Hi fellow business owners and roofers. I need some help in setting up a business, and have nowhere to turn but to this forum, where I know real roofing business owners and roofers hang out. Hope you can give me a hand, and I will give you mine with what I am good at (search engine optimization).
Here’s the story.
One day I decided I am going to start a business. Thought of limousines, but the license + limos are way to expensive, so I needed more ideas. Headed out to my friend who is a roofer, and told him I want a business. We talked and so it was decided we were going to open a roofing business.
We decided to go 50/50, with me making the website, and him pitching in his part, and later on taking care of the roofing team, while I talk to the customers, market the company, manage finances etc.
2 and half months later he only pitched in pennies while I spent a lot of money marketing the site, making sure we got reception girls (remote office), and just moving business ahead. Didn’t ask for much. Spent all my weekends and all my free time at home working on the business, making my dream of actually running a successful business come true.
Now that the website ranks on the search engines for very good terms, we are getting calls, which are not going anywhere yet. The demand is there, needs to be higher to support a company, but it’s there and calls should hopefully only go up.
Happy with the progress, I called my friend, and said it’s time to move things forward. The response was that it was his weekend, and he is going to play PS3 all day today and doesn’t want to be bothered by anything. I spent a lot of effort, money and time at home on my weekends, moving things forward, yet the only weekend I need him he ditches.
Screw a partner like that. I dont need a partner like that. He’s still a good friend, but NO WAY he is my partner. I am going to build this company by myself.
I am pretty clueless at roofing. I do search engine optimization professionally for an insurance company, but I know little about roofing. I will learn as I go, and I know, since that’s how I learned what I do now… I can have a company as I’ve always wanted to have one, so the first step - I turn to you…
Basically, I am going to buy roofing equipment, hire estimator, and roofing team and have the company. For the money I am turning to a good man I know, and to a bank.
I know I need a truck, and some credit to get the materials for the job. But what else? What are the tools that are needed for the job? How much do they cost. How much does it cost you to maintain a team of roofers? Have all those question and nobody to answer them, so I am hoping you can help.
I want to have a figure in mind as a starting point. What is the amount that I need to buy the equipment, and how much operating capital do I need to get things rolling. Keep in mind you can subtract marketing expenses, since marketing is there.
Ivan.