Shows / Buy the Numbers
Episodes
- Buy the Numbers
Profitable but Broke? Why Your Shop Needs a 13-Week Cash Flow Forecast | Ep. 58
What good is a record quarter if you can't make payroll? It's an uncomfortable question, especially when your shop is busy, your margins are healthy, and your…
- Buy the Numbers
Is Defense Work Worth It? The Hidden Costs + Untapped Opportunities for Machine Shops | Ep. 57
Defense manufacturing is supposed to be a massive opportunity for American machine shops. The government needs more domestic suppliers, existing weapons…
- Buy the Numbers
Are You Leading Your Shop—or Getting in Its Way? | Ep. 56
Nobody outworks me. If that's part of how you see yourself, this episode is going to sting a little. Greg Harrod's spent 30 plus years in and around…
- Buy the Numbers
What Tribal Knowledge Is Actually Costing Your Shop | Ep. 55
Replacing an employee can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $40,000. But the real risk isn't just recruiting and training their replacement. It's everything that…
- Buy the Numbers
Get Pre-Approved So You Can Buy That Machine at IMTS | Ep. 54
IMTS is about a week and a half out. Most people heading to Chicago are showing up with a shopping list, and the ones who aren't will still find something on…
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The $3,500 Apprentice Incentive: How to Claim Your Share of a $35.8 Million Fund | Ep. 53
There's $35.8 million sitting in a federal fund built to pay manufacturers for hiring and training apprentices, and most shop owners have never heard of it. It…
- Buy the Numbers
Why You're Never too Small for an ERP, Ep. 52
Almost every shop owner I talk to has told themselves the same story at some point: we are too small for a real ERP, so we will keep running the business on…
- Buy the Numbers
The 9 Numbers That Tell You If Your Marketing Is Working | Ep. 51
You spend money on a website, LinkedIn posts, maybe some email and a trade show booth, and then you ask the question every owner asks: is any of this actually…
- Buy the Numbers
The Owner Bottleneck: How Getting Out of the Way Can Double Your Shop's Value, Ep #50
Most shop owners believe the number on their business is locked in by their earnings. It isn't. Two shops with identical profit can sell for wildly different…
- Buy the Numbers
Think Like a Buyer: How to Maximize Your Shop's Value Before You Sell
Most shop owners never sell a business before the day they actually sell theirs. You build something for thirty years, then one phone call later you're trying…
- Buy the Numbers
Women, Purpose, and Pay: The Honest Conversation Manufacturing Needs to Have, Ep #48
Part two of a good conversation is where things usually get real. In this episode, I pick back up with Nush Ahmed and Brooke Laing from Sisterhood of Trades…
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No Cap: Manufacturing's Generational Communication Breakdown, Ep #47
In this episode of Buy the Numbers, I sat down with Nush Ahmed and Brooke Laing for one of the more entertaining and eye-opening conversations I've had in a…
- Buy the Numbers
The Real ROI of Automation: CapEx, Capacity & the Cost of Doing Nothing, Ep #46
Recorded live from the DN Solutions open house near Chicago, this special crossover episode blends the worlds of Buy the Numbers and Lights Out into one…
- Buy the Numbers
The PEO Playbook: How Small Shops Compete Like Big Employers, Ep #45
If you're like most shop owners, HR, payroll, and benefits are necessary evils—important, but far from the reason you got into manufacturing in the first…
- Buy the Numbers
Breaking the Ceiling: Systems, Data, and the Truth About Scaling a Machine Shop, Ep #44
Breaking the Ceiling: Systems, Data, and the Truth About Scaling a Machine Shop, Ep #44 Manufacturing will humble you—no matter how good you get. I was talking…
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Trust First, Numbers Second: The Leadership Playbook Manufacturing Shops Are Missing, Ep #43
What actually makes leadership work in a manufacturing environment? Is it KPIs, lean systems, and dashboards? Or is it something far more human? In this…
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CMMC Is Coming — What It Means for Your Shop, Your Costs, and Your Customers, Ep #42
CMMC is no longer something manufacturers can afford to ignore. If you're doing work in the defense supply chain—or even thinking about it—this is quickly…
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The Overlooked Expense: How Utility Assessments Can Unlock Hidden Savings, Ep #41
Most of the time on Buy the Numbers, we focus on revenue growth, margin improvement, cash flow strategy, or capital investments. But in this episode, we turn…
- Buy the Numbers
Don't Just File the Return — How Smart Tax Planning Pays Off Over Time, Ep #40
Too many manufacturers treat taxes as a once-a-year compliance exercise. You gather the documents, sign the return, write the check, and move on. But the…
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The Cost of Quality — Why Getting It Right Is the Fastest Way to Get Paid, Ep #39
Quality is often treated like a cost center in manufacturing. Something we have to do to satisfy customers, auditors, or certifications. But in my experience…
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Owning the Problem: Why Accountability, Communication, and Culture Drive Throughput, Ep #38
One of the patterns I keep seeing in manufacturing has nothing to do with machines, software, or technology. It shows up in how teams respond when something…
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How a Fourth-Generation Manufacturer Measures Success, Ep #37
What changes when you're not building a business to sell, but building one to hand down? That's the question that kept coming up for me in this conversation…
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The Inventory Blind Spot: How LIFO Can Unlock Massive Tax Savings, Ep #36
Inventory is one of the most overlooked levers in manufacturing finance, yet it is often the single largest asset sitting on a company's balance sheet. In this…
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Innovation at the Speed of Trust: Why Real Progress Happens When People Connect, Ep #35
Innovation in manufacturing is often framed as a technology problem. Better machines, faster software, smarter automation. But in this episode of Buy the…
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QDISC Explained: A 5-KPI System for Smarter, More Profitable Manufacturing, Ep #34
KPIs can feel like a buzzword—every manufacturer knows they should be tracking them, but few feel confident about where to start or what actually matters. In…
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Cash Flow Power Moves: Pricing, Terms & Tools That Protect Your Business, Ep #33
In this special crossover episode of Buy the Numbers, Mike Payne joins Josh McCain on The Throughput Show for a fully interactive, live conversation about one…
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The Section 179 Trap: Why Tax Breaks Shouldn't Drive Your Equipment Purchases, Ep #32
When Section 179 and bonus depreciation come back into play, it's easy to get swept up in the excitement of "saving on taxes." Every year around this time, I…
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How Foreign Trade Zones Can Unlock Millions in Working Capital, Ep #31
When tariffs, trade policy, and cash flow collide, manufacturers are forced to think creatively—or risk being crushed by uncertainty. That's exactly where Mary…
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Building a KPI Culture That Drives Real Improvement on the Shop Floor, Ep #30
In this episode of Buy the Numbers, host Mike Payne sits down with continuous improvement coach and Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt Brian Karp to dig into the…
- Buy the Numbers
Inside the Numbers: Roger Atkins' MTForecast 2025 Preview for Small Manufacturers, Ep #29
In this episode of Buy the Numbers, I sit down with Roger Atkins, President of the National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA), to talk about the real…
- Buy the Numbers
From First Questions to First Deals: Navigating Machine Shop Acquisitions, Ep #28
When you're buying a machine shop for the first time, it's easy to feel like you're lost in the dark. I've been through more than 150 transactions in my…
- Buy the Numbers
Top Shops Benchmarking: The Numbers That Separate Leaders from the Rest, Ep #27
In this episode of Buy the Numbers, Mike Payne sits down with Dave Necessary, Executive Vice President of Products and Markets at Gardner Business Media, to…
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Beyond the Highest Bid: Selling Your Business with Legacy in Mind, Ep #26
Selling a business is rarely just about the numbers—and in this episode of Buy the Numbers, we explore why. Recorded at the CLA Connect Center in Minnesota…
- Buy the Numbers
Legacy, Liquidity, and the Long Game: What Really Happens After the LOI (Part II), Ep #25
If you think selling your business is just about getting the highest number, think again. In Part II of my conversation with the all-star team at CLA—Erin…
- Buy the Numbers
Legacy, Liquidity, and the Long Game: Building Value Before You Sell, Ep #24
If you've ever thought, "I'll sell when I'm ready"—you're already behind. In this episode of Buy the Numbers, I sit down with three powerhouse advisors from…
- Buy the Numbers
The One Big Beautiful Bill: What Manufacturers Need to Know Now, #23
When I first heard about the "One Big Beautiful Bill," I knew we had to break it down for the MakingChips audience. This isn't just another tax update—it's a…
- Buy the Numbers
Smart Money Moves: How to Grow Your Shop Without Breaking the Bank, Ep #22
I'm halfway through the year and, like many of you, I feel as if it's still February. Orders are steady but not spectacular, and every headline seems designed…
- Buy the Numbers
The Marketing Metrics That Actually Matter, Ep #21
What happens when a former MLB.com writer ends up leading marketing for one of the most complex machine tool portfolios in the country? You get a masterclass…
- Buy the Numbers
Beyond the Books: Turning Your Accounting into a Competitive Advantage, Ep #20
What if I told you that your accounting function could be your greatest weapon in the fight for better margins, smarter decisions, and stronger growth? Too…
- Buy the Numbers
Golf, Grit, and CNC: Inside the Launch of Hanna Golf, Ep #19
Most golfers obsess over their gear—but almost none of them build it. Jared Doerfler did. After playing college golf and spending years in sales, he found…
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Compensation Isn't Just About Money—It's About Loyalty, Retention, and Legacy, Ep #18
Most of us shop owners tend to keep compensation pretty simple: pay ourselves what the business can afford, pay our team what feels fair, and hope that keeps…
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Personal Guarantees & Loan Covenants: How to Not Get Burned, Ep #17
Most of us would never machine a part without checking the tolerances first — so why do so many shop owners sign off on financing agreements without…
- Buy the Numbers
Navigating the New Tariff Terrain: What Manufacturers Need to Know Now, Ep #16
Tariffs aren't just a line item buried in your supply chain—they're a fast-moving, often misunderstood force that could have a massive impact on your…
- Buy the Numbers
The Quiet Cut That's Loudly Threatening Small Manufacturing
Most small manufacturers don't realize they're being quietly supported by one of the most impactful public-private partnerships in the country. The…
- Buy the Numbers
Culture's Not a Beer Fridge: Rethinking Leadership in Manufacturing, Ep #15
If you're still thinking of culture in your manufacturing shop as a side dish instead of the main course, you're already behind. In this episode of Buy the…
- Buy the Numbers
The Art and Science of Buying Machines: How to Choose the Right Equipment (And When), Ep #14
This conversation will transform how you think about machine tool investments. Keith Granno, a seasoned expert with over three decades of experience in the…
- Buy the Numbers
Scaling Success: Managing Growth Through Data and Culture, Ep #13
In today's episode of Buy the Numbers, we're diving into the key metrics that help a company scale successfully. Growth can be both exhilarating and…
- Buy the Numbers
Banking Secrets for Manufacturers: How to Secure the Cash You Need, Ep #12
How do you secure the cash you need to run your manufacturing business? In this episode of Buy the Numbers, I sit down with Dan O'Keefe, Senior Vice President…
- Buy the Numbers
Diving into R&D Credits, Entity Selection, and the Work Opportunity Credit, Ep #11
What if you could save thousands on your taxes with a few strategic changes to your business? In this episode, Nick Romanelli and Dylan Valentyn from Clifton…
- Buy the Numbers
Unlocking Tax Savings: Essential Strategies You Can Implement Immediately, Ep #10
What can you do to impact your tax liability for 2024? With tax season right around the corner, manufacturers are faced with the crucial task of optimizing…
- Buy the Numbers
Build Smarter: How to Scale Your Shop Beyond $2 Million, Ep #9
Many manufacturing businesses hit a plateau around $2 million in revenue, and breaking through that ceiling can feel overwhelming. According to Paul Van Metre…
- Buy the Numbers
Manufacturing Grants Made Simple: Expert Tips from Micki Vandeloo, Ep #8
Did you know you could be leaving tens—or even hundreds—of thousands of dollars on the table every year? Most manufacturers don't realize the incredible…
- Buy the Numbers
Josh McKain's Data-Driven Framework to Align Goals and Accountability, Ep #7
On this episode of Buy the Numbers, I sit down with Josh McKain to talk about his 3.5-step framework—the process he uses to help companies turn their goals…
- Buy the Numbers
The Cashflow Advantage: Why the Right Banker Makes All the Difference, Ep #6
"A good banker understands your business's financial picture. They understand your balance sheet. They understand what your cashflow looks like. They have an…
- Buy the Numbers
Smart Money Moves: Equipment Financing Tips with Ty Willis, Ep #5
When it comes to purchasing machinery, the decision isn't always as simple as cash or financing—it's a strategic move that can shape the future of your…
- Buy the Numbers
Buying vs. Inheriting: Building a Family Business Legacy with Nicole Wolter, Ep #4
What's the best way to transition a family business? Should you inherit it—or buy it outright? In this episode, we're continuing my conversation with Nicole…
- Buy the Numbers
Family, Legacy, and Leadership: Navigating a Family-Owned Business with Nicole Wolter, Ep #3
Nicole Wolter is the President & CEO of HM Manufacturing. Most of you are probably familiar with her name—and for good reason. She is an industry powerhouse…
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From Acquisition to Exit: The MFG Journey with Mike Fritz, Ep #2
Curious about buying, building, or selling a machine shop? In this episode of Buy the Numbers, Investor and CNC Machine Shop Owner Mike Fritz breaks down his…
- Buy the Numbers
Master Data-Driven Decision-Making with Greg McHale of Datanomix, Ep #1
Manufacturing isn't just about making parts—it's about making smarter, data-driven decisions. In the first episode of Buy the Numbers, Greg McHale, founder and…