37. Association of Professional Builders
Association of Professional Builders is the leading business coaching company for residential home builders in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and Canada. See their Smart50 rank.
Revenue: $9.8 million
Growth: 38%
Founders: Sky Kolade, Russ Stephens
Head office: Broadbeach, QLD
Year founded: 2014
Employees: 37
Industry: Professional Services
Website: associationofprofessionalbuilders.com
How Association of Professional Builders started
The idea for the Association of Professional Builders (APB) was sparked more than 13 years ago when co-founders Russ Stephens and Sky Kolade realised builders were lacking the tailored support needed to run their businesses efficiently. With Stephens’s 25 years of business experience and personal insights from owning a building company, the two began developing bespoke systems to address industry-specific challenges, ranging from contract preparation to subcontractor agreements. Since then it has become the leading business coaching company for residential home builders in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and Canada.
Growth
Since its 2014 creation, the APB has not only expanded its membership by 20%, but also driven significant financial results for its clients. One standout client, through the APB’s executive business coaching, achieved more retained net profit last year than in the previous several years combined. Other members have increased their net profit margins to over 12% — well above the industry average of 3% — and are booked out 12 months in advance.
Where to next
The next big move is scaling the sales team to convert more of the APB’s 10,000+ marketing qualified leads (MQLs) into members. A senior member success coach (MSC) manages 900 MQLs, while a junior MSC handles 500. As of September 2024, the APB has grown to 16 sales team members. By early 2025, every MQL will be assigned to an MSC, with an already proven goal of converting 5% of MQLs into members. This strategy ensures every lead is nurtured and aligns with the key APB goal: driving revenue growth through effective lead management and targeted follow-ups.
