Part 5 Of 5: Ultimate Time Freedom

FREE CASE STUDY KIT: Reveals the ‘insider’ secrets of how our service-based business owners build businesses that grow, run, and scale without them.

Hi, I'm Eric Dahl, the creator of the Independent Business Method™.

Welcome to Part 5, the final installment of our 5-part series, The Independent Business Tell-All Interview.

Today, we’re featuring one of our Independent Business Builder community stars, Ed Waggoner, owner and founder of Empire Property Management.

This episode explores Ultimate Time Freedom: Scaling Your Business to Pursue Your Dreams.

Discover how Ed leveraged the Independent Business Method™ to unlock the freedom to focus on what truly matters while scaling his business to new heights.

The Truth About Growth

If you think you can grow your business to a certain point and then just “tread water,” you’re delusional.

The reality is simple: Your business is either growing or dying.

I'm Eric Dahl, owner of Dahl Integration Marketing and creator of the Independent Business Method™.

I help business owners build independent businesses that grow without them so they can:

✅ Achieve time freedom.

✅ Sell their business for top dollar.

✅ Pass it on to the next generation.

✅ Collect checks while exploring the world.

Today, there’s a new breed of business owner emerging. These are people who aren’t tied down by their business but instead hold complete control over it.

You, too, can become this new independent business owner.

What It Means to Be an Independent Business Builder

As Independent Business Builders:

✅ You’re not dependent on any one marketing or advertising strategy.

✅ You’re not reliant on any one employee or supplier.

✅ You’re not tied to government regulations or bank loans.

✅ You’re in control of your time and income.

Once your business can run without you, the journey isn’t over. The next step is to scale it. Scaling is not a one-time task—it’s a perpetual process that never stops.

Eric: Let’s define that: What does “scaling” really mean?

What Does Scaling Really Mean?

Scaling is more than just a buzzword—it’s about:

✅ Defining your vision for how big you want your business to be.

✅ Creating a specific plan to achieve that growth.

✅ Maintaining and adapting once you’ve reached your goal.

It’s different for every business. In our case, scaling is about setting clear goals, achieving them, and then creating new ones.

Eric: Ed, you’ve been busy implementing this process. You’ve even started new companies. Can you tell the viewers what you’ve been working on?

The Journey Beyond 9-to-5

Ed: Once you move your business from Grows Without You to Runs Without You, you’re done with the 9-to-5 grind. But you’re not done working.

You shift your focus to scaling.

I’m always looking ahead. What I’m about to share is a key part of my scaling process.

Identifying A New Opportunity

With my construction background, I saw a recurring problem:

✅ Vendors don’t want to take small repair jobs.

✅ Many lack the structure to handle quick, one-hour tasks.

✅ They don’t know how to bill for these jobs or make them profitable.

This created a gap in the market—and an opportunity.

Creating A Solution: Seven Hills Maintenance

I already had a construction company, Waggoner Construction LLC, but I realized it wasn’t suited for the property management industry’s repair needs.

So, I created Seven Hills Maintenance, a DBA focused specifically on property management repairs.

Here’s how I scaled it:

1. I started by pulling repair tasks out of Empire Property Management.

2. I made Seven Hills Maintenance a separate entity.

3. At first, we only handled repairs for Empire Property Management.

This allowed me to field-test the new company within my own business. I worked out the bugs, knowing I’d be a much more forgiving client than anyone else.

Testing and Expanding Seven Hills Maintenance

After working out the bugs internally, we spent about two years refining the process. Then, we decided to open Seven Hills Maintenance to other property management companies.

This expansion was a game-changer:

✅ Moving from just serving Empire Property Management to onboarding other companies doubled our workload overnight.

✅ While the growth was exciting, it brought new challenges that we needed to address.

Facing the Roadblocks

As soon as we started working with other management companies, we uncovered roadblocks that hadn’t surfaced before.

Why?

When testing within your own company, you’re often too forgiving, and some issues can be overlooked.

These external partnerships exposed areas for improvement, but every challenge was more of a speed bump than a major hurdle.

Scaling Seven Hills Maintenance

Today, Seven Hills Maintenance has been running successfully for several years.

We’ve applied the same three-phase system we used for Empire Property Management:

1. Grows Without You

2. Runs Without You

3. Scales Without You

We’re still in the “Runs Without You” phase for Seven Hills Maintenance, but the progress has been remarkable.

Recently, I compiled a one-hour ‘Tell All’ Interview Video, Audio, Transcript, Checklist, 3-part Video Series, Masterclass, and on-demand training valued at $297 into this FREE Independent Business Case Study Kit. 

It reveals the ‘insider’ secrets of how our offline and online business owners build businesses that grow, run, and scale without them, and I want you to have it.

You can access it for free right now by clicking HERE.

Over 24 years of managing properties, we’ve never had to evict a tenant we’ve chosen. This kind of success is practically unheard of in the industry.

While I hesitate to use the word “unprecedented”—thanks to its overuse during COVID—it’s the best way to describe what we’ve achieved.

Introducing Centurion Screening

Building on the success of Empire Property Management, I created a new entity: Centurion Screening.

Here’s what makes it unique:

✅ It focuses exclusively on screening tenant applications.

✅ For now, it only works with Empire Property Management to refine the process and work out any kinks.

Refining Centurion Screening

As we continued to build Centurion Screening, we worked through potential mistakes within the safety net of Empire Property Management.

Why?

When the screening company makes an error for your own business, you’re naturally more forgiving.

This past year has been all about:

✅ Working out the bugs

✅ Building a robust sales process

✅ Ensuring the system can grow without constant oversight

Scaling Without Being in the Trenches

Unlike the earlier days with Empire Property Management, where I had to build while "in the trenches," I’m now in a position to create from the outside looking in.

✅ With income already established, I can focus on system design and strategic growth.

✅ This approach ensures the company is prepared to scale without overwhelming itself or its systems.

At this point, Centurion Screening is nearly ready to hit the ground running.

In less than a month, we’ll begin onboarding new management companies—starting slow to refine operations as we grow.

The Beauty of the Independent Business Method™

The Independent Business Method™ simplifies and perfects the art of scaling:

✅ Start with your core business

✅ Isolate and refine a part of it

✅ Build a system to sell that segment to other customers

This process creates endless opportunities for business owners.

Unlocking New Opportunities

Eric: That’s the power of an independent business. Once your systems are in place, the possibilities for intellectual property are limitless.

📚 Write books

🎥 Develop courses

💡 Expand into other industries

Your creativity becomes your only limitation. The Independent Business Method opens doors that once seemed out of reach.

Ed: Trading time for money stifles creativity. Breaking free from that model unlocks a world of innovation.

Recently, I compiled a one-hour ‘Tell All’ Interview Video, Audio, Transcript, Checklist, 3-part Video Series, Masterclass, and on-demand training valued at $297 into this FREE Independent Business Case Study Kit. 

It reveals the ‘insider’ secrets of how our offline and online business owners build businesses that grow, run, and scale without them, and I want you to have it.

You can access it for free right now by clicking HERE.

Ed: I’ll admit, I don’t want to give Eric all the credit—I’ve done my share of the work—but having accountability and guidance is critical.

✅ You need a guide.

✅ You need accountability.

✅ And most importantly, you need a plan.

Without these, you’ll flounder, and that’s why so many small businesses fail.

Why Do 90% Of Businesses Fail?

Statistics show that 90% of small businesses fail within the first five years, and here’s why:

❌ No guide to navigate the challenges

❌ No accountability to drive progress

❌ No actionable plan for growth

Having a guide ensures you’re not just coasting. Accountability pushes you to show results, and a solid plan provides the roadmap to success.

The Value of Accountability Meetings

When working with the Independent Business Method™, accountability becomes non-negotiable.

Ed: "You don’t want to show up to a meeting without progress to report. It’s like showing up to show-and-tell without something to show."

Accountability isn’t just a box to check; it’s a motivator to keep pushing forward, even when challenges arise.

Recently, I compiled a one-hour ‘Tell All’ Interview Video, Audio, Transcript, Checklist, 3-part Video Series, Masterclass, and on-demand training valued at $297 into this FREE Independent Business Case Study Kit. 

It reveals the ‘insider’ secrets of how our offline and online business owners build businesses that grow, run, and scale without them, and I want you to have it.

You can access it for free right now by clicking HERE.

Thanks for joining us for Part 5, the final episode of our 5-part series, The Independent Business Tell-All Interview, featuring Ed Waggoner, owner and founder of Empire Property Management.

We uncovered Ultimate Time Freedom: Scaling Your Business To Pursue Your Dreams.

While this concludes our series, it’s just the beginning of your journey to building a business that grows, runs, and scales without you.

💡 Inspired by Ed’s story? Take the first step today by accessing your Free Independent Business Case Study Kit by clicking here.

Eric Dahl, Founder Of IndependentBusinessBuilder.com

Our mission is to empower you to take 1 year OFF, and your business STILL grows, runs, and scales without you!