Episode 269

20 hours ago
2 min read

4/9/26

Topic: Q1 Wrap: A Cooling Economy or Just a Cold Winter?

Guests: Dan Gordon, CPA & Donnie Shelton

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In this episode we discuss:

Our sponsors Coalmarch by Workwave, PestSure, Voice for Pest & Forshaw
PMP Industry Insiders Peer Groups
How consumers remain active but are becoming more discerning and skeptical with their spending
The PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists/William Blair Pest Index, noting that while the industry is outgrowing the general economy by 2x, growth has slowed slightly compared to long-term averages
How rising oil prices affect both direct operating costs and consumer perception
Whether raising prices now is the right move and why Donnie is squeamish about it
Advice for business owners during uncertain times:
- Keep routes tight
- Consider pre-buying inventory where possible
- Prioritize strong customer relationships
How AI has caused digital marketing to get more expensive and more sophisticated
Whether the industry is recession-resistant in the current climate
How climbing mortgage rates discourage housing market movement, which shifts industry focus from new move-in inspections to "protecting the home" and "curb appeal"
AI's impact on web traffic and the importance of getting back to the basics on your website
AI Max, Google's platform for targeting ads
What to think about as consumers become more discerning
Introducing the BS Meter: Dan & Donnie identify a common industry best practice that hurts your P&L
This week's BS Meter: The standard annual 3% price increase
What to do instead: Review dollars per hour for every account and raise insufficient accounts accordingly to achieve a target

Notable: "People are still buying. They're just more skeptical and they're more selective ... (You're) really going to have to pay attention to sales and really going to have to pay attention to value because it's going to make the consumer more discerning. The easy sales are going to dry up." —Donnie Shelton