Built To Run by Mike Vidan

The Book Every Contractor Wished Existed

Most business books are written by people who have never run a crew, never chased down an invoice, and never stared at a bank account that didn't match the work they put in that week.

Built to Run is different.

Mike Vidan spent 25 years building service businesses from the ground up — starting with a $24,000 pressure washing company he bought on a gut feeling and a mentor's advice, growing it to near seven figures, and eventually using the systems he built to co-found QuoteIQ, a CRM now used by thousands of contractors across more than 20 industries.

Everything in this book came from that journey. Not theory. Not consulting from the sidelines. The actual wins, the actual mistakes, and the hard lessons that nobody teaches you when you're starting out.

Built To Run - Mike Vidan

What made him write it

Vidan watched the coaching and mentorship space in the trades get overrun with people selling information they'd never actually tested. Courses from guys who had never hired an employee. Books from people who had never dealt with payroll. Social media feeds full of performance and very little substance.

He'd already given away two books — Marketing Domination and The Service Business Bible — because his goal was never to sell content. It was to give contractors something real they could actually use.

Built to Run is the most complete thing he's ever put together. And it's free.

What's inside

Twenty-two chapters covering the full picture of what it takes to build a service business that actually works.

The early chapters deal with the fundamentals — finding your market, building a brand worth remembering, crafting a message that converts, and selling value instead of competing on price. These are the things that separate contractors who grow from the ones who stay stuck, and Vidan writes about them the way he talks — direct, specific, no fluff.

The middle section covers the digital tools that define visibility in 2026. Google Business Profile. Short-form video. Review automation. AI tools. CRM systems. Online booking. Paid advertising. Each one explained practically by someone who actually uses them.

The back half is where the book earns its subtitle. Pricing psychology — including the real reason most contractors undercharge and a one-week exercise that exposes exactly how much margin they're leaving behind. Hiring — the full process Vidan uses, including a story about a management hire that cost him time, money, and a lesson he never forgot. Finance — what it actually means when the trucks are busy but the bank account is quiet. Seasonal revenue — how to solve the Q4 Collapse before it wrecks another year. The mindset shift from doing the work to building the business that does it.

Every chapter ends with clear takeaways and one action item.

Who it's for

Contractors in pressure washing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, lawn care, pest control, painting, and every other home service trade.

Whether you're just starting out or you've been in business for years and can't figure out why you're not getting ahead — this book was written for you.

It's free

No catch. No funnel. No upsell waiting at the end.

Just the most honest, practical, experience-backed guide to building a service business that Mike Vidan has ever put together.

Available now at mikevidan.com.