CONTRACTOR SNAPSHOT |
BY BRANDON NOEL, EDITOR
Breaking Into The Business Sometimes the way to get yourself started, is the most tried and true method
From Florida Sealcoating Official Website
F
lorida Sealcoating is owned by Jason Libmann, who's been in the industry for 28 years. That's a significant amount of time to be doing anything, and, for Libman, those early days are still fresh in his mind when he reflects on what he was doing almost three decades ago. "I was working nights at a car rental facility for my sister. I was still in school," Libmann said. "I came in one night, and all of the inventory was off the lot. I see a guy pushing a lawnmower across the parking lot with a flashlight. So, I walk out there, and I realized that the parking lot had just been paved. This guy was actually painting the lines on the ground. Libmann's interest was piqued. After an at-length conversation, Libmann was invited to come give a hand on the weekends and earn some extra money for school. After just six months doing that, the mysterious man striping in the middle of the night suggested Jason officially form his own business, and take on subcontracting work on a regular basis.
What happened next was the natural evolution of their business relationship. "And then it wasn't a year later, he retired," Libmann said. The existing portfolio of clients came with taking over the business. The whole operation was still just striping at that point, and wouldn't evolve to offer the myriad of services they do today for awhile. After two years of running the business with the help of his parents. It was steadily growing and Jason was loving the work, but a big decision was coming into focus. Libmann was, at this point, only 20 years
old and the balance between business and school was tipping toward business. "I was doing horrible in school," Libmann said. "My mom and dad sat me down, and they asked if I enjoyed doing the work? I told them I loved it. So, they asked if I'd considered turning it into a career. My parents helped me to pull myself out of school, and I pursued it fully." Up until this point, however, Libmann didn't describe himself as a business man. He wasn't selling, wasn't doing the estimates, no, he was just taking subbed-out work. More and
From Florida Sealcoating Official Website
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