.0 | that I would definitely do differently to refine my business. |
| 2:05.3 | And honestly, Drew, I think the things that you're concerned about health insurance or healthcare insurance, lawyers, et cetera, all seems like a lot. |
| 2:14.1 | It does seem like a lot and it seems daunting only because you've never done it |
... |
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