7 Steps to Scale Your Construction Business Past $10M
Hitting the $10M mark in construction isn’t about landing one big project—it’s about having the right capital plan in place. If you’ve ever felt stuck, watching opportunities slip by because you didn’t have cash or equipment ready, you’re not alone. Many contractors assume that securing funding is a one-time fix. In reality, without a structured funding approach, extra money can create more stress than solutions. Brasfort*, a construction firm we partnered with, faced this exact challenge. They wanted fast growth—but growing without a plan can easily overwhelm a business. Over 3.5 years, they carefully deployed nearly $5 million across ten strategic funding phases, each aligned with a specific operational goal. The payoff? Revenue doubled, margins improved, equipment ownership increased, and operational control stayed firmly in their hands. In this article, you’ll discover 7 actionable steps to organize funding like Brasfort, helping your construction business surpass $10M while maintaining ownership, control, and clarity. Step 1: Take a Clear Look at Your Current Capital Before pursuing more funding, you need to know exactly where you stand financially. Consider: How much debt is already on the books? Which assets are leased, and which are owned? Where are your cash flow gaps in the short and long term? Why it matters: Without understanding your starting point, you risk borrowing money that doesn’t solve the right problem. Brasfort documented every asset, liability, and project expense, giving us a clear foundation for planning future rounds. Actionable Steps: List all current assets and liabilities. Highlight recurring cash shortfalls. Rank funding priorities based on impact and urgency. Step 2: Plan Funding in Phases Rather than seeking a single large loan, split funding into phases tied to operational objectives. Brasfort implemented 10 rounds of Cash Flow Financing, each supporting equipment, projects, or internal systems. Benefits of phased funding: Limits the risk of over-borrowing Ensures capital supports real operational needs Makes business growth predictable and repeatable How to start: Identify 3–5 growth objectives for the next 1–3 years. Assign a dedicated funding round to each objective. Align repayment schedules with project timelines. Step 3: Focus on Cash Flow, Not One-Off Jobs Funding is most effective when it’s strategically planned, not just reactive. Many companies borrow only when a big project arises, which creates stop-and-go growth. Brasfort’s approach: Rolling Cash Flow Financing allowed them to be ready for projects at any time No downtime between jobs, fewer missed opportunities How to apply this: Maintain a 3–6 month funding reserve Keep a buffer for equipment and unexpected project needs Avoid using borrowed money for unrelated expenses Step 4: Use Term Loans for Long-Term Improvements Short-term loans solve immediate problems—but strategic, long-term growth requires deliberate investment. Brasfort used a Term Loan to strengthen internal systems, making operations scalable. Actionable Steps: Identify gaps in core operations (project management, finance systems, HR, ERP) Estimate how much capital is needed to address each Invest in solutions that improve efficiency and sustainability, not just revenue Step 5: Keep Ownership at the Center Growth shouldn’t mean losing control of your business. Brasfort structured each round so funding supported operations without diluting ownership. Tips to maintain control: Use debt rather than equity for operational funding Align borrowing with cash flow, not convenience Set clear repayment plans to avoid surprises Step 6: Track Outcomes and Adjust Every funding phase should have measurable goals. Brasfort tracked: Revenue growth Margin improvement Equipment ownership Strength of internal systems Actionable Steps: Assign KPIs to each funding round Conduct monthly or quarterly reviews Adjust future funding based on results, not assumptions Step 7: Make Funding a Repeatable Practice Sustainable growth comes from turning funding into a predictable, repeatable process. Brasfort’s phased plan became a blueprint for consistent, scalable expansion. How to implement: Document every funding round and its purpose Create standard procedures for evaluation and approval Share lessons internally to improve future planning Conclusion Scaling a construction business past $10M is less about chasing every job and more about structuring capital strategically. Brasfort’s success proves: Multi-phase funding reduces risk and supports sustainable growth Aligning funding with operational goals strengthens ownership and control Documented processes make borrowing repeatable and predictable Provocative Question: Which area—capital, operations, or ownership—is holding your construction business back from $10M? Ready to build a capital strategy that fuels growth? Refer a client to National Business Capital Partner Michael Fieger today and help them scale with confidence.
Strong Revenue but No Cash? How Advisors Solve Payroll Problems
Ever Had a Client Who Looks Great on Paper- but Is Scrambling to Make Payroll? Quick summary: Some businesses look successful on paper but still struggle to pay employees. This happens when cash flow can’t keep up with growth. Smart advisors help clients spot these gaps early and use flexible funding to stay stable. This happens more often than most people think. A business can look very successful from the outside. Sales are high. Revenue is growing. Reports look strong. But behind the scenes, the owner is worried. Cash is tight. Payroll is stressful. Bills are piling up. If you’re a CPA or business advisor, you’ve likely seen this before. Let’s break it down in a simple way — why this happens, why banks often don’t help, and what smart advisors do instead. Revenue and Cash Flow Are Not the Same This is the biggest misunderstanding in business. Revenue is how much money a business earns. Cash flow is how much money is actually available right now. A business can make a lot of money on paper but still struggle to pay employees. Why? Because cash can get stuck. Common Reasons Cash Flow Gets Tight Even healthy businesses can run into cash problems because of: Customers who pay late Seasonal ups and downs Hiring new employees too fast Buying equipment or inventory Growing faster than cash can support Payroll doesn’t wait. Rent doesn’t wait. Vendors don’t wait. A Real Example From a CPA Partner A CPA reached out last month about a client. The business was doing record sales. But cash flow was still negative. Customers were slow to pay. Growth costs were adding up. Payroll was becoming stressful. The numbers looked fine. The stress was very real. Why Banks Often Don’t Help in Time When cash flow is tight, banks are usually slow. They often require: A lot of paperwork Strong credit history Long approval times By the time a bank gives an answer, payroll is already due. That delay can hurt the business. A Better Option: Flexible Business Funding Instead of sending the client to a bank, we focused on speed and flexibility. The goal was simple: Cover payroll Keep the business running Give customers time to pay their invoices Reduce stress for the owner The funding helped bridge the gap. Employees were paid. The business stayed open. Why This Matters for Advisors Business owners don’t just want reports. They want peace of mind. Advisors who help protect cash flow: Build trust Strengthen relationships Become long-term partners Helping a client survive a tough moment matters more than any spreadsheet. Simple Questions Advisors Should Ask These questions can reveal problems early: Do you always have enough cash for payroll? What happens if customers pay late? How many weeks could you operate if cash slowed down? Do you have a backup plan for cash flow gaps? Simple questions can prevent big problems. The Bottom Line Growth is exciting. But growth without cash can be dangerous. Cash flow keeps businesses alive. Advisors who help clients stay liquid, calm, and prepared become trusted partners — not just service providers. So here’s the big question: When cash flow gaps show up, what’s your go-to move? What This Means for You If you work with business owners, cash flow issues will come up — even when revenue looks strong. Having a plan before payroll stress hits can: Protect your client Reduce panic decisions Strengthen long-term trust If you’re an advisor who wants a faster, simpler way to help clients bridge cash flow gaps, flexible funding options can make a real difference. Ready to build a capital strategy that fuels growth? Refer a client to National Business Capital Partner Michael Fieger today and help them scale with confidence.
How Bravo Foods Grew Despite Bank Resistance: Flexible Funding in Action
Quick summary: Sometimes a business looks risky on paper but has real opportunities. Bravo Foods, a 13-year family-run food manufacturer, faced bank resistance even as they secured major airline contracts. By looking beyond the numbers, flexible funding helped them scale fast and capture growth. The Client Bravo Foods is a family-run food manufacturing business with 13 years of experience. They work in a highly regulated, competitive space and have built strong relationships with major airlines, including American Airlines. The Opportunity Bravo Foods won a big contract to supply thousands of meals to United Airlines. They were already supplying American Airlines, so the growth potential was huge—but the timeline was tight. To meet demand, the company needed money to: Hire additional staff Increase inventory Meet strict food safety and compliance requirements Time was critical. Waiting wasn’t an option. The Challenge Even with strong fundamentals, banks were hesitant. Recent financial statements showed losses Banks focused on historical numbers, ignoring future revenue potential Lenders paused, leaving Bravo Foods without the capital needed to act For a fast-moving opportunity, delays could mean losing the contract. Our Approach At National Business Capital, we don’t just look at one snapshot. We dug into the details and found what truly mattered: High-credit borrower Strong receivables tied to airline contracts Proven industry relationships in a specialized, high-growth sector Instead of letting past losses dictate the outcome, we focused on potential and cash flow projections. The Outcome Funding was secured quickly, allowing Bravo Foods to: Scale operations to meet airline demand Execute new contracts with confidence Strengthen its position in a specialized food manufacturing niche The projected result? A 50% increase in revenue and a clear runway for continued growth. Why National Business Capital We treat your business as more than a line on a balance sheet. When others see past losses, we see potential When fundamentals are strong, we find ways to make growth happen If your business faces bank resistance but has a real opportunity, we help you move fast Ready to build a capital strategy that fuels growth? Refer a client to National Business Capital Partner Michael Fieger today and help them scale with confidence.