Welcome to Your Asset Plan
LET’S GET STARTED
How to use your
Asset Plan
This is your personalized command center for building your business as an asset—so it can generate wealth, give you time back, and support your life.
Inside, you’ll find your diagnostics, tailored priorities, and a clear, actionable plan to step fully into ownership.
1️⃣ Watch the walkthrough video.
2️⃣ Move through each section at your pace.
3️⃣ Note questions and reflections for your follow-up call.
4️⃣ Take aligned action. This plan is built to move you forward.
Your CEO Snapshot
Where you are now, where you’re headed, and what’s standing in the way
This section captures your current business stage, your goals, and your key challenges—so your Asset Plan is built around your real priorities.
Watch the overview video below which reviews your entire Asset Plan in detail. This is the “meat and potatoes” of your Asset Plan, so don’t skip it!
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Right now, you’re in full operator mode. You’re hands-on with every part of the business from collecting and splitting wood to managing kilns, handling orders, and running deliveries. Essentially, you’re both the CEO and the entire labor force, clocking long days in the yard and on the road.
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Port City Firewood is in the early growth stage, you’ve proven demand, built a strong reputation for quality, and established steady local sales. But the business is still heavily dependent on you, with limited systems and infrastructure to support scale. You’ve hit the point where bigger growth opportunities (B2B contracts, land acquisition, mechanization) are within reach, but bottlenecked until cash flow and systems catch up.
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You’ve built a stellar reputation with 5-star reviews and repeat customers — proof that your product is top-notch and people trust you.
You’ve carved out a clear differentiator with kiln-dried, restaurant-grade firewood, and the veteran-owned story is another asset that builds connection and trust locally.
You’ve already proven resilience and vision: starting lean, hustling on Instagram and word-of-mouth, and still managing to rank #2 on Google in Wilmington without major ad spend.
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You’re stuck in the “catch 22” — you need a team to grow revenue, but need more revenue to afford a team.
Lack of financial visibility and structure makes it hard to pursue loans or plan confidently for the future.
Without a processor or land, you’re maxed out on production capacity and can’t easily step away from daily labor.
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For you, success looks like freedom from debt, owning multiple sites for firewood distribution across NC/VA, and having recycling/intake from tree services integrated into your model. Personally, freedom means being able to step back from the day-to-day grind so you can lead the business, not just work in it.
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You’re shifting from being the Operator & Improvisor — running everything by hand, figuring it out as you go — to becoming the Strategic Owner who leads a systemized, scalable business that runs beyond you.
Performance Dashboard
There’s power in the data
Watch the video breakdown of your personalized Performance Dashboard, which covers data-backed scorecards across:
We assess the health of your business across four critical pillars:
Profitability (Is the revenue working for you?)
Brand Strength (Is your brand communicating clearly and converting?)
Marketing ROI (Is your visibility translating to growth?)
CEO Role (Are you working in your business—or leading it?)
Your Business, Diagnosed
What’s working, what’s lagging, and what’s ready for transformation
We’ve assessed your business across the 5 Pillars of the Asset Ecosystem™, using a clear color indicator:
🟩 Green: On track
🟨 Yellow: Needs attention
🟥 Red: Immediate focus area
Click into each pillar to see your findings and targeted recommendations.
Owner Mindset
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Owner’s Mindset is about shifting from “I do everything” to “I lead everything.” When your role, time, and energy are aligned with your long-term goals, you can step out of the weeds and focus on growth. For you, Jesse, this matters because right now Port City Firewood only moves when you’re moving. Until your mindset shifts into that of an owner, you’ll stay capped on both revenue and freedom.
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You’re running in full operator mode, responsible for every stage of the business — collection, cutting, kiln management, delivery, and customer management. You’ve got the vision for expansion across NC/VA and even into new streams like recycling and slabs, but the current reality is you don’t yet have the systems, people, or structure to pull yourself out of day-to-day labor.
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You’re ambitious and motivated, with a clear vision of growing distribution statewide.
You know the “catch 22” you’re in: you need more cash flow to hire help, but you need help to unlock the next level of cash flow.
Because you’re on-site daily, you don’t have the space to sell more, market more, or build partnerships that could double or triple your reach.
You’ve expressed a willingness to delegate, but you don’t yet have the resources or infrastructure in place.
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Start Small with Delegation: Hire part-time or seasonal help consistently (not just when overwhelmed). Even a 10–15 hour/week helper frees you to focus on sales and relationship-building.
Block CEO Time Weekly: Reserve at least half a day each week away from operations — use this time for planning, financial review, or building B2B partnerships. Protecting this time builds the habit of stepping into the owner role.
Map Your Ideal Role: Write down what you want your role to look like in 1–2 years (ex: leading contracts, strategic relationships, not splitting wood daily). Use this as your guide for what to delegate first.
Invest in Mechanization Early: A firewood processor is essentially “hiring” a machine. It’s a mindset shift too — replacing your physical labor with scalable production capacity.
Shift to Long-Term Thinking: Start treating every decision through the lens of “does this make me more of an owner or more of an operator?” That filter alone will help you make sharper choices.
Brand & Market Clarity
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Brand & Market Clarity is about owning your space in the market. It’s not just about having a good product — it’s about clearly showing why your business is the obvious choice, and making it easy for ideal customers to find and trust you. For you, Jesse, this matters because your firewood is already top quality, but right now the brand isn’t doing enough of the heavy lifting to attract and convert customers consistently.
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You’ve built a strong reputation locally — #2 on Google for Wilmington firewood delivery, all 5-star reviews, and clear differentiation with kiln-dried, restaurant-grade firewood. You also have the “veteran-owned” story, which is powerful in a local market like Wilmington. But you don’t yet have a professional website, and your main presence is Instagram and word-of-mouth. Marketing ROI is unclear, and right now your brand reputation relies heavily on personal relationships and hustle rather than a scalable demand engine.
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You’ve naturally differentiated yourself with quality — “clean, dry, ready-to-burn wood” and consistency matter to both restaurants and homeowners.
Competitors with websites and more polished branding can look more credible at first glance, even if their product isn’t better.
Right now, customers only have one way to reach you (phone or IG DMs), which can limit more professional buyers like restaurants or larger-scale homeowners.
You’re missing the story behind your brand — not just what you sell, but why Port City Firewood is the most trustworthy and reliable option in NC/VA.
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Launch a Simple Website: Even a one-page site with your story (veteran-owned, quality-first), your offers/pricing, reviews, and a contact form will instantly increase credibility and make you competitive with larger players.
Craft a Clear Positioning Statement: Lean into “Restaurant-grade firewood. Veteran-owned. Delivered clean and ready to burn.” This creates instant clarity for both B2B and residential buyers.
Expand Your Customer Touchpoints: Add brochures or one-sheeters you can leave with restaurants, BBQ food trucks, or homeowners. Position this as solving problems they face (unreliable supply, inconsistent burn quality, hassle of DIY).
Leverage the Veteran-Owned Angle: Feature this prominently in marketing — it builds trust and resonates strongly with your local audience. Consider outreach to veteran-owned business directories and communities.
Build Out Reviews + Testimonials: Proactively ask satisfied customers (especially restaurants) for short written or video testimonials. Social proof builds authority and makes your brand more “known.”
Revenue Architecture
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Revenue Architecture is about designing offers, pricing, and delivery models that scale profitably without bottlenecking your time. For you, Jesse, this matters because right now revenue depends heavily on residential one-off orders, which are labor-intensive and unpredictable. You’ve got the pieces in place for strong profitability, but your next level of growth will come from recurring B2B contracts and structured offers that give you steady, predictable cash flow.
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Your model is straightforward: half cords and full cords priced between $200–$450 depending on delivery vs pick-up. Half cords are both your most profitable and most popular product, while full cords are harder to move and less profitable. Residential sales are solid but capped, and you’ve already identified B2B (restaurants, pizza ovens, BBQ) as the real opportunity for recurring, high-value accounts. Annual revenue goals are around $65K this year, which reflects steady but limited growth potential without re-architecting the model.
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The half cord is the “sweet spot” — strong demand, healthy margins, and easier to sell than full cords.
Current pricing is undervalued; you’ve already considered raising residential prices by $50, which would improve margins without hurting demand.
Residential buyers are inconsistent and don’t lock in recurring revenue. B2B buyers (restaurants, food trucks) value consistency and would benefit from a subscription model.
There’s untapped potential in secondary revenue streams like slab wood, mulch, or recycling — but these depend on land and equipment investment.
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Introduce B2B Subscription Contracts: Create a “set it and forget it” delivery model for restaurants and food trucks (ex: monthly or bi-weekly half cord deliveries). This creates predictable cash flow and makes you indispensable to clients.
Reprice Residential Offers: Raise prices across residential orders by $50–$75 to reflect the true value of kiln-dried, ready-to-burn wood. Position it as “premium firewood, not big-box store scraps.”
Package Half-Cord Options: Offer pre-purchase of two half cords (delivered separately) at a slight discount. This secures cash flow up front and locks in customer loyalty.
Design Tiered Delivery Offers: Consider premium add-ons (stacking service, guaranteed same-day delivery, etc.) for higher-margin upsells.
Explore Long-Term Growth Streams: Keep slab wood and mulch on the roadmap. As soon as you secure land, carve out a small portion of hardwood for slab sales, which can sell for hundreds per piece and provide high-margin diversification.
Financial Intelligence
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Financial Intelligence is about knowing your numbers with enough clarity to make confident decisions. It’s not just about doing taxes — it’s about tracking profitability, monitoring cash flow, and using data to guide growth. For you, Jesse, this matters because your vision includes acquiring land, purchasing equipment, and expanding into NC/VA. None of that can move forward without clean books, clear profitability, and lender-ready financials.
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Right now, you track sales and expenses in a basic ledger but don’t consistently monitor profitability by product or overall margins. Marketing ROI is unclear. You’re carrying credit card debt, which adds pressure, and you’re eyeing an SBA loan to fund land and equipment. Without a proper accounting system, it’s difficult to know true profitability or present financials to a lender with confidence.
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No dedicated accounting platform is in place — this limits visibility into profitability and makes tax time harder than it needs to be.
Credit card debt is eating into margins with high interest. Without a refinance or consolidation strategy, this will slow growth.
Lack of clean historical financial data makes securing an SBA loan more challenging. Lenders want to see consistent, organized records.
Pricing is being adjusted (residential increase planned), but profitability by product hasn’t been measured, so it’s unclear how changes flow to the bottom line.
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Implement Accounting Software Immediately: Set up Wave (simple and $15/month) and connect your bank account. This will automate expense tracking, categorize costs, and give you clarity on margins month-to-month.
Track Profitability by Product: Start monitoring half cords vs full cords vs B2B orders to see which lines are driving true profit after delivery and labor costs. This will help you double down on the most profitable mix and know where to spend your efforts.
Organize Historical Data: Enter last year’s revenues/expenses into Wave. This will not only prepare you for tax season but also create the financial history SBA lenders require.
Capital Expense ROI Model: A model needs to be built to show the net ROI of purchasing land/machines to be presented to the bank. Additional revenue, reduced costs, with enough added cash flow to cover debt service. Understanding the potential and likely financial outcomes of these investments will be key for any business plan asking for a loan.
Create a Debt Management Plan: Explore consolidating or rolling your credit card debt into an SBA 504 loan alongside equipment/land financing. This reduces high-interest drain and sets you up for healthier growth.
Review Monthly Financials: Set a recurring CEO task to review P&L, cash flow, and key metrics. Even a 15-minute review each month will give you more control over decisions.
Operational Systems
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Operational Systems are about building processes, tools, and structure so your business runs smoothly — even when you’re not there. For you, Jesse, this matters because right now Port City Firewood depends almost entirely on your daily labor. Without systems, you’re capped on growth, unable to step away, and at risk of burnout. Strong operations will free you to focus on sales, expansion, and building a business that works beyond you.
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Your operations are simple (receive wood, split wood, dry wood, deliver), but because you’re doing most of this yourself, the system breaks if you step away. You’ve identified that mechanization (a processor) could increase production 7x and reduce reliance on manual labor. You also recognize that buying land would solve the space/storage constraint and open the door to scaling operations significantly. Right now, however, there’s no consistent delegation, no documented processes, and no backup plan if you’re unavailable.
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Current production is limited by splitting and delivery, which ties growth directly to your hours and energy.
There’s no automation or systemization in place, which means customers rely entirely on you for order management, fulfillment, and service.
The customer journey is informal — calls or texts directly to you, no automated ordering or scheduling process.
Land and mechanization are the two biggest unlocks, but financial systems and cash flow need to be shored up first.
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Invest in a Firewood Processor: Prioritize financing or leasing equipment to mechanize production. This alone will dramatically increase output, reduce labor needs, and free you for higher-value activities.
Document Core Processes: Write down step-by-step workflows for order intake, processing, delivery, and customer follow-up. This makes it easier to train seasonal or part-time help quickly.
Simplify Ordering: Add an online inquiry/order form (via your future website) to reduce back-and-forth on calls/texts and create a consistent customer intake system.
Pilot a Support Team: Hire part-time help for splitting/delivery on a recurring basis, not just seasonally. Start with one or two consistent people you can rely on.
Plan for Land Acquisition: Keep the focus on acquiring a commercial lot. Owning your space will allow bulk procurement, expanded storage, and the option to diversify into slabs, mulch, and recycling.
ROI Impact
See an estimate return on investment for our recommendations. While we can not guarantee results, this is our best estimated range of impact so you can get a clearer picture of what’s possible when you make the right investments.
Introduce B2B Subscription Contracts
Lock in restaurants, food trucks, and BBQ businesses on recurring half-cord/month contracts.
ROI Estimate: Adds $20K–$40K annually (5–10 contracts at $500–$600/month each).
ESTIMATED ROI
$20K–$40K/year in additional revenue
Invest in a Firewood Processor
Mechanize splitting to increase production capacity up to 7x while reducing manual labor.
ROI Estimate: $20K–$40K annual lift in revenue capacity by freeing up your time and enabling larger order volumes.
ESTIMATED ROI
$20K–$40K/year in additional Profit
Launch a Simple Website + Online Ordering
Improve credibility, make it easier for B2B clients to find and order, and expand beyond Instagram/word-of-mouth.
ROI Estimate: $10K–$25K annual lift from higher conversion rates and capturing clients who would otherwise pass you over for competitors with websites.
ESTIMATED ROI
$10K–$25K/year in additional revenue
Reprice Residential Orders (+$50–$75)
Adjust pricing to reflect true value of kiln-dried, ready-to-burn wood.
ROI Estimate: $5K–$12K annual lift based on current sales volume (assuming ~100–150 half/full cord orders annually).
ESTIMATED ROI
$5K–$12K/year in additional revenue
Get on Accounting Software (Wave)
Gain clarity on profitability, track expenses by product, and get lender-ready.
ROI Estimate: Indirect but essential — positions you to secure SBA funding for land/equipment, which could unlock an additional $40K–$80K+ in revenue capacity within 12–18 months.
ESTIMATED ROI
Indirect: $40k-$80k+ in addional revenue
Estimated Combined ROI Range
If you implement these recommendations, you could realistically grow revenue by $65K–$130K annually within 12 months, with even bigger upside once land and expansion are in play.
CEO Priorities
You don’t need a 50-step plan. You need clear, confident direction.
Here are your top priorities for the next 90 days, designed to build momentum without chaos
Top 3 Priorities
The highest-leverage actions to align your business with your goals in 90 days.
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Priority #1: Secure Recurring B2B Contracts
Focus on restaurants, BBQ spots, and food trucks that need consistent firewood supply.
Build a simple subscription model (ex: half-cord deliveries on a bi-weekly or monthly basis with autopay).
Next steps:
Make a short one-page brochure highlighting “restaurant-grade, kiln-dried, veteran-owned firewood.”
Identify 15–20 local businesses to target and begin outreach.
Pilot your first 3 subscription accounts within 60 days.
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Priority #2: Invest in Mechanization
Purchase or finance a firewood processor to increase production capacity up to 7x.
This will free your time from splitting and allow you to scale volume and contracts.
Next steps:
Research entry-level processor options and vendor financing.
Run the math on ROI (ex: increased capacity vs. financing costs).
Secure financing and have equipment operational before peak fall/winter demand.
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Priority #3: Establish Professional Infrastructure
Build credibility and create systems that make the business easier to run and easier to buy from.
Next steps:
Launch a simple one-page website with your story, offers, pricing, and an inquiry form.
Set up Wave accounting software, connect your bank account, and backfill last year’s financials.
Create a standard intake process (online form + confirmation email) so ordering is consistent and doesn’t depend on your phone.
Quick Wins
Simple, immediate steps you can take to build confidence and create space.
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Step #1: Set Up Wave Accounting
Create a free account, connect your business bank, and start tracking expenses.
This will instantly give you visibility into where money is going and prep you for loan readiness.
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Step #2: Draft a One-Page Brochure
Highlight “Restaurant-grade, kiln-dried, veteran-owned firewood.”
Use this as a leave-behind when you talk to restaurants and BBQ spots.
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Step #3: Block 2 Hours of CEO Time Weekly
Step out of operations for a set time each week to focus only on sales, financial review, or planning.
Even one block per week builds the habit of working on the business, not just in it.
Biggest Lever
The one action that will create the most ripple effects for your business.
Mechanize Production with a Firewood Processor
This single move will unlock everything else in your business. By investing in a processor, you can increase output up to 7x, reduce your reliance on manual labor, and free yourself from the splitting grind. With more wood ready to sell — and more of your time available — you’ll finally have the capacity to secure recurring restaurant contracts, raise residential volume, and pursue land acquisition with confidence.
Why this matters: Without mechanization, you stay capped at your current production and stuck in operator mode. With it, you open the door to doubling or tripling revenue, while also giving yourself the breathing room to step into the CEO role and lead Port City Firewood into its next stage of growth.