A Recent Interview – DC Keeton Home Improvements

STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS – AN INTERVIEW

Recently I was interviewed by Dean Burgess of Excite Entrepreneur with questions regarding my business acumen – his questions centered on me starting my own business and the reasons behind why I decided to do so.

I wanted to share this article with you in the event that you are considering embarking on a business venture, and that you could possibly benefit from my many years of experience.

If I could help anyone with more information, please reach out to me via email at: davidkeeton69@gmail.com

Entrepreneur David Keeton’s Words of Wisdom For New Business Owners

David Keeton of DC Keeton Home Improvements in Los Angeles has been working for himself most of his life. I talked to him a little about what made him decide to start his own business.

“I’m not one to march to another person’s drumbeat,” he said. “I wanted to have control of my life. I thrive on making decisions and knowing that I have to live with them, whether they are right or wrong. And thanks to the stars above, more have been right than wrong [laughs].”

I asked Keeton what he loves about being a contractor.

“I have been privileged to meet hundreds, if not thousands of homeowners over my 30 years as a contractor,” he told me. ” From a very gifted, famous playwright; to a chef who works for some of the biggest names in Hollywood; to a sportscaster for the NFL; to one of the most prolific music producers in the industry; and doctors, accountants, nurses, as well as other contractors, etc. 99% of them have remained as friends and this I cherish.”

There’s certainly no shortage of celebrity and other high-profile real estate in the area, but that’s not all he enjoys about his profession.

“Also, I thoroughly enjoy taking an ugly kitchen, a nasty bathroom, or a home that is just plain worn out, and turning them into a new and clean space with new cabinets, new tile, new lighting, new floors, and a new paint job,” Keeton shared. “And to have the praises of my clients is one of the most enjoyable aspects of my profession.”

With a five-star rating on Yelp, Keeton no doubt gets plenty of praise.

I asked him what sets his business apart from others in the field. He pointed to his slogan, which says, “The Contractor you will still like at the END of the job.”

“And I mean it!” he insisted, pointing to “top notch” references, an Angie’s List “Super Service Award” four years in a row, his attention to details, guidance on shopping places, personal supervision of all projects, daily communication, and a “positive, high-energy” personality.

These are certainly traits that any customer can appreciate, and let’s be honest. You’re not getting them with just any contractor.

For everything he loves about his profession, Keeton acknowledges that it is not without its challenges. Asked what he considers the biggest one, he cited a lack of follow-through by contractors.

“Homeowners tell me all the time about their not so positive experiences with contractors prior to my coming on board, and at the top of the list is this complaint,” he said. “Personally, I do my very best to communicate with all of my clients (I usually have 6-8 jobs going on at a time), checking in to make sure that the project is going as expected and to resolve any issues that have arisen that I may not be aware of. And I visit each jobsite 3-4 times a week, sometimes more to see with my own eyes just what is going on and to plan for the next aspect of the job”.

I asked Keeton for one piece of advice he would give to someone just starting out in their own business. He pointed to a slogan made famous by Nike. You know the one.

“Just Do It!” he said. “So many folks put up all kinds of barriers, they are afraid they will make mistakes, that no one will buy their service or their product, that they won’t have enough money, etc., etc., etc.”

“Yes, you will make mistakes (learn from them),” he continued. “If you have a quality product or service people will buy it; and yes, you will have a money issues (sometimes even now I run short of working capital, but I know not to freak out over it). The rewards of owning your own business are so numerous that these trip hazards will all become minor, temporary issues!”

These are words of wisdom from a professional who has been at it for – remember – most of his life!

For a FREE estimate on any of these ideas, send me a message and we shall get together!

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