A business worth more. One you’d want to keep.
Watchfire helps you build a more valuable company that depends less on you. We work with you and your leadership team to improve earnings, strengthen management and put more decisions in the right hands.
Every engagement starts with a valuation and a specific value target. Then we go earn it.
For owner-operators of construction, trades, manufacturing, distribution and field-service businesses, typically with $1 million to $5 million in annual EBITDA.
Thirty minutes with Joe Bennett. Bring the question that’s most pressing. No prep required.
When too much still comes back to you
The business is profitable. Your people work hard. Yet a customer issue, a staffing decision or a disagreement between departments still finds its way to your desk.
You may already have a leadership team and an operating system. The question is whether they can run the business without your constant involvement.
That dependence can limit the company’s performance, consume your attention and make a future transition harder. Watchfire helps you identify where it lives and work through the changes that matter most.
Improve the company you own today
The aim is a company with dependable earnings, managers who can make sound decisions and work that stays on track when you step away. You get more choice about whether to stay, step back or sell.
Stronger earnings: address the operating problems that cost you margin and track the results.
Management depth: help your leaders make sound decisions and give them the authority to act.
Less dependence: get critical knowledge out of your head and into the team, then test whether the business holds up without you.
We agree on what needs to change and review progress against the value target each quarter.
Work on the owner and the business together
Some business constraints require a better process. Others require a manager to grow into the role, or an owner to change how they make decisions and delegate. Often these changes need to happen together.
Joe works with you on the decisions and habits that keep the company dependent, with your team on how it leads, and on the operating system that supports both. Your internal leader owns implementation. Joe helps set priorities, work through obstacles and review the results.
Advice grounded in operating experience
Joe Bennett brings fifteen years as an owner-operator and has helped other operators put business operating systems into practice since 2014. His experience includes construction, logistics, franchisee training and leadership-team work.
He brings that experience to the decisions owners face every day: who’s ready for a bigger role, what needs to change, and how to make the change hold.
Craig Adams
Partner, Nautical Advisory Services
"Working with Joe has helped bring order to the chaos of running and growing a boutique investment bank. He's not just a facilitator, he's a strategic partner who helps us stay focused on what matters most, while building the systems and structure we need to grow with integrity.
Joe has a calm, clear style that works well with founders and leadership teams. He knows when to push, when to listen, and how to help a group move forward without losing sight of the bigger picture. If you're serious about building a business that's both effective and aligned, Joe is someone you want in your corner."
A partner for the business improvement work
When your client needs to strengthen the company before a handoff, succession or sale, Watchfire works with the owner and leadership team on the operating changes. We coordinate with their existing advisors, with the owner’s permission.