Last week, we spent three days in Nashville at Leviton’s Next Gen Contractor event alongside Sonos. This was my second time attending, and the room told a different story this year.
Most of the contractors there were in the 1–3 year range. Early in the process, moving fast, figuring out how to turn work into a real business.
Across the board, the same patterns kept showing up.
Most Electrical Contractors Are Dealing With the Same Problems
Different states, same conversations.
Everyone is busy. Jobs are getting done. When you start asking deeper questions, things get unclear fast.
How are you pricing your work?
What’s your process from lead to payment?
What are you tracking weekly?
Most didn’t have real answers.
A lot of effort. Very little structure behind it.
The First 1–3 Years Are Where Most Contractors Get Stuck
That early stage determines everything that comes after.
Most of the contractors in the room were strong electricians. They knew how to get work done.
Direction was the issue.
Saying yes to everything.
Taking whatever work comes in.
Trying to grow without a clear target.
Everything becomes reactive.
Working Hard Doesn’t Build the Business by Itself
Crews are working. Trucks are moving. Calls are coming in.
Nothing is being tracked.
No clear understanding of overhead.
No defined profit targets.
No structure behind decisions.
Everything feels urgent. Everything gets handled in the moment.
That cycle repeats.
Why Checkpoints and Business Plans Matter
Cameron Vogelsang walked through what a real business plan looks like using our Builders Blueprint framework.
Clear checkpoints. Defined targets. Measurable progress.
Quarterly tracking.
Defined milestones.
Decisions tied to numbers.
That’s how you know where the business stands at any point in the year.
The Missed Opportunity in Electrical Service and Monitoring
Most contractors are focused on installs.
Service is there, but it’s not built out.
Leviton’s load centers, smart breakers, and CT monitoring systems expand what’s possible on the service side.
Remote diagnostics.
Faster troubleshooting.
More visibility into system performance.
That creates room for ongoing service work and stronger customer relationships.
What the Next Generation of Contractors Is Starting to Do
You can see the shift happening.
More contractors are paying attention to how their business operates.
More questions around systems and structure.
More focus on long-term growth.
Some will build real companies. Some won’t.
The separation is already happening.
Final Thought
We appreciate Leviton for putting this together and creating a space for these conversations.
Contractors are working. The demand is there.
Structure, tracking, and direction decide what gets built over time.
If You’re Serious About Building Something Real
If you want a clear business plan…
If you want accountability in your numbers…
If you want to know where your company is actually going…
Dont wait, Reach out.
