If you’ve ever tried to learn the business side of things and ended up halfway through a YouTube video about EBITDA before rage-quitting and stress-eating a granola bar — you’re not alone.

Let’s be real: most of the business world is full of jargon. It feels like you need to learn a new language just to understand how to run a company. But here’s the truth:

You don’t need a business degree to run a solid, profitable, well-run service business.

You just need to understand the basics — and actually apply them.

Why Most Business Advice Sucks

Most of it is written by people who:

  • Have never worked in the trades
  • Have never run a service business
  • Think “workflow optimization” is a personality trait

If that stuff makes your eyes glaze over, you’re normal.

The Four Business Things That Actually Matter

There are only a few things you really need to wrap your head around to run your business well:

  1. Cash Flow — Know what’s coming in and what’s going out. If you’re broke on payday, this is why.

  2. Pricing — If you’re guessing, you’re probably undercharging. Know your costs and add margin. (Margin = That extra bit of money to charge so you can make moves later.)

  3. Communication — Clients want to know what’s happening. Keep them in the loop, even if the update is “we’re delayed but still alive.”

  4. Systems — Write stuff down. Make repeatable steps. Stop reinventing the wheel every job.

That’s it. If you nail those four, you’re doing better than most people with MBAs.

What You Can Ignore (For Now)

  • Corporate tax strategy
  • CRMs with 400 features
  • Multi-year business plans
  • “Personal branding” (unless you’re into that)

Seriously — your business isn’t a tech startup. You don’t need pitch decks and vision boards. You need a way to get work, do the work, and not lose your mind in the process.

Learn What You Need, When You Need It

One of the worst things you can do is try to learn everything before you start. Learn the next thing as it becomes relevant. That way, you’re applying it immediately — and it actually sticks.

Let Constromata Be Your Translator

One of the big reasons I started this thing is because I got sick of business advice that felt like homework. My goal is to take the useful stuff and explain it in a way that makes sense — even when you’re running on four hours of sleep and half a burrito.

If you’ve got a question and don’t know where to turn, ask. That’s what I’m here for.