With Construction Day coming up, it’s time to recognize and celebrate the hard-working pros who help connect communities and families with infrastructure. With 20 years of experience in the construction industry, R&M General Contracting is an industry leader. They have even been featured on the TV show, “Love it or List it”! We sat down with Slava Mukhortov, owner of R&M General Contracting to chat about the industry, their insights and more. Here’s what he had to say…
Let Us Start At The Beginning
It goes back to the story of two friends – when Slava came to Canada, he started out as a tile installation helper in the construction industry. With his eyes set on the future, he decided to complete his certifications and got his license to move up the ladder. As he gained more experience, he realized the industry’s future potential matched well with his ambition, providing exciting avenues for growth. To expand his expertise and experience, he joined his friend in the construction-framing business. As structural framing is just one part of a complete home, they had many people reaching out to them for other services which included full renovations. And that’s when R&M General Construction was born – and they decided to offer end-to-end services. The rest, as they say, is history!
Thoughts On Being An Industry Leader…
With over 20 years of experience in the industry, it’s safe to say that R&M General Contracting has proved to be an industry leader. Slava credits this to good quality of work and communication skills. To be successful, one has to be good at their craft and know how to sell it. Slava is a firm believer in building homeowner trust, which goes a long way toward customer satisfaction and more business.
Importance Of Licenses And Certifications
As construction is a big and monitored business, it was important for R&M General Contracting to have the required accreditations for all types of construction work. To stay on top of the field and to ensure that they follow protocols at all times, they did the O.B.O.A (Ontario Building Official Association Courses), Municipal Affairs and Housing Exams (to become Building Inspectors), as well as a Certificate of Qualification for Terrazzo, Tile and Marble Setter. With all the appropriate licenses and certifications, they can go the extra mile when it comes to ensuring complete peace of mind for their clients and earning their trust.
Ensuring The Safety Of Employees In The Construction Industry
Safety in construction comes with two important things – being prepared for both the before and after. While they do take every precaution like using the right safety gear and equipment, Slava recommends all employees personally check safety issues before they start working. However, one needs to be prepared in case of emergencies so R&M General Contracting always keeps a first-aid kit handy and ensures that their employees are easily able to access a medical centre if needed.
On Transitioning From Physical Word-Of-Mouth To A Digital Space
Transitioning to a digital world has been an important milestone for R&M General Contracting. While traditional word-of-mouth has been good for them, digital word-of-mouth and especially HomeStars have led them to expand their team with 20 new employees! With the dramatic growth in terms of team and business, he recommends embracing the digital world for those who haven’t already.
Signing Up With HomeStars…
Slava remembers seeing a friend doing business on HomeStars and after some deep-diving into the numbers, he realized the amount of business they could tap into by embracing the online world and especially HomeStars. After witnessing the tremendous success of their friend’s business, it was only natural that they join the HomeStars family.
The HomeStars Success Story…
After joining HomeStars, R&M General Contracting has witnessed tremendous growth. While word-of-mouth worked for them, the exposure and online presence with HomeStars has helped them onboard new clients! Positive reviews on HomeStars have helped them strengthen homeowner connections and gain their trust. Slava fondly remembers a summer when their business got over 30 calls in a day, which led to them hiring more people to keep up with the demand.
Tips On Gathering Reviews…
R&M General Contracting firmly believes in delivering the best work possible and happy customers are more likely to write a review! The HomeStars feature of requesting reviews has also aided in cutting down on time when it comes to the homeowner writing reviews. Apart from sending gentle reminders, Slava recommends having a few template messages ready to send to clients when you finish a project.
Advice To The Next Generation Of Construction Industry Entrepreneurs
Slava recommends picking a task that you enjoy and to keep working at it until you are the best. To be successful in the industry, one has to be good at what they do and work on marketing efforts to spread the word about their business!
If you are new in the industry or want to expand your word-of-mouth network to the digital platform, get in touch with us today!
