Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dan Kabanko. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Dan, thanks for joining us today. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?

Scaling up Atlanta City Appliance Repair, Inc. has been a multifaceted journey rooted in passion, perseverance, and adaptability. Here’s how we went from a small operation to a trusted name in the appliance repair industry in North Atlanta.

The Starting Point: Building Experience and Vision
My entry into the appliance repair industry was somewhat serendipitous. While I was still in university in 2013, a friend invited me to manage advertising and operations for his appliance repair business. Although I was new to the field, I was eager to learn and apply my skills. Within two years, we:

Tripled revenue by optimizing marketing and operations.
Expanded the team, ensuring we had the right people in place to meet growing demand.
Streamlined processes to deliver better customer service and increase efficiency.
This experience was transformative. It gave me the confidence to launch my own company, Atlanta City Appliance Repair, Inc., in 2015.

Scaling Strategies and Tactics
1. Passion and Dedication
Scaling any business requires passion for the work. I was committed to success and dedicated long hours—often from 8 AM to 10 PM—balancing operations with growth initiatives.

2. Nonstop Research and Open-Mindedness
I approached scaling with a mindset of constant learning. Every interaction, whether it was a cold call, a conversation with a customer, or feedback from my team, became a source of knowledge.

3. Building an Online Presence
In the early stages, I recognized the importance of digital marketing:

Hired an IT expert to create and optimize our website.
Improved SEO to ensure we were discoverable online.
Invested in digital advertising, ensuring our services reached the right audience.
By the end of our first year, we had established a decent online presence.

4. Growing the Team
Scaling a service-based business requires a capable team:

Personally recruited technicians and sent them for on-the-job training and classroom-based education.
Grew from one technician to eight within four years.
Added dispatchers and a manager to improve customer communication and operations.
5. Networking and Cold Calling
I made hundreds of cold calls to local businesses, including real estate agents and property management companies. This effort:

Brought in partnerships that generated consistent work.
Expanded our reach in the North Atlanta area, especially in Alpharetta, Roswell, and Sandy Springs.
Overcoming Obstacles
Early Challenges
Starting with minimal online presence and a small team was tough. However, consistent effort, strategic hiring, and effective marketing helped us overcome these hurdles.

Mistakes and Learning
At first, I underestimated the importance of delegation, trying to manage everything myself. Hiring managers and dispatchers allowed me to focus on growth.
We initially experimented with several marketing strategies before finding what worked best for our niche.
Key Results and Milestones
In our first year, we grew from one technician to three.
By year four, we had a team of eight technicians, two dispatchers, and one manager.
Our online presence transformed, becoming a critical source of customer acquisition.
We built a reputation as a reliable appliance repair provider in Alpharetta and the greater North Atlanta area.

Advice for Others
Stay Curious: Use every interaction—whether it’s with a customer or a colleague—as an opportunity to learn.
Leverage Digital Tools: Invest in your online presence early.
Hire Strategically: Build a skilled and well-trained team.
Network Relentlessly: Partnerships can be a game-changer.
Atlanta City Appliance Repair, Inc. is now thriving, and we owe our success to hard work, adaptability, and a deep commitment to excellence.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Starting my own business was both a natural progression and a long-held dream. My academic background in Marketing, Management, and Business Administration from Georgia State University and Perimeter College laid the foundation for my entrepreneurial mindset.

I entered the appliance repair industry in 2013, managing advertising and operations for a friend’s business while still in university. In two years, we tripled revenue, grew the team, and optimized operations. This hands-on experience inspired me to launch Atlanta City Appliance Repair, Inc. in 2015.

Since then, building the company has been both challenging and rewarding, blending my passion for business, problem-solving, and community service. Today, I’m proud of the reputation we’ve earned as a trusted provider in North Atlanta.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

When I first started Atlanta City Appliance Repair, Inc., our social media presence was non-existent. Building it required consistent effort, creativity, and a willingness to adapt. My approach focused on connecting with our audience by showcasing expertise, personality, and authenticity.

We shared practical appliance tips, behind-the-scenes content, and customer success stories to humanize our brand. We also explored unconventional approaches—incorporating animals, funny videos, and unique hashtags to create engaging and memorable posts. Even platforms that seemed unlikely to yield results were worth exploring, as some unexpectedly brought in more customers. The key was always to think outside the box and try new things, a principle not just for social media but for everything in life.

Collaborating with local businesses and encouraging happy customers to share reviews or posts helped expand our reach. Paid ads were also useful for gaining traction in North Atlanta’s competitive market. These efforts allowed us to build a loyal audience organically over time.

Advice for Growing a Social Media Presence—and Beyond:

Be Consistent: Post regularly and ensure your content aligns with your brand.
Engage Authentically: Interact with followers by responding to comments, messages, and reviews.
Provide Value: Share helpful tips, tutorials, or industry insights that genuinely benefit your audience.
Think Outside the Box: Experiment with creative and unconventional ideas to make your content stand out.
Use Local Targeting: Highlight your community connection through hashtags, collaborations, and tailored content.
Adapt and Evolve: Test new content formats and strategies, analyzing what works best.
Building an audience isn’t just about social media—it’s about embracing opportunities, experimenting with bold ideas, and learning from every effort. Over time, these strategies foster trust, engagement, and success across all areas of your business.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been a combination of personalized service, creative marketing, and relentless hard work. When I started Atlanta City Appliance Repair, Inc., I knew that building trust and delivering exceptional service would form the foundation of long-term growth. Every customer interaction was an opportunity—not just to resolve a repair issue but to create a loyal advocate for the business.

To scale, I focused on building a strong reputation by ensuring top-notch service and encouraging satisfied customers to share their experiences. Positive reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations have been invaluable, especially in a close-knit community like North Atlanta.

Creative Marketing Efforts:
Marketing played a critical role in expanding our reach. We invested heavily in improving our online presence—designing a user-friendly website, running targeted local ads, and optimizing for search engines. Social media became a powerful tool, where we shared appliance tips, behind-the-scenes content, and even experimented with unconventional ideas like funny videos, animal-themed posts, and unique hashtags. Some of these unexpected efforts brought in surprising results, underscoring the importance of thinking outside the box.

Cold Outreach and Partnerships:
In the early stages, I made countless cold calls to property managers, real estate agents, and businesses, turning each conversation into a networking opportunity. Partnering with local businesses further amplified our reach and solidified our presence in the community.

Building a Strong Team:
Another critical aspect was training a reliable team. I personally selected and trained technicians, often sending them to specialized training programs or pairing them with seasoned experts. A well-trained team ensured we could handle more clients without compromising on quality.

Consistency and Dedication:
Perhaps the most critical factor was relentless dedication. I worked long hours—managing current operations while researching new growth opportunities. Staying consistent, adapting to feedback, and continuously improving both our operations and marketing allowed us to expand steadily.

Key Takeaways for Growing Clientele:

Deliver Outstanding Service: Satisfied customers drive repeat business and referrals.
Leverage Online Presence: Use SEO, targeted ads, and engaging social media content.
Think Creatively: Experiment with unconventional marketing ideas and platforms.
Network Locally: Build partnerships and relationships within your community.
Train Your Team: A knowledgeable, skilled team enables scalable growth.
Stay Consistent: Growth takes time, effort, and a commitment to excellence.
This combination of strategies helped us go from a one-technician operation to a trusted appliance repair company with a growing clientele and a strong reputation in Alpharetta and the greater Atlanta area.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://atlantaappliancesrepair.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atlantacityappliancerepair
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AtlantaAppliancesRepair4049031453
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aar4049031453
• Twitter: https://x.com/AAR4049031453
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AtlantaTech/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/atlanta-city-appliance-repair-alpharetta

Image Credits

Atlanta City Appliance Repair technicians were taking these pictures