In 2004, Brian Nolan and Kevin Nolan, who was also running Nolan Painting — a thriving residential repainting company in the Philadelphia area — came together with a shared belief: contractors deserved better tools, better systems, and better support than they were getting. With their combined experience in trades operations and organizational management, they built NCG around a simple mission: helping contractors transition from lifestyle businesses to value businesses. Over 20 years later, that mission hasn’t changed.

When your business operates like an hourglass, every decision, problem, and process runs through one place: you. It might work at the very beginning, but it’s not sustainable. The business is dependent on your involvement. When you step away, it slows down or stops.

Getting out of the hourglass means building a business that runs on systems and a capable team — one that grows in value whether you’re in the room or not. That’s what we call a Value Business, and it’s what every NCG engagement is built around.

Our offices are in Conshohocken, PA, just outside of Philadelphia. We recently moved into our own building, which we’re pretty excited about. We work with contractors across the U.S. and Canada, primarily via video call, and also offer on-site visits and workshops for more in-person opportunities. We are also fortunate to work with a great network of Philadelphia-based contractors!

Every engagement starts with one of three foundational programs depending on where your business is and what you need:

Business Planning Program — Where most clients start
A 2- to 3-month foundational engagement focused on your three-year vision, 12-month budget and business plan, and a clear action plan built around your biggest priorities. Program length and investment are based on the size and needs of your business.

Succession Planning Program
For owners who are 5-7 years or less from an exit — whether that’s a sale, a family transition, or stepping back from day-to-day operations. This is a 4-month program focused on key decisions, transition preparation and strengthening the systems that matter most before future succession.

Million Dollar Accelerator
For businesses under $500K who are ready to build structure and systems from the ground up. Includes a systems audit, budget creation, org chart, and 90-day action plan over a 5-month engagement.

After completing any of these foundational programs, clients move into the Summit Program, NCG’s premier ongoing membership that combines your one-on-one coaching relationship with peer groups, retreats, workshops, and a community of contractors across the country. Summit members also have access to one-on-one next level coaching for key leaders on their team, developing the people around the owner, not just the owner themselves.

Individual ongoing coaching is also available for clients who prefer that path.

Summit is where the individual coaching relationship meets the power of the group. As a Summit member, your one-on-one coaching continues, your coach knows your business and that stays at the center of the relationship. What Summit adds is access to peer groups across every function of your business, financial benchmarking data, workshops, individual development opportunities for next level leaders, the digital Summit Connect platform, and our Grand Summit conference held every 18 months. It’s the best of both in one program, and it’s why our average client tenure is 8 years.

Summit is where most clients go after completing their foundational onboarding program and it’s where the deepest, most sustained growth happens. For clients who prefer to continue with individual one-on-one coaching only, that option is available. Ask your coach for details.

Yes, we’re committed to developing the leaders across your organization, not just the owner. NCG offers a variety of topical workshops and accountability peer groups available to existing clients. These include field leadership, sales training at all levels, DISC analysis, POPTM Assessment offerings and team behaviors, financial leadership, family business, and more. These programs are available to NCG clients only.

You can expect genuine care for the success of your business. Care is one of our organization’s values. Your success is our success. Your challenges are our challenges. Your NCG coach will become a trusted advisor — someone who knows your numbers, your team, and your goals, and holds you accountable to building toward them. Over a third of our clients have been working with us for 10 years or more. We credit that to the relationships and trust we build over time.

Your coaching relationship is built on continuity and trust. Your coach gets to know your business, your team, and your goals deeply over time. For most clients, that relationship stays consistent for years. That said, some clients choose to work with a different NCG coach over time, whether for a fresh perspective, a different area of expertise, or simply because their business has evolved into new territory. We have a strong bench of coaches to support that need. What stays constant is the quality of the relationship and the commitment to your growth.

We start with the owner, but the whole organization is part of the picture. Through Summit, your leaders across operations, sales, HR, and other functions can access peer groups, development opportunities, and one-on-one next level coaching specific to their roles. We start with the owner. We engage with the team. That’s where the real work happens.

The foundational planning program requires meaningful investment upfront. Expect a more intensive 2 to 3 months to build the foundation. Once in Summit, the monthly coaching cadence is manageable alongside running your business. Between sessions, the expectation is that you’re working on your action items, reviewing your financials, and making progress on your plan. The contractors who get the most from NCG are the ones who treat coaching as a priority and prepare for their meetings, not an afterthought.

We work with contractors across the trades — painting contractors, general contractors and remodelers, landscapers and excavators, HVAC, electrical and plumbing companies, concrete and paving contractors, roofing contractors, and more. If you’re running a small business and serious about building a better organization, we encourage you reach out. Chances are we can help.

We work with trade contractors at every stage, from companies just breaking through their first revenue ceiling to established businesses with full management teams. What matters more than size is mindset. The contractors who find the best success with NCG are coachable, committed to doing the work, and serious about building something that lasts.

Our job is to meet you and your team where you’re at!

Absolutely. Many of our long-term client relationships started with someone who had never worked with a coach. All that’s required is a genuine desire to build a better business and the willingness to do the work. Something to think about: are you coachable?

Our programs are structured around the size and needs of your business, so the investment varies. We don’t publish pricing on the website because the right conversation starts with understanding your business first. Investment details are discussed during our discovery call.

When you begin working with NCG, you enter a 12-month agreement. Your foundational planning program makes up the first portion of that commitment. Once it’s complete, you roll into the Summit Program or individual coaching for the remainder of the year. After your initial 12 months, there’s no annual renewal required. Membership continues month to month with 60 days notice to cancel. We don’t believe in locking people in, our average client tenure of 8 years speaks to the value of the relationship, not the terms of a contract.