Business L.A.B. - Lets Ask Bill

In this episode of Blue Collar StartUp, Mike Nelson and Derek Foster welcome back Bill Tansey Jr. to break down what it really takes to build a business that can operate without its owner being involved in every daily decision. From getting the “trains running on time” to implementing org charts, escalation criteria, and documented processes, the conversation delivers practical guidance for trades business owners looking to scale sustainably. Check out our Blue Collar StartUp Patreon for exclusive bonus content! https://patreon.com/BlueCollarStartUp?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=copyLink Bill can be found on LinkedIn as William (Bill) Tansey Jr., or through his website at theopexshop.com. 0:00 Show introduction 0:25 Hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster introduce themselves 1:34 Year-end planning, goal setting, and why planning fuels growth 2:46 Sponsors, community impact, and giving back to the trades 5:18 Podcast milestones, episode output, and tools & tuition donations 6:31 Introducing Bill Tansey and the “Let’s Ask Bill” series 8:12 Vision boards, goal visibility, and staying focused all year 10:05 Today’s topic: building a business that can run without you 11:17 Hiring outside the friend circle and preparing for real growth 13:50 “Are the trains running on time?” explained 17:01 Cash cows, sustainable advantage, and the buggy whip analogy 18:59 Escalation criteria: critical vs. major vs. minor issues 22:19 When and how to use organizational charts correctly 26:36 Functional vs. cross-functional teams explained 29:20 Processes, business systems, and operations manuals 32:17 Why documented processes are required to scale 34:22 Biggest mistakes owners make when growing their business 37:04 Where to find Bill and closing remarks

In Episode 102 of Blue Collar Startup, hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster welcome back operational excellence expert Bill Tansey. Bill breaks down key pillars like daily operations, problem-solving, and the eight wastes, offering practical tools to eliminate inefficiency and ensure consistent execution in trades like construction and manufacturing. You can connect with Bill Tansey at theopexshop.com, [email protected], or on LinkedIn at William (Bill) Tansey Jr. Check out our Blue Collar StartUp Patreon for exclusive bonus content! https://patreon.com/BlueCollarStartUp?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=copyLink 00:00:15 Welcome to Blue Collar Startup 00:00:29 Hosts introduce themselves 00:01:15 Hunting season talk 00:02:08 Sponsor shoutouts 00:02:48 Patreon announcement 00:03:07 Introducing guest Bill Tansey 00:04:02 What The Op Shop does 00:05:41 Hands-on vs. traditional consulting 00:08:14 Bill's career background 00:10:48 Companies worked for (Boston Scientific, Danaher, GE) 00:14:28 Five pillars of operational excellence 00:18:30 Biggest challenges in midsize businesses 00:21:22 Overcoming challenges with value stream mapping 00:23:37 The eight wastes explained 00:27:46 Applicability across industries 00:30:20 Signs to reach out for help 00:33:09 How to contact Bill 00:34:22 Episode wrap-up and sponsors 00:35:03 Closing remarks