According to Time magazine, the solar industry has experienced significant growth in recent years, but it has also seen a notable number of company failures. In late 2023 and early 2024 alone, more than 100 residential solar dealers and installers declared bankruptcy. This trend underscores the challenges that solar companies face in maintaining profitability and operational stability.
Running a solar company is no small feat. The EPC process—Engineering, Procurement, and Construction—is a logistical minefield where so much can go wrong. A single misstep in permitting, supply chain management, or installation can lead your business downward spiral. But more often than not, it’s not just the technical execution that kills a solar company. It’s losing focus on what matters most, solar lead generation, sales and growth.
I’ve seen it happen time and time again myt friend. Companies start strong, win a few deals, hire a team, manage a media buy and get comfortable. Then, when sales slow down, reality hits. The bills don’t stop. Payroll is due every two weeks—no exceptions. Before you know it, the pipeline dries up, panic sets in, and you’re playing catch-up just to break even. It’s a vicious cycle. And if you don’t stay laser-focused, you won’t just lose solar momentum—you’ll lose your business.
Sales Cures All—Stay in Growth Mode
At the end of the day, sales cures all, you may have heard that on Shark Tank or somewhere else and there’s a lot of truth to it. You can have the best engineering team, installers, and the smoothest procurement process, but if you’re not constantly bringing in new business, none of it matters.
Think about it, f you have consistent solar lead generation and the downstream marketing and operational flow along with strong sales, you can afford to hire better talent, improve operations, and scale smartly. But when sales slow down, everything else starts to crack. Stress levels rise, pressure mounts, and bad decisions get made out of desperation.
The key is to always be in growth mode. Even when things are good, keep marketing, prospecting, and investing in lead generation. Because when you take your foot off the gas, the slow decline begins—and it’s a lot harder to rebuild solar momentum than it is to maintain it.
Surround Yourself with the Right People
A solar company is only as good as the team running it. And here’s the truth—most employees just do the bare minimum. They clock in, do what they have to do, and collect a paycheck. But every company has that core 20% of performers who do 80% of the work—the ones who drive the business forward.
You need more of those people in your corner. The kind of high-EQ professionals who think creatively, take initiative, and don’t need to be told what to do. The right leadership team, salespeople, and operations managers will make or break your company.
But it’s not just about having good people—it’s about having the right systems to support them. Without scalable processes for lead generation, appointment setting, and sales execution, even the best team will struggle.
Cut the Bureaucracy & Focus on What Moves the Needle
Too many solar companies get bogged down by useless management and red tape. I’ve seen so many middle managers create unnecessary processes to justify their jobs, without adding any real value. Instead of growing profits, these companies get stuck spinning their wheels with staff who care more about working the system than driving the business forward. It’s hard enough dealing with all the over head and now you have all this other unprofitable non-sense.
And you know where that leads? Legal issues, compliance headaches, state investigations, and lawyer fees. Instead of scaling the business, you’re spending time and energy dealing with problems that never should’ve existed in the first place.
The solution? Surround yourself with high performers, eliminate dead weight, and focus on the systems that actually grow revenue.
The Next Phase of Solar Adoption Is Here—Are You Ready?
We’re entering the next big wave of solar adoption, and the focused, prepared, and aggressive companies will dominate. The ones that aren’t? They’ll fade away like so many before them.
To stay ahead of the game, you need the right solar lead generation, sales strategy, and business systems in place. That’s where Invention Solar Marketing Group comes in. We specialize in solar lead generation and professional services to help companies like yours grow, scale, and succeed—without wasting time or money on guesswork.
Knowledge or Investment? The Smart Choice is Clear
If you had a choice when starting your solar business—would you take the money or the knowledge? Most people would take the money, but the ones who succeed know that knowledge is the real asset.
Because if you don’t know what you’re doing, you’ll burn through the money learning all the painful lessons the hard way. But if you have the right mentors, consultants, and advisors, you can skip the costly mistakes and scale the right way from day one.
So, ask yourself—are you building your solar business for long-term success, or are you just trying to survive?
If you’re ready to scale smarter, sell more, and build a lasting business, let’s talk. Visit InventionSolar.com, and let’s build something great together.
