Running a home service business is a balancing act between speed and precision, growth and focus, grit and systems. In this episode of the OWNR OPS Podcast, I sit down with Hardy Farrow, CEO of Longacre Company, to unpack how he approaches scaling a 100+ year old business while keeping his entrepreneurial edge. Hardy shares why perfection slows momentum, how to prioritize the right problems at the right time, and why recruiting the right people matters more than almost anything else. This conversation also dives into marketing funnels, customer reviews, cross-selling strategies, and the discipline of saying no to the wrong opportunities. Hardy’s insights offer a practical playbook for owners who want to build smarter, faster, and stronger.
Why Perfection Kills Momentum
Hardy Farrow has a simple philosophy: aim for 85% execution and move on. In his experience, perfecting systems too early slows growth. That last 15% can take months, while competitors keep selling and scaling. He stresses that early in a business, owners need to get recruiting, accounting, and operations to a “good enough” level and then redirect their focus. Specialists can refine those systems later.
The Power of Sequencing
Hardy no longer tries to fix everything at once. Instead, he identifies one constraint to focus on each quarter and accepts that other parts of the business may only be running at “good enough.”
Example:
- Rather than obsessing over moving his booking rate from 82% to 85%, he recognized that securing more vehicles was a bigger unlock.
- Sequencing has helped him maintain momentum while avoiding burnout.
Recruiting Like It’s the Fourth Quarter
Recruiting is one of Hardy’s strongest skills, honed from his years with Teach For America and later at Google. He looks for two traits above all: drive and curiosity. Drive, or “motor” as he calls it, is something you can’t teach. Curiosity ensures that new hires are able to troubleshoot and adapt when they inevitably face challenges.
His recruiting style is fast and personal:
- Source candidates on Indeed.
- Reach out directly via social media, text, or phone.
- Use attention-grabbing messages (e.g., “We’re the anti–private equity company.”)
- Move quickly to phone screens and in-person interviews.
Zero-to-One vs. One-to-Ten
Hardy distinguishes between the entrepreneur who thrives in the zero-to-one phase versus the one-to-ten phase.
- Zero-to-one: chaos, grit, hustle, do-whatever-it-takes energy.
- One-to-ten: systems, communication, manager selection.
Entrepreneurs should know their bias and hire to balance it.
Residential vs. Commercial
Hardy has steered Long Acre more toward residential services. Residential businesses are driven by volume, speed, and measurable marketing funnels. Commercial accounts, on the other hand, are fewer in number and highly dependent on relationships. Losing even one major account can devastate a quarter. Residential service work offers more predictable margins and faster cash flow, even if commercial checks look larger on the surface.
Reviews: The Growth Engine
Reviews are critical to growth, and Hardy has learned that personal touches make a big difference:
- Automated requests often fall flat.
- Personalized review requests convert better.
- Adding technician bios and photos humanizes the business.
Cross-Selling Divisions
With multiple service lines—plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and remodeling—Hardy treats each division as its own funnel. Still, he sees natural upsell opportunities:
- Plumbing customers often turn into bathroom remodel customers.
- HVAC customers rarely cross into remodels.
To capture more lifetime value, Long Acre invests in retargeting past customers with service-specific offers.
Knowing When to Say No
One of the hardest disciplines Hardy has developed is saying no to opportunities that don’t align with the company’s focus. Big construction jobs, for example, can bring in large checks but create cash flow headaches and operational complexity. By shrinking or even dropping distracting lines of business, he has kept Long Acre focused on its most profitable and sustainable areas of growth.
Hardy’s Weekly Sprint Planning
Hardy keeps himself on track through sprint planning:
- Maintain a backlog of tasks with estimated hours.
- Build a weekly sprint plan that fits available capacity.
- Dedicate 70% of time to two major priorities and 30% to admin.
- Push anything else back to the backlog.
This method prevents him from chasing every new idea and ensures steady progress.
Location as a Growth Multiplier
Location can matter more than clever advertising:
- Median home values affect remodeling demand.
- Home ages predict plumbing and HVAC needs.
- Customers are often loyal to brands within 10–15 miles.
By paying attention to these factors, Long Acre targets zip codes strategically instead of scattering marketing dollars.
Tech That Delights Customers
Technology plays a big role in Hardy’s customer experience strategy. ServiceTitan has standardized operations, though it took six months of commitment before it “hummed.” For remodeling, Hardy’s team uses AI tools to create live mockups of dream kitchens and bathrooms, showing customers what their space could look like. These small touches create moments of delight and help close deals.
The Owner’s Playbook
Hardy’s advice to owners boils down to a few guiding principles:
- Pick one constraint to focus on at a time.
- Stop at 85% completion and delegate the rest.
- Run recruiting sprints to close talent gaps quickly.
- Add personal touches to review requests.
- Be intentional about cross-selling and disciplined about saying no.
Hardy compares entrepreneurship to peeling an onion—each solved problem reveals new layers beneath. The work never stops, but that’s the point. Stay curious, sequence wisely, and keep pushing forward without letting perfection hold you back.
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