Just thought I would share this with everyone. We were recently features in the Charlotte Business Journal. Here is the direct link to the article for CBJ members. For everyone else I have attached the article below. Thank you Mr. Adam O’Daniel for such a great article!
In mid-2008, Mo Sandoval saw the writing on the wall.
Recognizing the housing downturn and a looming recession, Sandoval gave up his career as a Realtor to launch a small business that does concrete work throughout the Charlotte area. Today, Sandoval employs a handful of employees and is watching his fledgling business, Baja Concrete, find a firm foundation.
Why did you decide to start a concrete company?
I started to see a huge shift in the market where people were fixing up their properties instead of buying and selling real estate. I thought about starting up a referral service of some kind, but wanted to do something more hands-on.
I had previous experience with concrete, and knew many concrete contractors who were either going out of business, or just doing concrete on the side. I knew that it was a good time to solicit some of their best and most skilled employees and to use some of the same marketing tools that I used in real estate to start my own concrete business.
What’s the most difficult part of running a construction-related business right now?
The slowdown in commercial construction. I have never depended on commercial work, but it would be nice to have a few commercial contracts. Another challenge is trying to keep a clean reputation. With the Internet, it doesn’t take much for a consumer to find any dirty laundry that a company may have. I have worked extremely hard to keep consumers satisfied and maintain a clean slate.
Is there a particular type of concrete or service your customers want right now?
I have seen a huge increase in requests for stamped concrete. Stamped concrete is relatively new in the industry, and I think it is gaining popularity because it is more cost-efficient to install and easier to maintain than pavers.
