Introduction
Matt Pentecost is an owner and president of SacSurfacePro, a small business operating in Sacramento, CA. It offers customers a myriad of home services: installing grout, tile, natural stone, glass, showers, and shaping/cleaning home surfaces.
What was the biggest challenge at the beginning?
Pentecost admitted that initially, he lacked a business sense, and it was difficult to stay busy. In other words, it is always challenging to manage the business by oneself and without experience. As I understood, one of the most critical challenges at the beginning is to find clients, reach them, and satisfy them with splendid services/products establishing a more stable business connection. The owner advised beginners to stay active, upbeat, passionate about what they do, and open-minded (Real Estate Success Center 00:01:50- 00:03:00). It is not always possible to stick to the plan; thus, the business model should be flexible and highly adaptive.
Do you have your own website, and which role did it played at the start?
SacSurfacePro’s owner revealed that he had no website for the first five years since he started a business in 2005. Matt Pentecost recognized that his decision to neglect website building for so long due to the fear of additional expenses was a mistake. Matt followed someone’s advice to open a website and was ultimately pleased with its benefits. He realized that a wise digital presence and social media work are critical factors in promoting one’s products, services and establishing a brand name (Real Estate Success Center 00:03:21-00:04:30). Thus, we should launch a personal website from the beginning to inform our clients of real estate services and their pricing. Our marketing efforts (Facebook, Instagram, and word of mouth) should drive customers to visit the official website, ask questions, and order services.
Do Google My Business reviews influence business appeal, or is it irrelevant at the beginning?
The interviewee emphasized that small businesses’ prioritized task is to provide a high-quality service, meet the market standards, and even outperform most local competitors. It will assist in spreading a good word about the company and attract more clients. However, people tend to search a firm on the web, inspect the Google My Business page or other platforms, read the reviews, and compare them to ones left about direct competitors. Hence, it is essential to be present on various platforms, make sure we provide top-notch services and encourage our satisfied clients to leave a great review. People often make final decisions to use one’s service just based on great reviews and information found on the website.
How to assemble the right team for a small business?
Small enterprises, especially at the beginning, do not require a high number of managers and staff. Pentecost confessed that it was difficult to part with close colleagues just because this partnership was not effective. Nevertheless, a business owner should be able to say no, to cut ties when needed to improve efficiency and avoid additional costs (Real Estate Success Center). It is commonly seen that enterprise owner gives extra chances for a worker to improve his/her efficiency, but unfortunately, the problem remains. In our case, we should hire a limited number of sales agents among graduate students. The latter should undergo proper selection to ensure they have the needed traits to communicate with clients and expand their competence in the field. The small business team should trust each other, effectively and timely communicate, and be aware of current challenges.
Conclusion
To conclude, the interviewee provided helpful insights regarding a thorny path of starting entrepreneurs. Although Pentecost does not own a real estate agency, he has rich experience managing a small business connected to the housing. The biggest challenge is to find clients and establish a local brand image at the early stage. The use of social media and websites is of high importance since it enables effective marketing strategies. The firm should also pay attention to ratings and reviews on various platforms since they influence clients’ decision-making. Agency’s team should be limited in numbers but friendly and effective. All that will result in the enterprise’s high flexibility and adaptivity, helping avoid stagnation and collapse.
Work Cited
Real Estate Success Center. “Small Business Owner Interviews: Matt Pentecost.” YouTube.