Lemon Squad: From One-Person Startup to National Inspection Business
FOUNDER CASE STUDY · 2007–2020
I started Lemon Squad as a one-person operation in 2007 and sold the business in 2020 after building it into a national automotive inspection company. The work between those milestones is the experience I bring to consulting today.
The challenge: make a distributed service work consistently
A vehicle inspection business has to coordinate customers, vehicle locations, inspector availability, scheduling, photographs, and reports. As it grows, each handoff needs a clear owner and a shared standard for what good work looks like.
What I built and led
- Inspector network: recruitment, training, and quality standards for a nationwide field operation.
- Service delivery: customer communication, scheduling, inspection tracking, and report delivery.
- Operating platform: development of custom software supporting scheduling, payroll, performance management, and integrations.
- Business relationships: work with automotive clients and service partners.
Software was one part of the operation. The people, instructions, and processes behind it mattered just as much.
The outcome
Lemon Squad grew into a national inspection business serving consumers and automotive companies. I sold the company to Wrench, Inc. in 2020 and continued as a consultant through early 2024 to support the transition and ongoing operations.
This case study describes my work as the founder during that period. For Lemon Squad’s current services, visit Lemon Squad.
What that means for your business
I help owners examine the practical questions behind growth: How does an order move through the company? Who owns the next step? What standards does the team need? Where does the customer experience break down?
A consulting conversation can focus on one workflow, a recurring handoff problem, pricing decisions, or the systems your team needs to operate with more clarity.
Today, I apply this experience to Clunker Busters and consulting with founders, automotive businesses, and service companies.
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