Episodes

In this episode Neel and sits down with Chris Bergethon , known as the "Car Wash Guy" on Twitter. Interestingly, while Chris is known for car washes, it's actually a side hustle for him. He's full time in the supplements and natural medicine space. Neel and Chris discuss: - how trying to get in on the self-storage craze led to buying his first car wash - the major tax benefits that a car wash can offer, including Chris' first refund in more than a decade - why banks love car washes and why they ...

In this episode Neel and sits down with Stephen Heiner , who moved to France ten years ago after selling a business. Stephen worked hard to build a dream life, and recently gave all of it up to move to become a volunteer at a religious house. Neel and Stephen discuss: - his path to France and what he did when he arrived - the importance of asking yourself what it is you want at the end of the rainbow - always being ready to re-evaluate where you are, never accepting that you have "arrived" If yo...

In this episode Neel and sits down with Andy Agrawal of Weekend Maids , who is also part of the CCDRA (California Coalition of Domestic Referral Agencies). Andy has been running the company for the last 15 years, but it's a family business that has been around for 36 years. Neel and Patrick discuss the importance of compliance, particularly in regards to cleaning companies and properly classifying themselves as referral agencies rather than employers. Among other things, they talk about: - the i...

In this episode Neel sits down with Sean O'Dowd of The O'Dowd Group. Sean was just looking to pay off the loan he took out to buy an engagement ring for his then-fiancee when he decided to consult on the side. His very first gig was through Upwork and involved proofreading an email for $30. Neel and Sean discuss: - how having a Wharton degree may have helped him land some clients, but how easily his mom, who was a simple librarian without that elite college pedigree, was able to land a $30k cons...

Neel recently had to interview a number of SEO vendors in preparation for making a change, and felt like he became a bit of an expert in thinking through what agencies can and should provide for you. Neel talks about what you can expect to pay for decent SEO service ($750-$1500 depending on quality) as well as: - Map Pack ranking and the importance of reviews that mention your key words - The importance (and limits) of blogs - The difference between on-page and technical SEO and why you need bot...

As part of his ongoing coaching call series, Neel chats with Dan Kats of Shorely Clean who is building his cleaning business as a side hustle and is looking to grow it quickly but sustainably. Neel offers helpful answers to Dan's questions, including: - The importance of hiring that first employee to help you as soon as possible - The inbound sales conversion rates he expects from his team - The importance of "extending your season" to combat seasonality - Different ways of dealing with add-on s...

In this episode Neel and sits down with Dan Blaker, a MaidThis franchisee in the Myrtle Beach market. ⁠ It's been just under two years that Dan has been a franchisee in the MaidThis system and he looks back on his journey to share: - how MaidThis provided a path for him to quit a 6-day-a-week, 12-hour-a-day job - just how much "remote" he's put into his remote local business. - what a pleasant surprise it has been to get to know fellow business owners You'll also hear Dan talk about the power of...

You've heard Neel talk about pros and cons of different marketing tactics over the last six months. This episode brings all of those reflections together in one valuable episode so be ready to take notes on: - What's working and what isn't in the Google LSA space - What to look for when researching PPC advertising to see if it will be worthwhile for your company - The power of community marketing, including the hyper-local neighborhood blitz strategy Neel also talks about Thumbtack, a platform t...

In this episode Neel chats with Shaina Denny , Co-Founder and CEO of Dogdrop . It's a rare discussion with a fellow franchisor, and Neel and Shaina discuss: - how Dogdrop works and its capitalization on America's obsession with pets and their well-being - why Shaina decided to use an FSO (franchise sales organization) instead of using an internal resource - why Neel stopped using Google ads to advertise for franchise leads (he found that social media leads were more qualified) If you want to sta...

It got here even faster than we might have thought, but here is episode #100. For this special episode, Neel shares a talk that he gave about his travel journey. You'll learn: - that hunter/gatherer tribes in Africa will tell the same fart jokes you do at home - the power of a smile and how strangers can shop you see who you really are - how you can opt-out of the American Dream Neel also shares how he started his journey with fear but ended it with courage powered by serendipity.

In this episode Neel and chats with Simone, Founder of House Mum Home Services , based out of Brisbane, Australia. Simone has a successful business and is so full up with clients she has a waiting list. But she doesn't even have a website! She's a master at community marketing and was kind enough to share some of her tactics and ideas with us. Neel and Simone talk about: - how posting on Facebook to find employees led her to gain customers - what kind of Facebook groups she joins and how she int...

In this episode Neel and sits down with Anna Scherbyna , owner of Remotivate , a company that helps entrepreneurs and business owners hire for executive and management roles. Neel and Anna discuss: - what it was for Anna to work in (and build a company in) the remote space in 2017, before it was cool - why growing companies won't only need one type of ops person, they'll need three, each with different price points - the crazy discrepancy at the moment between employers on LI offering remote job...

In this episode Neel and sits down with Johnny Robinson and Sergio Silesky for a quarterly roundup of what they are seeing in the Remote Local space. Topics covered include: - the effectiveness of Google LSA, both now and in the long term, along with some strategies that can help lift your performance if you're lagging - the "Grand Opening Method" which is about continuing to build a solid lead funnel over time using community marketing - Neel and Sergio's thoughts on keeping your hiring funnel ...

In another of his coaching series, in which he offers free coaching on a specific problem, Neel chats with Austin, owner of Denver's Dalmaidtion Cleaning , a residential cleaning service with a focus on pet owners. Neel and Austin discuss: - Ways to surprise and delight and offer a "6 star service" - The importance of top-notch cleaners — it is they, more than thank-you notes and gifts, that will retain customers long-term - Leaning into your niche, in Austin's case, making sure new customers ge...

In this episode Neel and sits down with Patrick Findaro , author of How to Buy a Franchise: Employee to Entrepreneur in 12 Weeks and owner at VettedBiz.com Patrick hosts a podcast, Franchise Findings , in which he talks about all things related to franchises, including conversations with new and experienced business owners as well as overall reports on industry trends. Neel and Patrick discuss: - a little known visa classification that Patrick didn't find out about for some time that offers non-...

In this first of a new series in which he offers free coaching on a specific problem, Neel chats with Gordon, a new cleaning services business owner, about why he decided to start franchising. Gordon was also interested in expanding to a new city, and Neel drilled down to ask: - What was the endgame for expansion? - Why did Gordon think expanding was a good strategy? He then went on to give some tips on KPIs that all cleaning services should be checking every week, like - Total number of cleanin...

As the simple days of "turn on LSA and watch the leads roll in" seems to recede into the distance, those willing to put in the work on community marketing are going to win. Neel shares some tactics he's employed to success, allowing you to get brand visibility and cash in on people in the neighborhood who need your services, including: - EDDM, a USPS postcard service allowing you to blanket a community - Yard signs, an easy way to get visibility over a weekend - Doorhangers, one more opportunity...

In another installment of "fighting traffic by dropping knowledge" Neel shares some thoughts on how to deal with seasonality in your business, whether that's a season of the year or a financial season, like a recession. Neel discusses: - How the challenge in high season, like summer, is often lack of supply to meet demand, which is why businesses need to be hiring now - Why you can't count on a recession to make hiring easier: you need to be focused on optimizing your recruiting funnel While oth...

In this episode Neel has a conversation with Bunty SomRoy . In 2016 Bunty left the US to try to find a way in to the digital marketing world and spent three years living in Thailand and Indonesia, nose to the grindstone, trying to build his business. As it grew he's been able to travel a lot more and he's "making up for lost time." Some interesting parts of the discussion include: - Regrets: Bunty wants others to enjoy the journey more and not be as heads-down in their businesses as he was early...

Even though the word "remote" is part of a "remote local" business, that doesn't mean you have to start it remotely. In this episode Neel makes arguments for both sides, for starting a remote local business in your hometown and for starting it completely remotely. He covers things like: - Why sometimes a local presence can help you win, particularly with community marketing - Why sometimes a local presence can slow your growth — Neel shares how he could have systematized remote hiring faster had...

In this episode Neel interviews PJ McGeary of Arbor Trail Cleaning . PJ has had a lot of success using Facebook groups to get the word out about his cleaning business and shares his tactics and ideas, including: - the power of city-based groups, which post about all sorts of topics, not just those related to home services - the cadence you can use when posting — and why copy/paste works fine across all the groups you are part of - the type of post to use (always use photos!) and what to include ...

In this episode Neel and Johnny discuss what they've been seeing on the ground for Remote Local Businesses: - What's happening with Google Local Service Ads (LSA) and how to guard against big swings with them - The power of what Neel calls "community marketing" which can include some tedious — but rewarding — work - A "we're in the neighborhood anyway" tactic that can help you pick up new customers You'll also hear Neel share a story of a woman in Australia who is doing $1M in revenue for cleani...

As Google tweaks its algorithm and its Local Services ads to deal with AI-created content, you might need to find new ways of reaching customers. In this episode Neel shares five avenues he's exploring right now (and are working). Some include: - Hypertargeting local Facebook groups using discounts, testimonials, and tagging - Using B2B cold emails in your niche - Getting on the ground with flyers and door-knocking in neighborhoods where you already have clients (or want to) To get detailed tact...

In this episode Neel offers five different side hustles with low barriers to entry and low cost to startup. While he understandably gives a plug for residential cleaning (hey, if it works, it works) he also shares: - Vending machine routes (get started for around $2500) - Mobile rim repair (he found out about one company doing $20,000 a day in repairs!) - Knife sharpening (door-to-door still works) But wait, there's more. Weekend puppy training! Enjoy the episode.