“One of the most important things about starting your own business is experience”, said Jake Droessler, who owns Jake Droessler Construction. This is especially true because the more experience you have in what you want to do for a business, the more knowledgeable you will have in running it. Jake grew up working in construction all his life where he gained lots of experience.
Jake’s family of Droesslers began building and remodeling homes and barns in Grant County in the 1920s, through his great-grandfather, Joe. Jake’s grandfather, Joe’s son, Gene Droessler Sr., built several homes in Dickeyville, Kieler, Hazel Green, Cuba City, Platteville, Tennyson, and Potosi in the following decades. Over the years, Jake learned the ins and outs of the construction business from his grandpa Gene and his dad Mark.
Jake started his own separate business 20 years ago at the age of 28. The first years were tough because you're going to have to get a name for yourself and prove to people that you do good work. After a few years in the business, doing work for different people, and those people telling their friends and family they were all very happy with the work, he had made a name for himself. This is the best advertising for a small business: word of mouth.
“One of the challenges of owning your own business is balancing office work and labor,” said Jake. One factor people forget is when you own a small business you often have to do all the office paperwork, billing, and payroll. There is a lot of math and calculation involved with business ownership, especially construction, when it comes to estimating projects. This means putting in lots of extra hours, but if you work hard you can make a very successful business.
Some of the physical factors that you need to start a construction business include tools, a truck, trailers, ladders, scaffolding, and insurance. When you start working in this trade, you will begin to gradually purchase some of your own tools. While working your way up to the point of ownership, you will have collected some of the small tools along the way. A truck and trailer are necessary to haul your equipment and materials. Most jobs will require some type of ladder to access all areas of the project. You will need the scaffolding to work on jobs that are high off the ground, and not safe to use ladders only. Insurance and state-certified credentials are very important for the protection of customers and your business.
Another very useful skill is being able to talk to people because owning a business will involve talking to lots of people. You need to be able to talk with customers, employees, vendors, and other professionals in the industry. Jake said this is also one of the most rewarding aspects of the business, getting to connect with his customers and helping bring their home building or renovation dream to reality. “The best part," said Jake, "is seeing my customers’ happiness when we complete a job.”