About Fresh Start Consulting
You Already Have the Skill. You Just Need the System.
The real reason tradespeople stay stuck
Most tradespeople who want to start their own business don't fail because they lack talent. They fail because nobody ever taught them how business actually works. By the time the overwhelm hits, they've already talked themselves out of it.
You know the feeling. You're good at what you do, probably better than most. But between the LLC questions, the taxes, the insurance, the contracts, the website, the banking, and figuring out how to actually get customers, it starts to feel like you need a degree just to get started.
You don't. You need someone who has already been where you are.
That person is Evan Lightner.
Evan started in the field as a 12-volt and telematics technician. He learned the trade, then taught himself business while doing the work. He went all in and built his first company from the ground up. It did well enough to be absorbed into a larger operation, where he spent years building partnerships, managing projects, training technicians, and learning what it actually takes to scale.
Today he's a Director of Strategic Planning and Business Development, is enrolled in business school, is licensed to sell life insurance in Colorado, and is trained in AI implementation for small businesses.
He didn't learn any of this in a classroom first. He learned it by doing it: making the mistakes, surviving them, and building systems that work.
Fresh Start Consulting exists because Evan got tired of watching skilled tradespeople stay stuck when they didn't have to be. So far, he has helped 15 tradespeople go independent, working with clients across the US, 100% remote.
What we actually do
We don't hand you a checklist and send you a bill. We sit with you, figure out where your business is and where it needs to go, and build the infrastructure around you: formation, banking, insurance, legal setup, digital presence, AI automation, and the education to understand what you own.
Some of that Evan does himself. Some runs through trusted, licensed partners. You'll always know which is which. See services →
Most consultants create dependency. We build capability.
We use AI and automation to do the heavy lifting, which keeps the work moving fast and the cost down.
Who this is for
If you're a plumber, electrician, contractor, mechanic, HVAC tech, 12-volt installer, or any skilled tradesperson ready to stop working for someone else's dream and start building your own, you're in the right place.
If you already have a business but it feels like it's running you instead of the other way around, you're in the right place too.
If you're looking for someone to do it all for you while you stay stuck, this isn't that.
What we stand for
Straight talk
No jargon, no BS.
Respect for the trades
Your skill is the business. We build around it.
Capability over dependency
You'll understand what you own.
The right order
Foundation first, then launch, then legacy.
Ready to start?
In 30 minutes, we'll look at where your business stands and where you want it to go. Formation, banking, insurance, legal setup, digital presence, AI tools, or all of it: we'll identify the gaps and map out a clear next step. No pitch. No pressure. Just a straight conversation with someone who has been there.