Electrical Company Doubles, Owner Works Less

Quick snapshot

• Revenue when joining Breakthrough Academy: About $1.2M
• Current trajectory: $2.5M last year, on track for $3M this year
• Team growth: Roughly 5 employees to 14
• Business expansion: Purchased a commercial building and added operational support
• Key transformation: From high-stress, owner-dependent operations to a more structured business that runs without Chase handling everything himself

Meet CSK Electric

Growth in a contracting business can look simple on paper: win more work, hire more people and increase revenue.

But if the owner is still responsible for everything, a bigger business can just mean bigger problems.

That was part of the challenge for Chase Swanson, owner of CSK Electric in Langley, BC. The electrical company specializes in residential projects, commercial tenant improvements and service. Chase knew he wanted to build more than a career in the trades. He wanted to build a business.

When he joined Breakthrough Academy just over two years ago, CSK Electric was doing roughly $1.2 million in annual revenue. Since then, the company has grown to $2.5 million in revenue last year and is on track for $3 million this year. The team has grown from around five employees to 14, and the company has purchased its own commercial building.

But Chase’s story isn’t just about getting bigger. It’s about building a company that gives the owner more control over where they spend their time.

How Chase got a clearer handle on the business 

Before BTA, Chase understood that numbers mattered, but he didn’t have a clear system for knowing whether the business was actually on track.

As he describes it, there was no reliable gauge for revenue, margins or overall performance. He was often waiting until the end of the year and hoping the company had made money.

The biggest change was creating more visibility and structure around how the company operates.

1. Clear financial and performance targets

One of the most useful tools for Chase has been BTA’s MBP.

Instead of looking at annual goals as one big number, he can now break them down into:

• Quarterly targets
• Monthly targets
• Sales goals
• Lead targets
• Revenue benchmarks

That gives him a much clearer picture of whether the company is on pace and where adjustments need to happen.

As Chase puts it, the plan gives him a “temperature gauge” for the business. If the numbers are behind, he can see it early enough to make a push rather than discovering the problem at year-end.

2. More operational support around the owner

CSK Electric didn’t just increase revenue. It also built more support around Chase.

When he joined BTA, the company had around five employees and his wife was helping in the office.

Today:

• The company has 14 employees
• His wife has returned to her own career
• The business has more operational support
• Work and personal life are more separate

That shift matters because growth becomes difficult when every new customer, employee and decision still runs through the owner.

By building more support into the company, Chase has reduced how much the business depends on him personally.

3. Better focus and accountability

Chase describes himself as someone with “a million ideas” who moves at 100 miles per hour.

That entrepreneurial energy can help a business grow, but it can also make it easy to chase too many priorities at once.

Working with his BTA coach, Kevin, has helped Chase slow down, work through ideas and focus on the details that matter most.

That outside perspective gives him someone who can challenge his thinking, keep him focused and help turn ideas into action.

4. A community to learn from

The support hasn’t only come from coaching.

Chase also points to BTA events and the wider contractor community as a major part of the experience.

He says he consistently leaves events with at least one idea that gets him thinking about what he should do differently in the business.

For an owner making big decisions, having access to other contractors who are working through similar challenges can shorten the learning curve.

The results: before Breakthrough Academy vs. after

The operational changes have translated into measurable business growth.

• Revenue: About $1.2M → $2.5M last year
• Current trajectory: On track for $3M
• Team: Roughly 5 employees → 14
• Infrastructure: Purchased a commercial building
• Owner involvement: Less dependence on Chase for day-to-day execution

But one of the biggest results isn’t financial.

Before, Chase says his stress levels were extremely high because he felt like everything had to get done by him.

Today, he has more freedom to decide when he works and what he spends his time on. 

“You can obsess about work and your business, but ultimately, if you're not able to go enjoy your life, then what's the point of doing all this, right?”

What improved beyond revenue 

The improvements at CSK Electric go beyond revenue.

• Better visibility into financial and sales performance
• More operational support across the team
• Clearer quarterly and monthly priorities
• Better focus and decision-making
• Enough business stability to purchase a commercial building
• More freedom for Chase to choose where he spends his time

These changes have helped turn the company into something that can keep moving without Chase personally driving every task.

Lessons for contracting business owners

1. You need visibility into your numbers
   Waiting until year-end to find out whether you made money is too late.
2. Break annual goals into smaller targets
   Quarterly and monthly benchmarks make it easier to spot problems and adjust early.
3. Growth needs operational support
   Adding revenue without adding structure can create more stress for the owner.
4. Your business should become less dependent on you as it grows
   A bigger company isn’t necessarily a better company if you still can’t step away.
5. Outside perspective can help you move faster
   Coaching and community can help owners stay focused, challenge their assumptions and avoid figuring everything out alone.

Build a business that gives you freedom and works without you

Chase didn’t grow CSK Electric simply by working more hours.

He built more structure around the business.

He:

• Created clearer financial and performance targets
• Built a larger team and more operational support
• Used coaching to stay focused and accountable
• Reduced how much the company depended on him personally

Now, Chase’s focus goes beyond hitting the next revenue goal.

He wants to become a better leader for his team. That’s someone who can remain calm when jobs get difficult and provide stability instead of constantly reacting to problems.

If you want to build a more profitable, scalable contracting business that doesn’t depend on you for everything, book a complimentary discovery call with Breakthrough Academy to explore what that could look like for your business.