The $299 per house flat rate thing wasn't a compliment! Judging from past conversations & other posts I've seen from you, it appears you have little room to be criticizing anyone. I've seen your website(s) and still don't have a clue who you are. By the way, 50 words strung together is usually a paragraph....not a single sentence. (see website for details).
As far as the "big dog" thing goes, who makes that distinction? We are entering our 5th season, with absolutely no prior experience in this industry and have become one of the top 3 - 5 contractors in our part of the state. I still don't feel BIG. We have sacrificed vacations, Sat. & Sun., and all sorts of other amenities in life to stay ahead. However, if there's a networking opportunity with potential clients or peers, you MAKE time to go.
I don't perceive you as doing a whole lot of gross sales per year, but manage to stay busy. I have a competitor just like you. It takes him 3 times as long to complete a project, then another 3 days to correct his mistakes. Now that's keepin' busy "BIG DOG"!