Fixing the Admin Bottleneck for a Growing Elecrical Company

Operations Management and Consulting for a growing electrical company

Background

A licensed Master Electrician based in the GTA had spent over a decade working for large companies before starting his own business. With a strong reputation, a small but capable team, and solid profitability, the groundwork for success was already in place. However, despite his technical excellence and loyal client base, he struggled behind the scenes with the administrative side of running a business.

The Challenge

• Invoices were often delayed by weeks or even months after completing a job.
• Receipts and materials were scattered, making it difficult to track expenses or build accurate invoices.
• Payments weren’t followed up consistently, leading to long delays and cash flow gaps.
• Payroll was manual and time-consuming, relying on the owner to enter weekly employee hours.
• Most of the admin work was done late at night or on weekends, which cut into family time and affected quality of life.

While the business was profitable, it wasn’t sustainable. Without fixing the operational issues, growth would eventually stall—or worse, burn the owner out.

Our Solution

We partnered with the owner to immediately reduce his admin burden, implement systems that improved cash flow, and set the business up for growth.

1. Payroll Streamlining

• We took over processing payroll for his team of electricians.
• After identifying inefficiencies in the current system, we moved the team over to QuickBooks Payroll, which allowed employees to clock in/out directly.
• This switch removed hours of manual entry each pay period and freed up the owner’s time for higher-level work.

2. Invoicing System Overhaul

• We built a system to gather project details (quotes, receipts, time logs, materials, POs) right after job completion.
• We created invoices, sent them to the owner for review, and then followed up directly with clients to ensure timely payment.
• This reduced the invoice timeline from 30+ days to under two weeks and significantly improved cash flow.

3. Project Management & Financial Tracking

• We introduced QuickBooks Projects to tie expenses and time entries to specific jobs.
• This gave the owner visibility into job profitability and made it easier to generate accurate invoices.
• We also introduced a simple project tracking system using todoist to monitor job progress and spot delays early.

4. Strategic Advising

• We conducted regular financial check-ins with the owner and his accountant to review wins and challenges.
• We helped assess whether the current mix of residential vs. commercial work was sustainable—and what would drive long-term growth.
• Based on this analysis, we shifted focus toward commercial and industrial clients with:
  • Higher project values
  • Shorter payment timelines
  • Fewer jobs but more revenue and less chasing

The Results?

The impact of this partnership was felt quickly and consistently:

• Invoicing Timeline: Cut from 30+ days to under 2 weeks
• Payment Delays: Reduced significantly, with most commercial clients now paying in 14–30 days
• Admin Time: Hours of weekly admin removed from the owner’s plate
• Organization: Receipts, payroll, invoices, and job details are centralized and easy to access
• Revenue Quality: Fewer jobs, higher value, and more predictable cash flow
• Profitability: Increased due to tighter operations and better financial oversight
• Owner Lifestyle: More time with family, more time to grow the business—not just run it

What’s Next

Now that the business is running more smoothly, the owner can network more intentionally with key commercial contacts and position himself for larger jobs. His website and marketing have been refined to attract the type of clients he wants more of—and the business continues to grow with a much stronger foundation.

Ready to Start Working Together?

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