
He Shut Down His Business. Then Started Again | Max Eagles
About this episode
Max Eagles, owner of X1 Plumbing, joins Jimmy Talks Construction to share how his first plumbing business failed—and what he changed before starting again.
In this episode, Max and James discuss:
- The difference between being a good plumber and running a profitable plumbing business
- Quoting a $40,000 job when the next price was approximately $70,000
- The apprentice mistake that flooded an entire basement
- Why verbal warnings were not enough during a Fair Work claim
- The risks of operating as a sole trader
- Calculating charge-out rates, overheads, efficiency and profit margins
- Whether taking lower-priced work is better than leaving employees at home
- Losing money on a job to protect an important client relationship
- Moving from residential maintenance into larger commercial plumbing work
- Rebuilding after failure and launching X1 Plumbing
- Hiring, leadership and maintaining company culture while growing
Subscribe to Jimmy Talks Construction for honest conversations with the people building Australia’s construction industry.
Connect with Max:
🌐 Website: https://www.x1plumb.com.au/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/x1plumb/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/X1-Plumb-61568419870480/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/x1-plumb-pty-ltd/?originalSubdomain=au
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-eagles-5248822a8/
Connect with Jimmy:
🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/
Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: [email protected]
Send in Business Problems: [email protected]
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