What A Founder At GreatBuildz Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Home Remodeling Industry
Jon, a founder and partner at GreatBuildz and Maxable, learned that the construction industry, specifically home remodeling, is incredibly competitive, "second to lawyers and attorneys," requiring continuous adaptation and problem-solving as the business scales, far beyond the initial expectation of simply handling incoming calls. This unexpectedly high level of competition, from established giants with decades of presence, presented a "David versus Goliath" challenge, although it did not deter their efforts.
Overcoming Challenges, Industry Realities, Hard Truths, Entrepreneurship, Competitive Market
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Jon Grishpul
Founder, Partner
GreatBuildz, Maxable
Cal Poly - SLO
n/a
Business Management & Admin, Marketing
Architecture, Construction & Design
Entrepreneurship and Business Owner
Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. It takes a long time to succeed and it is harder than you might think. The challenges continue to evolve even as the business grows, requiring constant adaptation and problem-solving.
2. The construction and home remodeling industry is incredibly competitive, with established players dominating online search and advertising. Be prepared for a David versus Goliath battle.
3. Entering this field requires significant time investment and a strong understanding of the competitive landscape. Thorough market research is crucial to making an informed decision and developing a sustainable strategy.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
It's not easy, and it's not going to happen quickly. It also doesn't get any easier; at least, I haven't reached that point yet.
When we started, I thought as soon as the calls began coming in, I could relax. I thought then we'd be busy, and I could finally take a break.
Then the calls started coming in, and I realized we had a whole new set of problems. I needed to help because we were receiving so many calls.
After that, I decided that once we hired a second staff person, I wouldn't have to take calls anymore. I thought I could just sit back and relax, and the business would run itself.
I was able to step away from the day-to-day operations, but then I realized there were dozens of other projects and priorities for the business. The more you zoom out, the more there is to do, to worry about, and to plan for.
Perhaps it's obvious, but I didn't truly grasp that. I don't know if it would have changed much, but if someone had told me I was entering the construction industry, specifically home remodeling, I might have been better prepared.
It's the second most competitive industry on Google for SEO and Google Ads, right after lawyers and attorneys. It's one of the most expensive and difficult. I didn't know that, but I guess you can see it when you think about it.
I didn't know what I didn't know before. Now, I can see tens of thousands of licensed contractors in California, plus companies like Angie's List, HomeAdvisor, BuildZoom, Yelp, and Houzz, which have been around for 20 years. I didn't realize the level of competition that represented.
It feels like David versus Goliath right now. It's exciting because we just need to beat those big guys, and we're the little guys who can do it. But it's also incredibly intimidating because they've been around forever, and it seems almost impossible to compete.
Again, I don't think it would have changed anything, but it might have been helpful if someone had specifically written that out for me five years ago. It would have aided me in making my own decisions.