Entrepreneurs can turn to Operation HOPE for coaching at every stage of their business, whether launching a new venture or scaling to meet surging demand. When Shannon reached out, her business revenue had skyrocketed 350% over two years. While impressive on paper, it was chaotic behind the scenes. Peak season found her team juggling up to 40 jobs a day, resulting in missed service windows and uncoordinated scheduling. To make matters worse, nearly half of her top-line revenue was going straight to third-party lead generation platforms.
“I kind of jumped into this business… when I started, I just kind of started on a whim, and it just took off like wildfire,” Shannon said. “I didn’t have a plan. I was just kind of all over the place.”
Inspired by Founder John Hope Bryant’s Money and Wealth podcast, Shannon reached out to Operation HOPE and connected with Coach Raymond Haines through the Small Business Development program.
Coach Raymond acted as Shannon’s anchor, providing a steady presence to help her focus and transform wild momentum into predictable growth.
“When I just start to spread myself everywhere, he would bring me back in line,” Shannon recalled. “He makes sure we use our time right, be precise and keep our ducks lined up in a row. He’s extremely thorough, so that put pressure on me to be thorough, which I really appreciate.”
Together they created a business plan that would help guide her company’s growth.
“I tried to write a business plan once before and it was so overwhelming I stopped,” Shannon admitted. “Raymond taught me to be concise, realistic and intentional about everything—my customer base, my finances, and what’s needed to actually run smoothly.”
Shannon’s business plan offers lessons for any entrepreneur looking to scale a fast-growing business:
Develop Customer Relationships: Relying entirely on third-party platforms for leads provides quick volume, but it eats up massive profit margins. Scaling sustainably means building direct-to-consumer relationships and creating systems that convert one-time callers into loyal, repeat clients. As Shannon put it: “I have a plan and a strategy now to bring in real business on my own so I can keep that profit instead of sharing it with someone else.”
Standardize Processes: Unclear pricing and informal management quietly drain a growing company’s bottom line. In Shannon’s case, standardized pricing eliminated technicians’ guesswork and gave them confidence during customer interactions. At the same time, formalizing hiring and accountability practices turns a reactive team into a professional operation.
Build a Brand: As service businesses grow, standing out against low-quality or untrustworthy competitors requires a professional digital presence including a website and a transparent customer review system.
“To manage this growth, we focused on implementing simple systems to support retention and consistency,” explained Coach Raymond. “Rather than chasing additional lead volume, Shannon concentrated on tightening the foundation she already had by documenting processes, refining client communication, and strengthening direct customer acquisition. With continued focus on structure, her business is moving toward greater stability, stronger margins and direct control over its growth.”
Today, Shannon takes pride in being the only Black woman owning a chimney service business in the state of Alabama.
“Before, I was stressed and skeptical about how I could do it,” she says. “Now, I can clearly see the business growing, and I have the plan to get there.”
Her journey proves that success isn’t just about how fast a business grows, it’s about having the structure, vision and coaching to support sustainable growth.
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