Entrepreneur Interview: Sharon Dillard of Get A Grip Inc. Resurfacing

Business Name:
Get A Grip Inc. Resurfacing

Website URL:
http://www.getagripinc.com

Year Founded:
1999

Number of Employees:
13

What does your company do?
GET A GRIP Resurfacing, a family-owned, Albuquerque-based national company, restores and resurfaces porcelain and fiberglass bathtubs, cultured marble, tile and fiberglass enclosures, and repairs fiberglass tubs and showers. We serve homeowners, property managers, apartments, hotels, motels, resorts, and government institutions of all sizes.

Was there a specific turning point when you realized your business was moving to the next level?

There were several turning points at different levels. First, when we were still in a garage and we reached a level of sales and employees that we needed to move into an office. Then, when our attorney told us we needed to consider offering franchises because our dealership model had reached its limits. Now, as we’ve grown and increased our presence online and in social media, we’re going to yet another level.

What processes or procedures have you implemented that have helped grow your company?
1-Research & development – our concentration on improving our products, introducing new products and creating better, more efficient techniques and processes.
2-Elimination of steps in some of our office procedures – by automating some procedures, by using an accounting program that allows us to automatically send invoices, create reports, etc.

What is most rewarding about running your business?
1-Putting people to work
2-Seeing/working with family every day.

What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?
1-The economy – it’s certainly a challenge to maintain our level of service without layoffs in an industry where other companies have failed or have cut jobs. We’ve positioned the company to take advantage of the home improvement trend.
2-Finding the money to do what needs to be done. Shifting priorities is the key, and finding new, creative ways to do existing tasks, or finding different things to do that can replace old, obsolete methods.

If you were starting over today, what would you do differently?
Nothing.

What advice do you have for other business owners?
Take it one day at a time.
Try not to get too crazy ambitious right away.
You have to feel positively about what you’re doing every day.

Please list any favorite books, tools or resources (software, website, etc.) you would recommend for others:
Nothing specific, except that I enjoy reading stories about entrepreneurs and how they got started. That helps me get ideas and confirms for me that you really can start with an idea and nothing and be successful.

What is something that people might be surprised to learn about you?
That I don’t have a formal education.