Behind the Bark
If you are spread thin, it is not because you do too little. It is because the business relies on you for too much. The shortest path to relief is not adding more effort. It is installing a system at the bottleneck.
You know the pattern: something breaks, you fix it. Someone needs an answer, you give it. A crew needs direction, you drop what you're doing and handle it. By the end of the day, you've handled 47 things but built nothing that lasts. Write down what works. Make it repeatable. Let your crew follow it without texting you at 2 PM. Start with the tightest choke point, not the flashiest idea. Today, we'll focus on one of these three areas:
1) Automate your crew management
2) Develop step-by-step SOPs
3) Automate the first touch and seasonal emails in your marketing
Pick the one that fails without you. Fix that first.
Don't see one of your biggest bottlenecks listed? Hit reply and tell us. We want this to benefit you.
Limb of the Week
Three simple systems to install, starting with your current bottleneck.
1) Automate your crew management
Implement real-time job tracking
Use Jobber, CrewTracker, or even a shared Google Sheet if you're bootstrapping it.
Use standard job stages so every crew speaks the same language. Example stages: On-site, Setup, In cut, Cleanup, Dump run, Complete.
Require photo proof for key milestones, before, during, and after. This alone reduces callbacks and disputes.
Spend 10 minutes each morning reviewing yesterday's timeline. Spot the delays. Fix the pattern, not just the problem.
Automate time tracking and payroll
Clock in by job inside the app. Use geofencing for job sites and the yard to reduce manual edits.
Set a simple policy for exceptions. No edits without a short note that names the reason.
Push approved hours to payroll once per week at a set time. Consistency reduces mistakes.
Track three metrics on a one-page scorecard: on-time arrival rate, average job duration vs estimate, and overtime hours per crew.
2) Develop step-by-step SOPs
Create short, clear instructions that produce the same result every time. Use this template for each task:
Task overview: What it is and why it matters.
Tools and equipment required: Include safety gear and consumables.
Step-by-step instructions: Short lines. One action per step.
Safety protocols: Specific checks at each stage.
Time estimate: The expected range so crews can pace correctly.
Troubleshooting tips: Common issues and how to resolve them.
How to build an SOP in under 60 minutes:
Record: Screen record or phone video while your best tech does the task. Talk through it.
Transcribe: Turn that into 8 to 15 clear steps. Keep it simple.
Test: Have a different crew member follow it. Note confusion points.
Tighten: Update wording and add photos where needed.
Store: Put it in one shared folder. Name files consistently. Example: OPS_StumpGrind_PreFlight_v1.1
Review: Update quarterly with a version number on every doc.
Start with the highest-friction tasks. Common first picks: storm-damage estimate, crane-day prep, stump grinding preflight, pre-job safety talk, chipper maintenance.
3) Automate parts of your marketing
Instant first text to new leads
Trigger: When a web form is submitted or a call is missed, send a text within 60 seconds.
Goal: Be first to respond and secure the on-site estimate.
Template: Hi, this is [Company]. We got your request for [service]. Would you prefer the first available estimate slot today or tomorrow afternoon? Reply 1 for today, 2 for tomorrow, or text a time that works.
Include a booking link if you have a calendar. If not, use the quick-reply options above.
Seasonal email reminders
Build a simple annual calendar: late winter pruning, spring pest and disease checks, summer canopy thinning, fall removals and storm prep.
Segment your list: past customers, estimates not closed, HOA and commercial.
Send helpful, short emails that focus on value and timing. Example: 3 signs a limb will fail in a summer storm. Offer a limited number of safety walk-throughs each week.
Socratic checkpoint
Which of these fails without you this week: scheduling crews, doing the work consistently, or responding to leads fast enough?
If a new crew member started tomorrow, could they succeed with the documents you have today?
How many minutes pass between a lead reaching out and your first reply during business hours? After hours?
Start where the pain is highest. Install the smallest system that removes that pain. Then move to the next bottleneck.
Sawdust
If the above sounds like a lot of work, you could let us handle it. Schedule a consultation below.
Kickback
Hot take: Speed to lead beats fancy marketing. Most lost jobs are lost in the first five minutes. If your reply hits first and you offer a clear next step, you win a surprising amount of work even if your marketing isn't perfect yet. Put speed on autopilot and let us polish your marketing.
We score your online footprint the way a homeowner experiences it AND show you exactly what to fix first.
$100 gets you:
→ A snapshot report (like the screenshot above) showing where you're losing calls
→ A prioritized list of adjustments ranked by impact
→ A working session walking through what to fix and how
We spend 3-4 hours prepping before the call so you walk away with a plan, not homework.
If you don't leave with at least $1,000 in clarity on what's costing you jobs, we'll refund your $100. No questions. Book Your $100 Consult →
Written by Jacob Hastings
Head of Growth & Client Strategy at Growth Ring Media
