| 1. Name |
Frederick C. Harbour |
| 2. Name of your business: |
VSGI, Florida Construction Services |
| 3. When did you open your business? |
VSGI is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), company founded in 2008, VSGI has provided construction management, design-build, and general contracting services throughout North America to the Federal Government. |
| 4. What services do you offer? |
VSGI's mission is to become a regional market leader by providing innovative construction cleaning services and allied products to the public and private sectors. We operate by our principal Company value of integrity with a customer commitment to safety, flexibility, and excellence. Knowing construction workers as we do and knowing that they are instructed to remove debris and rubble after finishing their respective jobs, (which almost never happens) they leave behind a trail of concrete dust, paint stains and general litter. Being a new professional to the new construction cleanup businesses, we are required to remove these final signs of construction activity before furniture, carpeting and fittings can move in. Standard equipment for our new construction cleanup businesses is power washers, industrial vacuum cleaners and conventional cleaning equipment including brooms, buckets and mops. |
| 5. Why did you start the business? |
I started the construction cleaning business because VSGI has been focused on support to the Dept of Defense, Dept of Energy, General Services Administration, the Veterans Administration and a few private sector companies; we had the vision to be the leader in the SDVOSB construction cleaning marketplace due to our past experience in construction. Our goal is to become not only the best construction cleaning service, but part of our client's team. We take pride in building relationships with companies and clients where a sense of loyalty is established and enjoyed by both parties. |
| 6. How many people are in your company? |
12 employee in the VSGI FL Cleaning Service |
| 7. What has been the biggest surprise, good or bad, since you started? |
I think the biggest surprise when starting out my own construction and design business was that the phone wasn't ringing on its own. I had wrongfully assumed that just because I had all of this cool personal work and I was a disabled veteran working under the SDVOSB program (or at least what I thought was cool a decade ago) that government people would be knocking down my door to work with me. That wasn't the case at all though. I had to cold call and email businesses and people I had never met and ask to work for them in ways where I could to get my foot in the door and get real world experience. I had to learn that what was cool to me wasn't necessarily what was cool to everyone else, and could be entirely different than what actually paid the bills. I felt like a lot of young men and women engineers and building designers don't understand that design is not always (and in some cases rarely is) a synonym for “artist." That alone could be a quite a shock. We had to competitively bid Government work under the SDVOSB program. |
| 8. What is the toughest part of running your business? |
The hardest part of starting a company is starting. Before you start it's just an idea. You can walk away from it anytime you want. Once you've committed its real. You're in. Walking away means failure. Once you're in you've got successes, milestones, and goals to pull you along. It's the chasm, that crevice that creases between the idea and the leap that is so hard. It's like getting into a freezing cold pool. Jump in and go from there or walk away, standing on the edge just gets boring. A decision to starting a company is hard, but it's not as hard as just “STARTING” the company.” Find your customers, and surround yourself with smart people, it's one thing to think about what you would do differently, but it's another to have that guidance when you're just starting out. That's why business owners are always looking for solutions and they're realizing that there are entrepreneurs who have been there and done that, and can help them avoid learning these lessons the hard way. That's what I expect to get out of your program and membership. |
| 9. What is the best part of running your business? |
VSGI Construction Services knows that the key to our next project and overall success is our people. We know that people who value our core values will drive our growth. As an owner you must pay close attention to details which does result in a higher quality of work and saves additional time down the road, though it does take more time up front and sometimes overtime, but it will pay off in the end. |
| 10. Is there anything that you would have done differently? |
I should have spent more time mapping out our sales, operations, advertising, marketing, public relations and growth strategies; all fall under the strategic planning umbrella. I should have used or asked advice from experts and mentors that could have helped me shape the plan, but the biggest investment is the time it takes to fully understand your business and develop a well thought out road map for its future and your time as the owner. |
| 11. What is the most important thing you will be adding, doing, changing in the next year for your business? |
Will have employees and myself spend more time efficiently, investing more in planning and organization. No matter how much money you have in the bank, there are only so many hours in the day. Most owners, and I include myself, wish they had prepared themselves to go into business by spending time improving their time management skills and strategic thinking. Most business owners are optimistic about seeing an increase in revenue in the next year. You need to be well capitalized, because most owners don't always see sales go up, they usually see their sales increase in small amounts or hold steady. In this positive climate we are in today, it makes sense that an owner makes the decision to start to move into other directions for their company growth. |
| 12. Where do you see your business in 2 years, 5 years, and 10 years? |
In 5 to 10 years, I predict that my company will have spun off at least six successful veteran's subsidiary startups, which will all be run by someone other than me. I would like to think that my core team members will love their new jobs in the family or will be at the point where things are good enough for them to consider early retirement. |
| 13. What advice could you give others and please don't hold back! |
The best thing you can do is define the problem or describe a solution in a formal document (Business Plan) that can meet the needs of potential clients. Also determine how many people you will need or want to meet the requirement and fine the solution that you are planning to offer? Also review your competition and see if anyone else is offering the same solution to the same market. If you do have direct competition, explain what makes your solution stand out. Find customers and surround yourself with smart people. Its one thing to think about what you would do differently, but it's another to have that guidance when you're just starting out. That's why business owners are looking for solutions and they're realizing that there are entrepreneurs who have been there and done that, and can help them avoid learning these lessons the hard way. |
| 14. How do you use MyHouseCleaningBiz.com to help you with your business? |
As stated above, I trust I will find information and ideas that other cleaning entrepreneurs have completed and have been there and done that, and that can help VSGI avoid learning these lessons the hard way. I look forward to the newsletters and comments from other members relating to the cleaning business. |
| 1. School - high school, college, technical school: |
EDUCATION BS, Civil Engineering - Construction Management, University of Maryland Environmental/Construction OSHA Health and Safety Law, Institute for Applied Management and Law Inc. 130 Hour Construction Safety Coordinator, OSHA/Northern Illinois University Illinois Environmental Hazardous Emergency Response Incident Commander OSHA C-DAC Task Force sub-committee 2005-2009 LICENSES AND AFFILIATIONS American Society of Civil Engineers National Society of Professional Engineers Society of American Military Engineers, Great Lakes Chapter |
| 2. What are some of your prior jobs or businesses? |
2010 to present – VSGI, LLC As founder and President of VSGI, LLC (VSGI 2007 to 2009 – Harbour Contractors, Inc. As Vice President 2004 to present – CSA Safety, LLC As President 1990 to 1992 - HARBCO Environmental, Inc. Vice President 1988 to 1990 - OPUS North Corporation Real Estate Director/Construction Program Manager 1980 to 1988- CB Commercial Real Estate Commercial Real Estate Broker 1968 TO 1979 - I. C. Harbour Construction Company Various construction positions 1964-1966 – U. S. Marine Corps (Served in Vietnam) 1964-65 |
| 3. Is there a specific person or event in your life that made you decide to go into business for yourself? |
My father But if you're considering becoming an entrepreneur, don't forget all the benefits that go along with it: • Flexibility. Work your own hours. • More spare time (eventually). ... • Call the shots. ... • Set your own deadlines. ... • Sell how you want to sell. ... • Create your own environment.... • Pursue your passion. ... "Create something from scratch" |
| 4. Web Site: |
http://www.vsgillc.com |
| 5. Email Address: |
[email protected] |
