Running your own business requires a finely balanced mix of perfectionism and practicality. That’s the challenging lesson Quinn Martin has learned over decades of running a successful roofing company. Quinn walked into the roofing world at the young age of 12, supporting his step-dad’s contracting business. At age 16, he bought his own truck and began his own startup roofing service. That grew from minor shingle jobs to full installations, siding, deck building, and even interior solutions.
In today’s podcast, we’ll explore Quinn’s path from exterior contractor to streamlined digital roofing provider, with multiple lessons he learned along the way! We’ll also explore the dangers (and uses) of perfection, plus MCSquared Roofing tactics for maximizing profitability.
If you’re in need of fresh insights for your roofing company, be sure to listen in!
Stretched Thin and Stressed Out
Quinn’s journey in the roofing journey started out like many others. A personal background in contracting and hard labor, followed by a natural growth in client base and service capabilities. Unfortunately, that thrilling expansion period introduced a dangerous trap, one that many contractors fall into: over-extension.
Simple roofing work ballooned into pull exterior projects and interior renovations. For Quinn, extra solutions came with their own complications, time-drains, and management challenges. His own personal perfectionism only added to these difficulties. A firm dedication to superb craftsmanship helped earn excellent reviews, but it also caused some projects to run longer than necessary. MCSquared’s owner found himself driving back and forth across town managing multiple teams of specialized contractors and running himself ragged.
Worse still, these extra solutions weren’t even generating any real boosts to the company’s bottom line. Quinn needed a change. He needed to simplify.
Quinn gradually MCSquared scaled back to its original roots: a purely roofing-focused company. Not only did this breathe new life into the company’s profit margin, it transformed the ultimate growth path of Quinn’s business.
Growing Your Roofing Company Digitally with Online Shopping
With the roofing world turned upside down by rising covid restrictions, numerous contracting businesses found themselves spiraling as they looked for ways to recoup sales. Door-knocking was out for many in the more locked-down states, including North Carolina. So were many other traditional marketing tactics that relied on in-person sales.
For Quinn (who never really liked sales in the first place), this was a tantalizing opportunity to reach prospects in new and creative ways.
“We weren’t allowed to go out and bid roofs. I started thinking, ‘There’s gotta be a better way to do this.’ Why do I have to go out?’ We’ve been using satellites for years. If I get a request for a quote, I can sit there and use the satellite and measure it out myself. I can see exactly how many feet of ridge there are and…every single inch of material that goes into that roof. And then I compile emails for my customers, email it out to them with five different roof options. Then they just pick the roof that fits their style and budget. Sign online. Pay online. Schedule online.”
MCSquared Roofing has not only reduced their need for sales personnel to practically zero, but they’ve been able to funnel the cost savings back into the business. This means greater profit margins and more incentivized roofing crews.
A More Practical Version of Perfectionism
Business owners need to feel connected to the function and outcome of their company. For roofing contractors, this often translates into a micro-management habit at every jobsite. While perfectionism encumbered Quinn in the past, he’s found more practical outlets for it these days.
First, he works hard to provide the most information-rich proposals for would-be clients. Consumers have also shown a surprising willingness to shop for roofing online. Quinn attributes most of his client responsiveness to better information availability and low-pressure environments.
“…I’m not sitting there for two hours in a homeowners house presenting to them, trying to talk them into a certain roof. We’re not trying to sell anybody a roof. We’re trying to give them enough data to [help them] buy the roof. If we give them the options, I’m not going to assume they want the stone coated steel, top of the line roof. I’m also not going to assume they want this cheap little 3-tab roof that’s gonna last them 15 years. I’m going to let them decide what’s right for them. In our proposals, we send tons of information on each shingle. We send the brochure for each and give them the information they need to choose what’s right for them.”
Next, Quinn provides his own finishing inspection at the end of each job. No micromanaging crews during installs, just a simple walk-around to ensure quality control and cleanliness around the site.
“That’s going to be your first bad review, if you do a bad job on the cleanup…I will walk around the roof. If the debris that I pick up is more than fit in the palm of my hand, somebody screwed up.” This final check also provides ample opportunity to talk with the property owners and build relationships. After all, client referrals are an essential part of every roofing contractor’s business!
Share Your Story with Us in the Roofer’s Paradise Podcast!
So many contractors break through their first year of business, only to break down due to over-extension. Taking on additional solutions and service areas may seem like easy wins, but these choices come with serious management requirements, labor costs, and time drains. Avoid these pitfalls! Protect your roofing company by cultivating a streamlined service infrastructure first.
Want more tips on smart expansion for your roofing company? Subscribe to the Roofer’s Paradise Podcast for outstanding interviews and tips from industry successes! You’ll find plenty of fresh insights to guide your business towards sweet success. Better yet, contact us with your own success stories and help countless roofers like you!