A plumbing company without a plan still has a direction; it just isn't one anyone chose. We build a one-page annual plan and a weekly scorecard of about ten numbers, so you can see whether the business is on track in week six instead of finding out from the accountant in month fourteen. This is operational and marketing planning, not tax, accounting or legal advice.
What it is and who it is for
Growth planning turns what the owner carries in their head into something the team can see and act on. It suits owners who:
- Want to grow, but are not sure whether the next step is a hire, a truck or more marketing.
- Are adding a new service line or a second location.
- Want to step back from daily work in the next few years.
- Have been surprised by a bad quarter that, looking back, was visible weeks earlier.
The one-page plan
The annual plan fits on one page so it actually gets used. It answers six questions:
- Revenue target, split by service line (service and repair, drains, water heaters, renovation, commercial).
- Gross margin target for each line.
- Capacity: how many billable hours that revenue needs, and therefore how many plumbers.
- Hires: who, in which quarter, and what has to be true before you hire.
- Marketing budget: set from the jobs needed and your cost per booked job.
- Owner goal: what you want to be paid, and how many hours you want to work.
A worked example with illustrative numbers: a target of $1.6 million in service revenue at an average ticket of $640 means 2,500 completed jobs, about 48 a week. If each plumber completes 12 jobs in a typical week, that is four plumbers fully booked, so a three-plumber shop needs a hire in the first half of the year, and the marketing plan has to supply roughly 48 booked jobs a week at a cost the margin can carry.
The weekly owner scorecard
The scorecard is the plan in motion. A typical plumbing scorecard:
| Number | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Inbound calls and answer rate | Demand and whether you are catching it |
| Booking rate | Office performance |
| Jobs completed | Capacity in use |
| Average ticket | Pricing and presentation |
| Gross margin | Whether the price covers the work |
| Revenue per billable hour | Field efficiency |
| Callbacks | Quality, and hidden cost |
| New reviews | Reputation momentum |
| Cost per booked job | Marketing efficiency |
| Receivables over 30 days | Cash health |
Each number has an owner, a target and a simple colour: on track, watch, act. Our owner scorecard guide explains how to build one from scratch.
New service lines and second locations
Adding drains, water heaters or commercial work is often the fastest route to growth, and the riskiest. We test the idea on paper first: expected demand, margin, equipment, people and how long it will take to break even. The pattern resembles a case from our HVAC work, where GasBoilers.ca was built as a dedicated gas-boiler division for CANRO Heat and now serves 26+ BC communities. The results page explains what that shows.
What is included, and the timeline
- Weeks 1–2: interviews with the owner and key staff, review of last year's numbers.
- Weeks 3–4: draft one-page plan and scorecard; targets agreed.
- Weeks 5–8: scorecard live, weekly 30-minute review meetings set up.
- Quarterly: plan review and decision points for hires and budget.
How results are measured
Success is visible on the scorecard itself: targets hit or missed, decisions made on time, and fewer surprises. We also track the owner's own hours, because a plan that grows revenue by working the owner harder is not much of a plan.
Mistakes to avoid
- Targets with no capacity check. Revenue you can't staff is a wish.
- A scorecard nobody owns. Every number needs a name beside it.
- Planning once a year and never looking again. Quarterly reviews are where plans earn their value.
- Ignoring the owner's pay. Profit should include a fair salary for the work you do.
Planning usually starts after pricing and systems are steady. To set targets for your own company, call, text or email.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as a business plan for the bank?
No. Lender business plans and financial statements belong with your accountant. Our plan is an operating plan: targets, hires, marketing and the weekly numbers that show progress.
How many numbers should be on a scorecard?
About eight to twelve. Fewer and you miss problems; more and nobody reads it. Each number has an owner in your company and a target.
Can you help us plan for selling the business one day?
We can help make the company less dependent on the owner, which matters to any future buyer. Valuation, deal structure and legal matters are separate specialist work, through Sedighi.ca's exit advisory and your own lawyer and accountant.
How often should the plan be reviewed?
The scorecard weekly, the plan quarterly, and a full reset once a year. A quarterly review is where you decide whether to hire, spend more on marketing or hold.