Owned and Operated - A Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Business Growth Podcast

Under $5M? Marketing Isn’t Complicated (Here’s the Playbook)

Feb 3, 2026

Sam Preston, CEO of Service Scalers and home-services marketing pro, explains why under $5M marketing is simple if you execute basics. He covers when to hire versus stick with an agency. Short, tactical takes on the right first hire, budget math, and avoiding the trap of expecting one person to do everything. Practical playbook for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical operators looking for repeatable lead growth.

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ANECDOTE

Why John Hired Service Scalers

John switched to Service Scalers after agencies burned budget without delivering leads.
The agency focus on LSA, PPC, and GMB produced measurable call volume and sales improvements for his business.

ADVICE

Hire For Control And Speed

Hire in-house when you need control, speed, and dedicated focus on marketing execution.
Use an in-house person to move faster on campaigns, website updates, and tactical wins.

ANECDOTE

Wilson’s In-House Timing

John and Brandon waited until roughly $13–14M revenue before adding a full in-house marketing leader.
They paired in-house leadership with agencies to scale and remove themselves from day-to-day agency management.

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How do you stop wasting money on marketing… and start building a lead engine that actually scales?

In this episode of Click to Calls, John Wilson sits down with Service Scalers CEO Sam Preston to break down one of the biggest mistakes growing home service operators make:

Hiring a marketing person too early — and expecting them to do everything.

They walk through what your first real marketing hire should look like, why most owners misunderstand the budget math, and John’s spicy take:

If you’re under $5M, marketing isn’t complicated — you just need to execute the basics consistently.

Whether you run HVAC, plumbing, or electrical, this episode gives you a clear framework for when to stick with an agency, when to go in-house, and what “good marketing” actually looks like when the board is light and you need calls fast.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why “marketing is complicated” is usually an excuse under $5M
The difference between hiring a coordinator vs. a true marketing manager
How to know if in-house marketing actually beats agency economics
The only good reasons to bring marketing inside (and the bad one everyone uses)

💼 Extra Special Thanks to Service Scalers!

We’ve been partnering with Service Scalers to maximize our Local Service Ads (LSAs) and optimize our Google My Business profiles, and the results have been incredible. With hundreds of thousands in sales and 900+ calls in a single week, GMBs are now our top-performing organic lead channel.
Want to learn how Service Scalers can do the same for you?

🔗Check Them Out Here

💼 Big Reputation — Stop chasing reviews and watching competitors outrank you. Big Reputation is the AI-powered review + SEO platform built for home service pros. Automate review generation, respond with AI, track local SEO, and integrate with your CRM. Setup is free, and your first month’s on the house.

👉 Book your demo HERE

Shout Out to FieldPulse 🚀

FieldPulse is an incredible Field Service Management platform that helps you save hours each week while keeping your operations running smoothly. If you're looking to streamline your processes, stay competitive, and focus on what truly matters, FieldPulse is a game-changer!

📅 Book your demo HERE

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John Wilson: https://x.com/WilsonCompanies

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John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies
Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.