Seeking A Mentor

kimberly sc

Hello all.
I am a female residential contractor in South Carolina. My business is quite young and I am seeking a mentor from whom I can gain insight and direction for growing my business. I also welcome any does, don'ts and tips that others have learned along the way.
Thanks in advance for your responses!
Kimberly

Cole

Kimberly,
Welcome to the forum! Keep logging on and reading this forum and you will be steps ahead of the competition!

Cole

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lukachuki

Where in SC? I'm in Aiken. My advice is to spend a couple of weeks reading through old posts in the different sub forums that you think would help you. Marketing and Business as well as any other category which you think you have room to learn. Over the last couple of years a lifetime worth of good advice has been given here and it will help you get ahead of the game in a hurry.

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"The problem with internet quotes is, you never know if they are authentic." -Abraham Lincoln-

Less with the jaw more with the paw!

kimberly sc

I'm in Greenville. Great advice...I will definitely spend time reading through. Thanks for taking a minute to respond.

mickeyco

I'm looking for a protege, first we'll start you with cleaning out the garage, then the basement, how are your cooking skills?

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Some people climb mountains. I take out the trash. But we both do it for the same reason.

kimberly sc

I am genuinely seeking information to ensure that I operate a successful business that does quality work and that is respected in the community... While I appreciate sarcasm, I find it annoying from a fellow professional that has nothing further to offer in his [or her] response. I promise not to waste time of members on this forum; please don't waste mine.

Tom R

He was clearly joking, - - but on that note, - - you sure won't catch my 28 years of experience bothering to 'waste any of your time' . . .

mdshunk

Lesson 1... Don't be so dog-gone thin skinned.

go do it

so you think that a bunch of goofball contractors ARE NOT going to give you a hard time?

lesson #2 be a women but also be ready to throw down in a heart beat

how's sc these days i am from summerville originally

dirt diggler

- sorry, i didn't know we were getting paid for this

where's my check??

at any rate


Welcome Kim. This place is a such a freakin sausage party it's not funny


What exactly do you want to know??


Specific questions get specific answers. Right now, being that you're starting out - you have 100 questions that seem to all correlate and have an effect on eachother. Right?

Anyways - feel free to waste my time - er, I mean ask questions

K2

A non-gender user name might help. But then you'll probably be ignored like everyone else... I never get nine replies to anything I say... Well unless i go down to R&S's P&R forum and and say "vote for Hill".

kimberly sc

okay, okay...didn't mean to ruffle any feathers. not sensitive or thin-skinned; taking plenty of sh-t from the local guys on a daily basis. realizing that my search was too broad-stroked and that i need to ask specific questions. (thanks for that feedback!)
dirt - of course you're getting paid for this...checks already in the mail.
go do it - sc is good. market not HUGE, but we're seeing steady growth & business is pretty good. where are you now?
sorry i came off too serious...it's been a bit of a battle to get past the "ribbing" and I'm sincerely trying to set my business on the right path.

ChrWright

Hello Kimberly,

I'm curious to know what specialty you're in, or what market you're trying to break into.

I've been a builder/remodeler for about 10 years... I started doing handman jobs, built to doing HUD rehabs for non profits and eventually broke in to the high end custom market.

I've made more than my share of mistakes--which is unfortunately how you learn the most about running your business right.

I'd be happy to help you in any way I can.

kimberly sc

ChrWright-
Thank you for your response! I'm in Greenville, SC. Have been in the rental / old home rehab business for about 6 years. Two + years ago started building spec homes as an investor using a GC. Have seen more than my share of mistakes dealing with those other GCs. Have since gotten my license.

Our direction is:
1 - spec vacation / 2nd homes (there are some nice lakes in our area, as well as mountains)
2 - duplex rentals...some to keep, some to sell
3 - specs...following the market for price point and location with the help of my realtor
4 - some customs...perhaps 2 a year? Right now I don't feel quite ready to deal with the demands of a person building their "dream home."

I know I need to construct a business plan with timelines to determine specifically how many of each I plan to do each year without over-reaching in the first couple years.
I'm trying to learn from others with a proven history how they approached building their business, what professional organizations they've found to be helpful, and definitely what NOT to do. You're certainly right about learning by making mistakes, but hope to avoid as many as possible by learning from others!
I sincerely appreciate your willingness to help.
Kimberly

BillDinHomes

Hey Kimberly, My wife and I are doing the same thing here in Sevierville, TN. We are seemingly on identical paths! what is your first milestone?

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You know when they say what goes up must come down... I get worried when they say that our homes go up fast?

ChrWright

One of the most important relationships you can build is to find a good architect/designer to work with. Cost is always a consideration and there are more than enough out there that don't know what they're doing. The best way to try them out initially is to get them to use you on a project for one of their clients.

I was extremely fortunate early on to meet a very gifted designer. His designs are mostly modern/contemporary which is very fast growing market in most medium to larger metropolitan areas.

Working with a skilled designer will teach you a TON about how to build things that people want to buy--both in the custom work you do and especially in the spec. It will help you focus your money where it really counts. The recent fad of flip shows on tv make the process look seductively simple (they're quite funny to watch, though). But being on the business end of an interest payment for months on end while waiting for a buyer is no where you want to be. Good design = fast sale = happy client = more cash in your pocket.

When you find a good one, take care of them. Serve the design and serve the client. Make their life easy, and it can mean a steady source of work. I've worked with one particular designer for 8 years now--he's brought me several dozen kitchens, numerous baths, about 6 room additions, two new houses and other miscellaneous projects of various sizes.

kimberly sc

Bill- You're in a beautiful area! Right now I'm taking every accomplishment to be a positive milestone! However, I'm trying to determine my goals & benchmarks for the coming year. I really want to build some rentals, but not sure that its my best move right now. How are you and your wife determining your focus? Do you have a certain ratio you're aiming to achieve?

Christopher - Thank you for your detailed responses. I've read several streams with information you've shared and find it to be very helpful.

BillDinHomes

yes our area is very beautiful. thats why we moved here from Florida 3 years ago.

were are in the same dilema, do we start cash flow or wholesale some properties to build cash reserves. we are probably going to sell a few first so get the cash to make buying the next few easier. we are also trying to build our lines of credit and establish a business credit profile to pull cash from.

our goal to start is to pull at least $10,000 from each one PROFIT. anything else is gravy but to start out with that and try to build a house every 60-90 days will be a good income to start and to learn ALL the ropes.

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You know when they say what goes up must come down... I get worried when they say that our homes go up fast?

rservices

Watch your credit....
So many people start out with great dreams, and end up getting a job to pay the loans off before they really gave the business a chance.

I started my company with no credit ( even credit cards) and after 5 years I'm still debt free. I have set up a few charge accounts that I payoff as soon as I get the check. Could I have grown faster "YES" but the growth I've had is mine not the banks.

YourWayPainting

Welcome Kimberly. You sure came to the right place.

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