Kindly give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
Great Northern Builders (GNB) is a family-owned leader in residential construction and remodeling, as well as commercial construction and restoration. As a licensed general contractor, we tackle everything from design-build to whole-house renovations, new home construction and commercial space build-outs. Great Northern Builders offers unsurpassed customer service, so no matter the project, you can be assured of constant communication and quality workmanship.
Located in Eagan, Minnesota, we are proud to live and work in the Great North. We work with clients throughout the Twin Cities metro area and in western Wisconsin.
Kindly give us a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
I have spent a lifetime growing up and working in this industry. At the age of 13 I began to work for my father in his custom door and millwork shop that my grandfather started in the late 1960’s. Every free chance I had I was building, drawing and designing anything that had to do with homes. I used to love tagging along in my dad’s old pickup truck on weekends and hitting the local lumber yard for whatever project he was working on at home.
Throughout high school I took any and every drafting class, shop class and woodworking class I could. I attended DCTC and participated in a Building trades class where we built a home from scratch over the course of a year and earned college credits. After graduation I had a short stint in the laborers union and went right into the workforce working for a question builder and learning the craft of finish carpentry. Over a handful of years I worked for different builder remodelers and really honed in on the remodel end of the business. Designing and creating a space within the confines of the original home and making it all work is complicated and rewarding when done correctly.
Fast forward almost 30 years later and I have been operating an award winning design build remodeling company for almost 20 years. We are staples in the community, employee driven, family operated and passionate about what we do.
What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
I was very particular about how I performed my work and ultimately wanted to be more involved with the design. While I valued the experience I gained through my previous jobs and employers, I ultimately thought I could design, build and execute the projects better.
What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
Hire good people and pay them well. You are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. Make sure you Be involved in the business. A lot of entrepreneurs try to concentrate on one thing and leave the rest of the business to someone else, while I agree that is good, involvement on all levels is a must to be successful and key to understanding the product you are putting out there. Create a personal relationship with each and every client. In our experience creating that “Contractor for Life” Mentality is what keeps the referrals and repeat clients coming back.
What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Discipline on all levels
Money management
Willingness to take risks
How many hours do you work a day on average?
To many, but especially in the beginning and when times are lean…you need to put the time in.
To what do you most attribute your success?
Hard work first and for most, the people I surround myself with, my family and the unwillingness to fail.
How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Our best marketing has always been our clients. The majority of our work has always been due to referrals and repeat clients. A great website cannot be overlooked along with backing that up with solid SEO campaigns and social media. Little things like yard signs, letters work vehicles and marketing at local levels goes a long way as well
Where did your organization’s funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
Funding and capital came from saving and slowly securing jobs while I worked other jobs. We didn’t go outside for funding
What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
Again, discipline and the right people around you.
Where do you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
Flourishing, growing and continuing to be a positive member of the community and building amazing projects
Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Any business that treats their people well, is an advocate for the community that supports them and is ethically sound
How important have good employees been to your success?
They are the key to success and failure. Without great employees you don’t have a great company.
How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?
Giving up is not an option, there is always a way. If it’s not hard it’s not worth doing.
What motivates you?
Family and future. Being at the top of our industry.
My family is number one. Fear of failure and excitement of success
How do you generate new ideas?
By staying on top of industry trends and new technology
How do you define success?
By happiness. If you can be happy you can be successful
How do you build a successful customer base?
By doing what you say you are going to do. Good communication and follow through is the recipe for success and ensuring your customer base keeps coming back.
What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
Freedom to create my own destiny. Anything you want can be obtained with foresight, hard work and determination.
What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Hiring on family and knowing that I have made a difference in their lives by opening up opportunities for them that otherwise may not have been there.
What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else? I think that both ways are good. I think entrepreneurship has a constant drive and force behind it to never settle and always want to improve. I like taking risks and pushing myself and that is risky, but the reward is worth it.
What kind of culture exists in your organization? How did you establish this tone and why did you institute this particular type of culture?
Family is definitely a culture that is felt across the company. While there are family members that work here, the goal is to treat and make everyone feel like family. We take care of our people.
In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
Rollercoaster
If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
Start earlier and invest more. Self educate more
How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?
It can be hard. It has highs and lows. It is what keeps me going though
What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?
Failure, I manage it by being disciplined and grinding
How did you decide on the location for your business?
I fell into it. We bought the building my grandfather built and my father ran his company out of. Third generation, different business.
Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?
I believe in hard work, determination and the unwillingness to give up.
What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made?
Lack of oversight and over trusting people.
How can you prevent mistakes or do damage control?
By being involved. No one cares as much as you care
What are your hobbies? What do you do in your non-work time?
My family, anything with them is a welcomed distraction away from work. Old cars. I love the car culture and enjoy that very much. Working in the yard, building small projects at home.
What makes you happy?
Being happy makes me happy. Seeing my family grow and spending time with them, watching the business succeed and grow, seeing my employees grow and have continued success by working hard and being rewarded for that. Seeing customers reactions when we finish there projects
What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?
Friends, family, money and time the list goes on.