Built to take on more.
How AGC Electrical NSW put the systems, workflows and operating structure in place to support 4.43× year-on-year revenue growth.
Client
AGC Electrical NSW
Industry
Electrical services
Location
Sydney, NSW
Founder
Andrew Coulter
Founded
2005
Engagement
Project: Operations foundation redesign
4.43x Year-on-year revenue growth, from $545k to $2.4mil
45 → 214: Jobs completed per month, from February 2025 to February 2026.
The Challenge
The founder had become the operating system.
Andrew could see more work and more people coming. But processes still lived largely in his head, ServiceM8 was underused, and there was no built structure ready for the Admin/Operations Lead he needed to hire.
“We did have ServiceM8 available, but it was not being utilised. We didn’t have the training or understanding of the full capacity to which it could serve.”
Andrew Coulter | Managing Director
01 Key workflows and operating knowledge relied on Andrew.
02 ServiceM8 was available, but not configured around how AGC needed to work.
03 Head office and field operations were not sufficiently connected.
WHAT AGC RECOGNISED
Hiring into the existing way of working would not remove the dependence.
Before adding capacity, AGC needed to make its knowledge transferable, configure its technology properly and create a visible way for the team to run the work.
THE INITIAL REQUEST
''Bring in an Admin/Operations Lead.''
THE REAL OPERATIONAL NEED
Build the structure that would allow the new role - and the wider team -to succeed.
The Approach
One operational foundation. Five connected workstreams.
Empire Ops worked alongside AGC to turn Andrew’s vision and operating knowledge into systems the team could see, learn and improve.
01
Workflow blueprint
02
ServiceM8 optimisation
03
SOPs and documentation
04
Hiring infrastructure
05
Training and iteration
CHALLENGES ALONG THE WAY
Built while the business kept moving.
Transferring founder knowledge
Important detail had to be drawn out of Andrew, structured and converted into a form other people could use.
Embedding a new role
The Admin/Operations Lead needed training and support while the new operating structure was being put into practice.
Managing the transition
This was not instant freedom. Andrew continued carrying sales, training and delivery demands while the new capability bedded down.
The structure met its first real test: a new operational leader.
In May 2025, AGC’s new Admin/Operations Lead entered a business with a visible workflow, configured technology and documented operating knowledge, not a blank page.
Empire Ops stayed involved through training and early iteration so the structure could be tested and improved in real work.
“The blueprint created a structure so we could onboard an admin operations lead… so we could actually work together along the path that was constructed with some purpose.”
Andrew Coulter – Managing Director
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
The business grew and the operating foundation grew with it.
Measure
Before
After
Change
Revenue, Jul–Feb
$0.545 mil
$2.416 mil
4.43x
Monthly revenue, February
$56k
$190k
3.35x
Gross margin, February
-7.68%
30.42%
+38.1pp
Jobs completed, February
45
Approx. $50k
4.75x
Average monthly jobs, Jul–Feb
36
122
Stronger contract readiness
The clearest proof came from the team using the system.
Less founder dependence
“Andrew is now able to step away from the business where required and the team still functions.”
Lucy Johnson | General Manager
System carries communication
“Calls happen less frequently because the system carries it.”
Lucy Johnson | General Manager
More confident decisions
AGC secured warehouse space and hired a Team Supervisor, with better visibility of how the business could scale.
Could one of your workflows be redesigned the same way?
You don’t need to know the solution. Bring us the work that feels too manual, fragile or dependent on one person, and we’ll help you work out what should change.
The BUsiness Today
From knowledge in one head to an operating structure the team can build on.
AGC now has stronger systems, clearer data and senior operational capacity around the founder. The work is still evolving—but the next phase is being built on a foundation already tested through significant growth.
Admin/Operations Lead onboarded
Team Supervisor added
Warehouse space secured
Head office and field workflows better connected
Ongoing process and margin improvement
What's making your business harder to run?
Complete the Start Founder Navigator™ in around 10 minutes and receive an immediate snapshot of what may be keeping you too involved in your business.
Already know where you need help? Book a conversation.