Spotlight: Paul Dashevsky, Co-Founder of Homeowner Matchmaking Service GreatBuildz

Remodeling your home is an exciting time. You’re making your house a more enjoyable place to live in, whether you’re adding a new kitchen island or installing an outdoor deck and pool area. And in practice, it sounds like it should be really easy to do. Simply call a contractor, have them come over, and do a great job.

Of course, it doesn’t always work like that. Working with contractors can be a harrowing experience, and that dream remodel you had? It’s turned into a nightmare.

Well, Paul Dashevsky, co-founder of homeowner matchmaking service GreatBuildz, is setting out to change all that. He started GreatBuildz to offer a free service connecting homeowners with reliable, pre-screened general contractors. Contractors are selected on an individual project basis, and GreatBuildz offers support to ensure everything runs smoothly. Founded by a team of real estate and construction professionals, GreatBuildz wants to remove all of the stress that comes with the remodeling process.

Paul shares some of the lessons he’s learned from starting a business, his favorite home remodel, and where he thinks the industry is headed.

Why did you start GreatBuildz?

Before launching GreatBuildz, I spent ten years flipping homes in Los Angeles. Over that period of time, I flipped over 350 homes and saw firsthand the challenges of finding and working with contractors. Working with a good contractor made the process smooth and enjoyable, while working with a bad contractor was nothing short of a nightmare. I realized there was no simple way to tell a good contractor from a bad one. So, I teamed up with my nephew, Jon Grishpul, who has a background in technology and sales, to create GreatBuildz, a free service which connects homeowners with only pre-screened, reliable general contractors to ensure they have a stress-free remodel.

Do you have a memorable house that you flipped?

We were flipping a house in Los Angeles in the fall months and the weather was still really nice – sunny and in the 70’s and 80’s. The next step in the project was having the contractor re-roof the home, so one day he tore off the old roofing materials. He was planning to install the new roof the following morning, but he had other projects come up so he decided to wait a few days. 

Well, guess what happened — a freak storm came along and rained on the house…with no roof!  You can imagine the mess and cost to fix all the water inside the house. The kicker was that after all these repairs, when we were 99% complete with the renovation, the water heater inside the home leaked and flooded the house all over again! Good times.

What's something that's surprised you about running a business?

In the case of GreatBuildz, we really didn’t understand going in how important marketing would be to our success (and none of the founders had any real marketing experience). We figured since we were creating a really important, much-needed and free service, it would gain traction on its own. We were dead wrong about that. We learned if people don’t know you exist, they can't use your services. 

What's one of the most effective marketing techniques you've tried for GreatBuildz?

We’re still working on building awareness, so we’ve had the most success in three areas of marketing. The first is writing a bunch of educational blogs that help people either considering a remodel or searching for the right contractor. The second is grass roots outreach and educational presentations to the real estate agent community in Los Angeles. And the last is partnerships, where we’ve worked with companies in adjacent businesses who can introduce us to potential clients (i.e. architecture firms).

What has been one of your worst moments as a business owner?

Early on, the business had three founders. There was a ton of excitement between all three of us undertaking this new venture together. We contributed both time and money into the venture. Our third partner had another small business but felt he could handle the duties of both. Over time, his other business grew and required more and more of his attention, so he gave less time and effort to GreatBuildz. One day, he told us he didn’t have the bandwidth for us, and he was quitting. And the kicker was he expected us to pay back all the money he had originally invested in the business to buy out his share. There were some painful negotiations, but in the end it was the best thing that could have happened to us because he wasn’t the right fit.

What are you most excited about in the home market?

New laws here in California have recently been passed that allow the construction of ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) on any single family or multi-family lot. These laws will go a long way in helping California solve its housing shortage and allow homeowners to build a ‘second home’ (up to 1200 square feet) on their property that can have a multitude of uses for them. We’re seeing people build ADUs for rental income to help pay the bills, as home offices, for family members such as post-college kids and retired parents, and a multitude of other reasons.

The Good People, Cool Things Spotlights series features conversations with company founders. We discuss their reasons for starting a business, and the challenges, surprises, and opportunities along the way. Interested in being featured? Reach out via joey@goodpeoplecoolthings.com.