Matthew Bailey

Sun Bear Solar was my first attempt at starting a business. I chose to step away from new housing/subcontracting and focus more on a marketing/sales organization, as I wished to develop these skills to better myself as an entrepreneur. Throughout my years, I have invested in myself with books and courses on business, sales, marketing, copywriting, and persuasion, and Sun Bear Solar was me putting these skills into action. Throughout the year, I spent all of my time generating my own leads through digital marketing and email, prospecting, and closing over video meetings, and also installing the six solar systems I sold. I generated over $120K in revenue and learned many lessons over the year, such as what it truly takes to start a business, and the impact a recession has on consumer behavior.

Ninety percent of my career as an electrician was spent wiring new housing, ranging anywhere from standalones, townhouses, duplexes, and a few higher-end builds. Our biggest contracts were Friday Homes and JB Hughes. I've seen the entire process of developing subdivisions from start to finish dozens of times. Once qualified, I trained and managed a team of electrical apprentices, and coordinated with other trades and project managers to complete each build on time.