We have bootstrapped the business since day one. It forces you to make every decision an important decision and builds a strong sense of worth and accountability as you grow.
David Green
David and Jonathan Green, Sydney-based brothers, didn’t expect to build a business together. But their individual journeys in finance and energy converged in 2020, leading them to found Teho, a renewable energy company specializing in residential solar panels and batteries.
Using YouTube to educate and attract customers, Teho’s revenue surged from $637,000 in 2022 to $7.7 million in 2023. In 2023, they rebranded Teho to Green.com.au, which is projected to earn $40 million this year. Their success has earned them recognition as Australia’s fastest-growing energy company.
The beginning
David Green recounted how he and his brother always envisioned launching their own ventures but didn’t anticipate doing so together. “We both always knew we were going to start our own businesses one day; we just didn’t realize it would be with each other,” he said.
“I had just left the role I had been in for over 8 years and was craving something new. Jono has always worked in energy and when he worked more closely in the renewable industry it started to become clear there was a huge opportunity for us to build something big. Throw in the disruption of the pandemic and we realised the time was now. Jono quit his job and we kicked off straight away.”
The Green brothers took a leap of faith, leaving the corporate world during the COVID-19 pandemic. They rented a small office to maintain focus. Beyond strong supplier ties, the Green brothers’ success hinges on identifying and addressing industry shortcomings.
Green.com.au doesn’t just install solar panels; they guide customers through the entire journey, from initial installation to battery optimization and ongoing support. Their unique approach extends to custom software (Doug) and full-time staff (versus commission-based sales), ensuring customer satisfaction and long-term success. This commitment is reflected in their perfect 5-star Google reviews.
Strategic investments
Our early investment in our own proprietary customer management system and understanding and building our own new business marketing has been the operational linchpin to give us the foundation to grow.
David Green highlighted the importance of acquiring the domain Green.com.au as a pivotal moment in their growth. “Our early investment in our proprietary customer management system and building our own marketing strategy has been the operational linchpin that gave us the foundation to grow,” he explained.The brothers continued to focus on hiring talented people and investing time and energy into their team. “From there, we just focus on hiring great people who can help us take Green.com.au where we want it to go.”
David observed that the retail renewable energy industry often depends on innovations from the broader production market, particularly advancements in solar cell and battery technology. “The retail renewable industry often relies on the greater production market to provide the innovation that it leverages off. The advancement in solar cell and battery technology has been incredible. While this has been a great thing, we think it has created a little complacency at a retail level. This has been a massive opportunity for us to continue to innovate both internally with our systems and software and externally with our marketing, customer interaction and tools for people to better understand energy.
“For example, our electricity comparison site, Electricity.com.au will be live soon. We have built our own comparison engine that compares the whole market for free. No incentives, no introduction fees, no bias. This is just one of the ways we are innovating to continue to support our existing and new customers. “
Lessons learned
David reflected on the unique challenges of founding the business during the onset of COVID-19. “Hiring people for example, was incredibly challenging. However, it did mean that we had very few distractions and it enabled us to really focus on building a strong foundation which has enabled our growth once restrictions were reduced.
“Starting in COVID taught us that nothing beats a strong foundation. We think we skipped a lot of usual start-up growing pains because we had such a strong base to build from. Additionally, we have bootstrapped the business since day one. While this would often be seen as a challenge, we have revelled in it. It forces you to make every decision an important decision and builds a strong sense of worth and accountability as you grow.”
Take the Initiative
David Green offered three essential pieces of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. First, he emphasized that there is no time like the present to start a business and encouraged individuals to take the initiative.” There is no time like the present. If you want to start a business, just do it.
“It will always be harder than you think, things will take longer than you think but there is nothing better than when things start to get traction and you can take off! Take risks, lots of them, starting a business is a risk in itself. Just know what risks you are taking so you can manage and mitigate them properly.”
Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
