This episode of the FireStarter Podcast highlights Steve and Rachel Egner of Steve’s Plumbing in Lynnwood, WA. Todd Liles hosts this conversation that reveals the perseverance and hard lessons the Egners have experienced to expand their plumbing company for success.
The Beginning
Steve and Rachel first started Steve’s Plumbing in 1995 from their home. Steve would go out to serve clients and Rachel was responsible for handling the appointments, the customer service and acting as dispatch – all while caring for two toddlers! Though it was a struggle at times, the Egners put in the hard work to make their business succeed in their community. They used strategic investments of their earned money to keep themselves afloat and pay for business equipment, but Steve knew they weren’t reaching their true potential. Steve realized his dream of being the local plumber who worked all the time was not a reasonable plan. When time needs to be taken off for vacation time, illness or injury, small businesses lose customer and revenue opportunities by the hour.
The Change
Eventually, the couple decided to bring on an apprentice to help with the load and ensure the future of their company, which then led to a second plumber being hired and the expansion into an office space. By 2006, Steve and Rachel made the decision to join SGI, an international contractor organization, to learn how to expand and grow their business. Since implementing changes that foster growth in Steve’s Plumbing, the Egners have seen a tremendous rise in their success.
The Results
Being able to transform their company’s purpose from needing to pay the bills to wanting to help their team and customers prosper is a massive shift. Steve and now turn their focus to making their employees’ lives better and helping them achieve their own success in life. Focusing on the employee-driven model has moved Steve’s Plumbing farther forward than ever before in their company’s history.
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