We had the opportunity to interview Romeo Bagherinia, founder of Mr. Robert’s Handyman Services, a contracting company located in San Antonio, Texas.
Tell Me About Your Company and What Inspired You to Start
The name of our company comes from my father-in-law. He was always a huge inspiration to me. Back in 2011, we lost him due to cancer, and the stuff we do now is his trademark. He was always working outdoors building something. Even when he was diagnosed with cancer, you couldn’t stop him from working on something outside to help homeowners.
Our goal at Mr. Robert’s Handyman Services is to help our clients upgrade their homes in a way that makes them feel comfortable, whether they want to make it their forever home or if they’re doing upgrades required before selling. My wife and I are both retired. We figured out a way to help folks without having to feel like they are getting ripped off at the same time. It’s something that we can feel accomplished about when they are proudly looking at their homes.
What Are Some of the Challenges You’ve Faced as a Small Business Owner?
I officially started this maintenance business 12 months ago, and along the way, we have learned so much from our mistakes. One of the biggest challenges when running your own business is making sure you have the right staff. It’s especially challenging in this industry because our main goal is to have happy customers and offer quality work. It’s a hard pill to swallow when a client is not happy with the work, and looking back at April 2020 there’s no way to go back and fix the previous jobs.
What’s the Best Thing About Being a Small Business Owner?
I really think that because of my prior military experience, there are a lot of concepts that I try to bring to it that enable the employees to feel good about working with us. I’ve got a couple of part-time employees, and they tell me: “Wow, man, my previous bosses are nothing like what you are,” and that makes me feel great.
We’re still a new company, so we’re still working on quirks, and now we are finally in a position to offer benefits. I can’t offer complete 100% benefits just yet, but little things like that keep reminding me why I do what I do. One of the most rewarding things is to be able to have that kind of situation where I’m probably taking a bigger step than I should, but when it comes to helping people, there is no bigger step. I would rather not make the money I think I can make if it means I can hire somebody to help me, and they are not left in the dark.
What Prompted You to Start Using FINSYNC?
We previously used a competitor at a more expensive price point. They didn’t offer nearly as many functions as FINSYNC. We signed up for the service right when COVID hit, and we could not use the program, but they were still charging us the full amount. Due to the pandemic, money wasn’t coming in. That’s when we began doing more research. We opened a business checking account at Randolf-Brooks Federal Credit Union, and FINSYNC was recommended. We haven’t had any complaints so far, and the user-friendliness has been very helpful.
What Are the Biggest Benefits Your Business has Experienced Using FINSYNC?
I would say that one of the biggest benefits is it is user-friendly. Our first two transactions took a little longer because we were new to the system, but everything was explained. I never felt like I was left in the dark. My representative, Karima, is awesome to work with. Any time I have questions, she is there to answer them for me. Once you get started with FINSYNC, everything makes sense. One of the things I enjoy the most is having one constant person to work with versus having different people helping each time.
What Financial Institutions Do You Have Connected to FINSYNC?
Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union.
How Does Having FINSYNC Connected to the Accounts Mentioned Above Make Your Business Life Easier?
One of the biggest advantages of having Randolf-Brooks Federal Credit Union connected to FINSYNC is how easy it is to track things. When a client pays a deposit, we see the tracking from the moment they pay their deposit, when materials are purchased, invoice financing, and then clearing. I am also very impressed with the chart flow.
What Advice Do You Have for Those Who Are Thinking About Owning Their Own Business?
Set yourself a goal that’s reachable. For example, my reachable goal was that I wanted to be doing this business for 12 months and see all of the mistakes we made. No matter how small the mistakes were, for example, forgetting to put gas in the truck or not putting air in a tire. I wanted to examine each mistake, and I wouldn’t say to scrutinize it but to capitalize on that error and find the best solution. That’s the best advice I can give somebody after 12 months of bumps and bruises, you know you can continue. I strongly recommend looking into your business from a 12-month perspective.
Anything Else You Would Like to Share with Other Potential and Actual Small Business Owners?
You can do it! There are so many resources in today’s society. Bless millennials and the 21st century! There are way too many resources out there to feel like you can’t do it. Don’t be afraid and give yourself realistic goals to achieve. As a fellow entrepreneur, if you find yourself needing help or have any questions, I am here to help.
How FINSYNC Can Help
FINSYNC allows you to run your business on One Platform. You can send and receive payments, process payroll, automate accounting, and manage cash flow. To learn more about how we can help your business start, scale, and succeed, contact us today.