Building a Remote Workforce: How VPM Solutions Is Revolutionizing Property Management
Manage episode 479516270 series 3534796
Pete Neubig takes us on a captivating journey through his remarkable career transformation, from IT professional to property management entrepreneur and back to tech innovator. After 25 years in information technology, Pete's life took an unexpected turn at age 41 when he found himself managing 31 properties and three apartment complexes without the proper systems in place. This necessity birthed Empire Industries Property Management, which he eventually grew to manage nearly 1,000 single-family homes across three Texas markets before selling in 2019.
The entrepreneurial challenges Pete encountered revealed a fundamental problem in service-based businesses: the precarious balance between staffing costs and profitability. "People become your number one expense," he explains, creating a stressful cycle where companies must continuously grow to maintain profit margins while overburdening existing staff. His breakthrough came when he discovered that hiring qualified international remote team members could dramatically reduce payroll costs—from 56% to 34% of revenue—while actually improving service quality.
This revelation sparked the creation of VPM Solutions, a marketplace connecting property management and real estate companies with remote talent across 150+ countries. Pete offers listeners a masterclass in building effective remote teams, sharing frameworks for everything from initial hiring to ongoing management. His approach balances structure with autonomy through clear job descriptions, personality assessments, key performance indicators, and consistent check-ins that focus on solutions rather than micromanagement.
Perhaps most valuable is Pete's candid reflection on selling his business—a process that left him financially secure but surprisingly unhappy. "I had more money than I ever had, making more money than I ever had, and I was the unhappiest I ever was," he reveals. His advice for entrepreneurs considering an exit: know precisely what you'll do next, negotiate for cash upfront even if it means a lower valuation, and recognize when you're "unemployable" as an entrepreneur at heart. For businesses struggling with staffing costs or seeking to scale efficiently, Pete's proven remote workforce model offers a compelling solution that might just transform your operation.
www.vpmsolutions.com
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Chapters
1. Pete's Entrepreneurial Journey (00:00:00)
2. The VPM Solutions Marketplace (00:08:32)
3. Best Practices for Remote Hiring (00:11:42)
4. Effective Remote Team Management (00:22:36)
5. Selling a Business: Lessons Learned (00:29:40)
6. Current Projects and Final Thoughts (00:35:43)
750 episodes