Inflation is changing the way contractors do business. Material prices are climbing, labour costs are rising, and profit margins are getting harder to protect. Even when revenue is up, the cost of running a business can leave you making less than expected.

In this episode of the Forge Contractor Alliance, Josh and the team discuss the realities of rising construction costs and what small business owners can do to stay profitable. From unexpected supplier increases and missed invoice changes to pricing jobs accurately and protecting margins, they share lessons learned from real experience in the trades.

The conversation also looks beyond day-to-day operations at the bigger picture of business ownership, including real estate, long-term investing, and building something that provides financial security well beyond your working years.

Because staying busy isn't the same as being profitable. And building a successful business takes more than bringing in revenue. It takes a plan.

Original theme music composed and performed by Ben Smith

Produced by Seth Steward Productions

Co-produced by Kalen Wookey

Website: ⁠https://forgealliance.ca/⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/forgecontractoralliance⁠

Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575541841797⁠

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Why does a customer deadline so often win out over a date night with your own kid? That question keeps coming back for Joel in this conversation with Josh, and it turns into a candid look at what actually decides where an entrepreneur’s attention goes.

It starts with a Friday that was supposed to be a family day and ended up at the office anyway. From there, they get into people pleasing, why urgent work feels louder than a family that isn’t in crisis, and the habit of keeping life in balance by whacking whichever area is lowest this week.

Joel describes a spur of the moment date night with his daughter that showed him how much he doesn’t know about his own kids.

Josh describes a different pull, a daily question over morning coffee about whether he’s about to spend the day on the wrong things, and a working life where his family overlaps with his workday more than most.

They talk through what saying no actually looks like: dropping commitments, selling off animals on the acreage that were taking more time than they were worth, and a recent 48 hour push on a major application deadline that showed both the power of a clear goal and how quickly overload creeps back in.

Along the way they cover Sabbath as a gift rather than a rule, planning the week with a spouse, the idea of meeting with other business owners every Monday morning to set priorities, and why a dashboard full of revenue KPIs and nothing for health or family quietly steers your attention. They also talk about why forming an executive team, with a merger still in the works, was partly about holding each other accountable.

Underneath it all is a simple, uncomfortable point. What gets your attention is a choice, and a lot of us hand it over to expectations we’ve only imagined other people have. This one is for owners who already know what matters most and are still working out how to act like it.

Original theme music composed and performed by Ben Smith

Produced by Seth Steward Productions

Co-produced by Kalen Wookey

Website: ⁠https://forgealliance.ca/⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/forgecontractoralliance⁠

Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575541841797⁠

X: ⁠https://x.com/forge_ca⁠

In this episode of the Forge Contractor Alliance Podcast, Josh and Kenton talk about one of the biggest lessons they’ve learned in business: more leads don’t necessarily mean more business. After a slower-than-usual home show, the conversation turns to lead quality, pre-qualification, referrals, and the real cost of chasing customers who were never a good fit.

They discuss the difference between collecting names and numbers and actually finding homeowners who value the service you provide. Josh shares how Ridgeline has learned to recognize quality leads, why referrals can be some of the strongest opportunities a contractor can receive, and how building a strong reputation can naturally attract the right customers.

They also get into the realities of pricing, competition, truck-and-ladder operations, warranties, and what happens when something goes wrong after a project is complete.

The conversation goes beyond marketing and sales into something that matters just as much: the relationship between contractors and customers. From trust and communication to dealing with mistakes and standing behind your work, Josh and Kenton discuss why building a real business means being positioned to take care of customers long after the job is finished.

For contractors, the goal isn't simply to get more leads. It's to build a business that attracts the right customers, delivers real value, earns referrals, and is still standing behind its work years later.

Original theme music composed and performed by Ben Smith

Produced by Seth Steward Productions

Co produced by Kalen Wookey

Website https://forgealliance.ca/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/forgecontractoralliance

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575541841797

X https://x.com/forge_ca

@Forge_CA