The Breakthrough Academy (BTA) is a high-performance
   business education platform focused on providing
   contractors with tools needed to enjoy increased
   profits, better work-life balance, and the freedom
   to live the lives they always dreamed of.

   The BTA Program is based on dozens of years of
   experience running contracting companies and
   achieving proven results.

   Their concepts have both built successful franchise
   systems from scratch, and scaled small companies
   to multi-million dollar organizations.

They are experts at working with contractors and home service entrepreneurs, with all of their systems and processes tailored for application in the industry. They are currently working with 300+ entrepreneurs across the United States and Canada, collectively producing over $900 million in annual revenue. In 2020, they were ranked as Canada's 106th top growing company by The Globe and Mail's Report on Business, and Canada’s 16th fastest-growing startup by MacLean’s magazine in 2018.

The Breakthrough Academy works with entrepreneurs who are experts in their field and are serious about growing their businesses to the next level. The Breakthrough Academy helps trades and home service entrepreneurs like yourself develop the skills and processes necessary to increase profits and improve work-life balance, all without disrupting the day to day running of your business.

Visit our website.

6 Videos to Build the Ultimate Hiring Funnel  

This six-part video series is designed to give you the tools and insight you need to build an A-team. 

Let's be honest—hiring top talent is hard. Like crazy hard. Especially in construction and trade industries where contractors are dealing with factors out of their control like labor shortages, COVID fallout and an aging talent pool. While you can’t change the job market at current,
you can build a hiring funnel that helps you get the best hires
available.  

Whether you are a seasoned pro, or you just started your business this year, if you want to build your dream team this series is for you. Breakthrough Academy has pulled together some of the highest-performing contractors in the industry to guide you on how to build
your dream team. 

Episode 1

   (Ultimate Hiring Series 1/6) How to Build An Ideal
    Candidate Profile - Josianne Guadette

   Josianne Guadette runs Crew HR and over her extensive
   18-year career she's been involved in the hiring of over 600
   roles for her huge book of clients.

   Episode 1 covers how to make an Ideal Candidate Profile
   which is the primary building block for any hiring funnel.

   Think about it - you can't hire the right person if you
   don't know exactly what you're looking for in the first
   place.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• What an Ideal Candidate Profile is and why you don't want to post a job ad without one
• How to systematically establish deliverables and accountabilities on an Ideal Candidate Profile 
• Where personality traits fit in, and how to establish the the traits that will fit the role
• How to identify what a good job candidate looks like if you haven’t hired the position before
• What will likely happen if you don't create an Ideal Candidate Profile
• Examples from a real contractor’s Ideal Candidate Profile

Episode 2

(UHF Series 2/6) How to Write a Job Ad That A-Players
Apply To - Josianne Gaudette

Josianne Guadette runs Crew HR and over her extensive
18-year career she's been involved in the hiring of over 600 roles for her huge book of clients.

Episode 2 breaks down a super easy-to-follow framework that will have you writing compelling job postings that attract the best candidate. And don't worry, you don't
need to be a Wordsmith to do this.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• The difference between a job posting and a job description
• What needs to be in a headline to stand out in today’s competitive market
• How to write a job ad that gets a high performer excited to work at your company
• The 8 Part proven framework of a winning job ad
• The best way to visually lay out your job ad
• Some of the best and worst practises when creating job ads

Episode 3

   (UHF Series 3/6) Active Recruiting Tactics: Stop Waiting
   Around for Your Dream Hire - Asad Zaman

   Asad is the CEO of Sales Talent Agency, an international
   recruiting agency that has helped acquire talent for over
   1,500 companies including Harley Davidson, IBM,
   Salesforce, and Sonos. Episode 3 focuses on getting
   a large number of candidates in the door. Making a
   great hire is impossible if you don't have anyone good
   to choose from. This is why 90% of the hiring problem is
   fundamentally "Top of Funnel"...or in other words, how to
   write ads that attract a LOT of your ideal candidates.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• The three talent pools available to any entrepreneur and why most of us just barely tap into one 
• The way to think with "strategic empathy" and how placing yourself in the shoes of a candidate will lead to way better results
• Some specific ways you as an employer can stand out in a highly competitive market
• The best way to make a compelling offer to your target candidate
• The (incorrect) common belief systems that hold most contractors back
• How to integrate a talent acquisition mindset into your company culture

Episode 4

(UHF Series 4/6) Filter Out The Time Wasters with The Perfect Interview Set Up Call - Danny Kerr

Danny is the managing director at Breakthrough Academy,
a company that coaches over 450 Contracting Businesses
to implement efficient systems and allows the owners to step away from the day-to-day.

Episode 4 will show you how to prioritize and convert our best applicants into interviews. Stop wasting your time on the wrong candidates, or worse - being no-showed by your interviewees.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• The most efficient way to categorize, process and schedule applicants
• How to treat referral candidates vs outside applicants
• The best way to get people to open up on the phone so you get a better sense of who you’re really talking to
• The questions to ask to draw out their true motivations
• When to bring up ‘Deal Breaker’ questions 
• The best way to close out the call and transition to the next phase of the process

Episode 5

   (UHF Series 5/6) Interviewing Fundamentals With One of
   The Best In The Game - James Alisch

   James is at the helm of 1-800-Got-Junk, a brand doing 490
   million dollars a year in revenue and has done literally
   thousands of interviews to build power house teams. In
   Episode 5 we cover how to understand a candidate - not
   just in terms of what is on their resume, but their deep
   rooted wiring, personality style,strengths, weaknesses,
   core values, and their wants and needs for the future. Your
   growth potential as a business is directly related to how
   well you can team build, and interviewing is arguably the
   most crucial step in the whole process.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• The 3 things a good job interview should accomplish
• How to 'Peel back the onion' on a job applicant in the interview process to see their true character
• The way to interview for character traits and core values so you don’t have to fire them 3 months later
• The Interview Scoring Matrix and how to use it to evaluate an applicant's aptitude for the job
• How to manage your energy during the interview to come across as a strong leader
• The 'Beer & BBQ' test that an applicant should pass when you're interviewing

Episode 6

(UHF Series 6/6) Expectations Meetings: How Drawing the Line Early Breeds Success - James Dale

James is the Director of Training and Development at Breakthrough Academy who trains over 450 contractors. He's hired and conducted expectations meetings for 100's
of staff all the way from laborers to executives. One thing that a lot of contractors struggle with is holding people accountable. Employees make up their own expectations, standards slip, and your frustrations mount. The expectations meeting solves this by clearly articulating
the standards at the precise moment when your new employee is the most malleable.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• What's the Job Offer Call and why do you need to conduct one?
• How to get your candidate excited about the job they are about to start
• The best way to reinforce the positive attributes of a new hire while prepping them mentally for inevitable on-the-job coaching
• The prep you need to do BEFORE you go into an Expectations Meeting
• The 5 parts of the Expectations Meeting that allow a really strong start for any new employee
• How to come across as a strong leader a new hire can trust

Contractor Quick Tools Spotlight: Interview Guide

Filter Out Applicant Duds Using Proven Behavioral Science

Stop hiring people just because they have a heartbeat, a pair of steel toe boots, and you’re behind on work. Making quick hires today KILLS your ability to ever build a business that scales with an A-Player team. 

Our tool will save you 1000s of hours down the line by giving you:

• 10 character traits to look for that are proven to be present in high-performing team members 
• A behaviour-centric approach to interviewing that gives you insight into HOW the candidate will show up in the position, long before they step foot on site 
• An in-depth template that is 90% complete and you can start using today 

As if you need any other reason, this form is backed by behavioural science research and more than 3 decades of testing by 1000s of contractors. 

Get the INTERVIEW GUIDE tool by clicking the button below.

Make Your Interviews like a Great First Date, Leaving Ambitious Candidates Hungry for More!

Imagine an awkward first date with no prior conversation and no idea if you’re digging the other person in any way! Sorry to break it to you, but that’s what your interviews are like without a proper setup call… like a good old voice-to-voice phone conversation… that lasts 20 mins! 

It’s vital that you screen your candidates before an interview and get to know each other a bit, so you can sit down with great people who are excited to chat, and will actually show up.   

This tool squashes the awkward by: 

• Standardizing your setup call so you’re not guessing what to say to every new candidate 
• Bringing a little swagger to the call so you come across as confident and prepared, setting the tone for the new hire 
• Significantly reducing the chances of being no-showed at the interview and wasting your time 

Start getting excited about the candidates you interview… 

Get a copy of THE INTERVIEW SETUP CALL tool!

This Proven Job Post Format Attracts the Top Candidates You've Been Missing Out On

Recruiting is the biggest challenge facing the industry and everybody is talking about the ‘non-existent labor pool’ and ‘entitled workers,’ yadda, yadda, yadda. 

You’ve heard the complaints. There are always ‘A’ players looking for great opportunities; but most contractors have a brutal recruitment process – if they even have a process at all. 

USE THIS TOOL TO:

• Stop hiring employees that stress you out and cost you time, money, and your sanity 
• Figure out who you’re actually trying to recruit that will bring a solid ROI for the position (#IdealCandidate) 
• Build sexy job posts that appeal to competent candidates and repel the rest 
• Lay clear expectations so you won’t have to fight fires because of future confusion about responsibilities 

Recruiting is not - and should NEVER be - about guess-work. 

This tool will help you to get hyper-clear on who you want in your company and how to attract them. 

Get a FREE copy of the IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE & JOB POSTING tool!

Budget Tool

You got into business to make money, but where is the money? 

Imagine if you always knew your margins; every week, every month, every quarter! Time to quit holding your breath and waiting for your bookkeeper to tell you if you made money (#FinancialRoulette). You can’t manage what you don’t measure, so get your numbers ready… 

In this downloadable tool, we give you a budgeting template specifically designed for contractors. The proof is in the 40% average Net Profit increase seen by 100s of trades entrepreneurs already using it. 

In our bullet-proof budget you’ll get: 

• The evaluation system that takes contractors from uninspiring margins to healthy profits 
• A clear idea of what you should be tracking, and where to focus attention 
• The ability to plan a year in advance so you aren’t stuck wondering whether you have the money to make a new hire or buy a piece of equipment 

Get our FREE BUDGET TOOL and know where your money is going.

Contractor Quick Tools

Our Contractor Quick Tools are ready-made resources specifically developed to help you professionalize and systemize your company. Each tool includes simple directives to get you started, a complete example file to reference, and an editable template to start using immediately.

Learn more.

2 Contractors Share Their Systems For Taming The Chaos Of Daily Operations

We asked registrants their big questions about Standard Operating Procedures, then we aggregated them to shape our discussion with our panelists. From 450 registrants, these were the key themes that came out and the questions we went deep on to try and address as many as possible. Registrants Themes: Hiring (22%), System Setup (16%), Training/Culture (13%), Project Management (13%)

• Q1: Tell us your evolution story... What was the chaos that initiated change?
• Q2: What system implementations have most impacted your business?
• Q3 Everyone is asking about people - what are some recruiting, training, and retention wins?
• Q4: What impact have you seen based on recent operational changes?
• Q5: Final Thoughts: What is one action item you'd recommend for owners dealing with chaos?

Watch the replay.

Why BTA? 

Watch more videos.

Best Financial Strategies To Run A Profitable Contracting Business - Igor Trninic

Financials – the one word that can have even the most seasoned contracting leader running for the hills. But, sorry to break this to you, mastering a budget is such a bedrock skill for your entire career as a business owner. Business owners who have a strong and solid financial plan (and a well thought-through budget) are able to be more decisive and end up with financial freedom. Well, can't you just hand it over to your bookkeeper or accountant, and be done with it? Afraid not...if you want to grow and succeed long-term. It's really not as scary (or dry/yawn-inducing/grey hair encouraging) as it may seem.

So, where do you start? BTA's Igor Trninic to the rescue * cue superman music * In this episode of Contractor Evolution, Igor (our numbers whizz) breaks down what a solid financial plan looks like and the steps to get there. Basically, if you have Grade 8 math and you don't mind screwing up the first few times, you're already ahead of the game.

Watch the full episode and access free resources.

The Program 

1. Assessment

During a 2 hour complimentary assessment, a BTA Assessment Specialist will take the time to learn about you and your business. Together, you’ll go through the following:

1. Review your personal and professional goals
2. Assess the current state of your business
3. Analyze your biggest challenges and opportunities
4. Walk you through the BTA Program
5. Prescribe recommendations to get your contracting business to the next level
6. Decide together whether this journey is right for you

Upon acceptance into the program, a BTA Member Success Manager will ensure you have received the required preparation for the program and are ready to successfully start the next phase.

Apply here!

2. Blueprint

Every great structure starts with a goal and a well thought out plan. This is where we establish all the necessary components of your business and how they’ll interconnect to create that well-oiled machine you’ve always envisioned. With every part of your business focused on the same end goal, you’ll be on your way to sustainable profits and time to spare.

Throughout the 6 week Blueprint Phase, a world-class trades business expert will guide you through the 6 pillars that will restructure your business and drive you to success. You’ll gain a strong understanding of all the business skills and processes within the BTA Management System and become aware of the blind spots that have been holding you back. Then you’ll get clear on exactly what you need to do to implement each part of your plan into one kick ass system.

See the full blueprint outline.

3. Implementation 

With a ton of awesome ideas from your Blueprint, it’s time to methodically inject them into your business. This is 3 critical years of assembling each piece of your plan properly, measuring results along the way and adjusting for the reality of the day to day. There will be no guesswork and you won’t be reinventing the wheel, but you’ll need to be disciplined and patient with the process. Your coach and the BTA Community will be there for you the entire way, to ensure you’ve implemented an interconnected business system that finally pulls you out of the daily grind.

Check out more details about the program.

Customer Testimonials

• "BTA helped us gather focus in the right direction and showed us exactly what we needed to do in order to run our business. 

                    - Brandon Smith (NEW VISION PROJECTS)

• "BTA gave me the tools. They showed me that I can be profitable, they showed me that I can make money. Within the first year, I actually was profitable… after four years of not being profitable. That’s huge.

                    - Chris O’Donohue (GREAT CANADIAN LANDSCAPING)

• "BTA is more than just a program, it’s really a group and a network of great guys. You can read books and go to seminars, and that may stick with you for a week or a month. BTA is ongoing and it’s a team around you."

                    - Adam Krahn (QUARTERHORSE)

• "I dropped the tools a year ago, and now I’m fully in the office. We’ve doubled in sales, we’ve doubled in everything, because we can streamline things a lot easier and we could do so much more."

                    - Dan Crump (DMC CONTRACTING)

• "BTA helped us create a concrete foundation for our company by providing us with the knowledge and tools to take 505-Junk to new levels."

                    - Barry Hartman (505 JUNK)

• "Once we had a very clear strategic direction, that’s when everything really took off."

                    - Scott Foran (505 JUNK)

• "Don’t reinvent the wheel when you can drive on one already perfected. Following an already proven business model with gifted mentors overlooking your progress will save years of work trying to create/design a business and systems on your own. I know this program will help EXPLODE any business to the next level. I highly recommend Breakthrough Academy to anyone looking to build a truly world class business."

                    - Brad Lavigne (ECO PAVING)

Latest Promotions and Rebates

Contractor Quick Tools Spotlight: Interview Guide

Filter Out Applicant Duds Using Proven Behavioral Science Stop hiring people just because they have a heartbeat, a pair of steel toe boots, and you’re behind on work. Making quick hires today KILLS your ability to ever build a business that scales with an A-Player team. Our tool will save you ...
View Promotion

Make Your Interviews like a Great First Date, Leaving Ambitious Candidates Hungry for More!

Imagine an awkward first date with no prior conversation and no idea if you’re digging the other person in any way! Sorry to break it to you, but that’s what your interviews are like without a proper setup call… like a good old voice-to-voice phone conversation… that lasts 20 mins! ...
View Promotion

Ideal Candidate Profile & Job Posting Tool

Recruiting is the biggest challenge facing the industry and everybody is talking about the ‘non-existent labor pool’ and ‘entitled workers,’ yadda, yadda, yadda. You’ve heard the complaints. There are always ‘A’ players looking for great opportunities; but most contractors have a brutal recruitment process – if they even have a ...
View Promotion

eBooks

Contractor Quick Tools

Our Contractor Quick Tools are ready-made resources specifically developed to help you professionalize and systemize your company. Each tool includes simple directives to get you started, a complete example file to reference, and an editable template to start using immediately. Available Quick Tools: Ideal Candidate Profile Interview Setup Call Interview Guide Employement Agreements Training Checklist Budget Strategic ...
View eBook

Latest Podcasts

Danny Kerr - Contractors Guide: Building a Successful 2022 Strategic Business Plan

S4:E4 You won’t want to miss this information-packed podcast with CEO and founder of Breakthrough Academy, Danny Kerr. Listen to learn about the planning bullet points contractors should be thinking about when the new year rolls around. Danny and Heidi talk all things strategic planning, including what you need to look ...
Listen to the Podcast

Danny Kerr - Contractor Evolution, Get Ready to Evolve

S3:E31 Heidi J. Ellsworth virtually road trips to meet up with Danny Kerr co-founder of Breakthrough Academy. It is a celebration of their new show, Contractor Evolution. Danny shares information about this new multimedia show produced specifically for high-performing contractors who are focused on scaling up, working less, and ...
Listen to the Podcast

Breakthrough Academy Contractor Evolution Show Podcast Playlist

Breakthrough Academy presents Contractor Evolution. In this show we unpack the systems, tactics and skills you need to take your fast-growing contracting business to the next level. If you’re here to learn what it takes to scale up, work less, and increase profitability, you’ve come to the right place. Stay tuned to ...
Listen to the Podcast

Latest Webinars

BreakThrough Academy and BELDON Roofing

Who doesn’t need a coffee break? Join RoofersCoffeeShop for a coffee break every third Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m. PST. This month we were joined by Danny Kerr, CEO of BreakThrough Academy. Watch this Coffee Break to learn how up your recruiting game and how to target job ...
Watch the Webinar

2 Contractors Share Their Systems For Taming The Chaos Of Daily Operations

We asked registrants their big questions about Standard Operating Procedures, then we aggregated them to shape our discussion with our panelists. From 450 registrants, these were the key themes that came out and the questions we went deep on to try and address as many as possible. Registrants Themes: Hiring ...
Watch the Webinar

Own the Neighborhood

WATCH NOW Generating new leads from jobs you’re already doing is the quickest way to add significant revenue to your bottom line this summer. And the best part is: with the proven, repeatable marketing strategy you’re going to learn on this webinar, you’ll have everything you need to make it part of ...
Watch the Webinar

Latest Classifieds

Is it time to move your business to the next level?

Breakthrough Academy is looking for contractors who are ready to take their business to the next operational level. If you are a highly entrepreneurial business owner with a strong desire to grow, BTA training will help you better systemize your company while providing growth and leadership development for your ...
View the Classified

Latest Videos

Breakthrough Academy Ultimate Hiring Funnel Series

So look - it is no secret that hiring is hard. Like really hard. Especially in our construction and trade industries. Labor shortages are a real thing, and yes, perhaps Millennials and Gen Z’ers aren't as gritty as older Generations may have been. And also yes, the government has paid a ...
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Breakthrough Academy Contractor Evolution Show Video Playlist

Breakthrough Academy presents Contractor Evolution. In this show we unpack the systems, tactics and skills you need to take your fast-growing contracting business to the next level. If you’re here to learn what it takes to scale up, work less, and increase profitability, you’ve come to the right place. Stay tuned to ...
View Video

Breakthrough Academy Video Playlist - Contractor Quick Tools

To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, visit their Website or visit their RCS Directory. See more videos from Breakthrough Academy on their YouTube channel. Contractor Quick Tools Budget Tool Ideal Candidate Profile & Job Posting Tool Interview Setup Call Tool Interview Guide
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