From handy-man to full-scale remodeler
1stChoice Services
full-scale Remodeling services | Kalamazoo, MI
When Mack Chrisman, Operations Manager of 1stChoice Services, saw revenue increase 60% year-over-year, he knew he needed a system that could support their rapid growth.
With Knowify, Mack was able to shore-up his data-driven approach to business with a full suite of project management tools and real-time financial reporting.
By combining entrepreneurial drive, industry know-how, and purpose-built software, Mack and his team turned a humble handy-man service into a full-scale remodeling business.
How 1stChoice revolutionized their workflow with Knowify
PROBLEM
Running a quickly-growing business with spreadsheets led to:
- An unscalable financial system
- Inaccurate books
- Hours of admin work
SOLUTION
Gained from investing in Knowify’s construction project management software:
- Real-time job tracking
- Seamless QuickBooks integration
- A suite of end-to-end project management tools
RESULTS
Since moving to Knowify:
- Hours saved on reporting & invoicing
- Data-driven problem solving
- Instant access to accurate accounting data
The next generation of success in the trades
Hear Mack’s inspiring journey through the remodeling industry and how he navigates its unique challenges through a mix of creative problem solving, determination, and intuitive software. Watch the full interview below.
Carrying on a legacy
Like many others in the trades, Mack is proud to follow in the footsteps of family members who came before him. His grandfather, a German immigrant, moved to Canada after World War II and started his own construction company in his early thirties.
While Mack grew up on job sites with his dad and grandfather, his journey into the trades really started with a stint in the world of coffee. According to Mack, he was working on designing, building, and managing coffee shops, creating new programs for businesses looking to enter the world of coffee, when his family’s entrepreneurial spirit started calling to him. He found himself wanting to venture into business on his own. He put that into action by opening his own coffee shop.
You need to understand at what point your business becomes profitable.
Mack Chrisman
Operations Manager, 1stChoice Services
Mack took pride in doing the build-out himself and loved working with all his trade partners, right down to the local building authority. However, after the lease for the shop ended and the industry took a hit due to the pandemic, Mack knew he needed to make a change.
With his childhood at the front of his mind, Mack realized that the trades were calling to him, and he now had the business experience to make the most of it. He made his comeback by landing a role as Operations Manager at 1stChoice, an opportunity that would allow him to utilize his unique skill set.
Most importantly, it was work that was meaningful and fulfilling. Not to mention he no longer had to wake up at 5 a.m. every morning to make fresh pastries. For Mack, this new role was the best of both worlds, combining his passion for the trades with his desire for entrepreneurial pursuits.
When asked what he learned in the coffee industry that applies to the trades, he made it clear:
“…what I did learn was that you need to understand at what point your business becomes profitable. You need to know your numbers….understanding where your business is at on a daily, monthly, quarterly, or annual basis is incredibly important.“
Mack Chrisman
For Mack, it’s all about using your data to make better decisions:
“…if you’re not in the data, if you’re not actually looking at everything objectively, then you can really struggle. You know, it’s, I’m doing really good work, my trim corners are tight, all my customers are really happy. Why aren’t I making money?”
Mack poses a central business question here. I’m doing good work, so why isn’t it translating to my bottom line?
The answer to this is found within your numbers. It doesn’t matter what business you’re in—getting your finances and bookkeeping in order is paramount. You can’t outwork poor financial management, you need to match great work with organized finances. Data is key to running any business—maybe even more so in the trades, where each project can be wildly different than the one that came before.
Solving problems like a pro
Mack believes that a successful tradesperson must embrace challenges and break them down as a series of problems that requires enthusiasm as a key step towards finding solutions:
“The industry in and of itself, we’re all problem solvers. We’re handed building documents or we have a part to play in the design and function of a project, but throughout that process, you’re just encountering things in the real world and providing solutions.”
The industry in and of itself, we’re all problem solvers.
Mack Chrisman
Operations Manager, 1stChoice Services
In his eyes, the entire industry revolves around finding solutions. Reflecting on his past experiences, Mack recounted a project where he and his team were tasked with remodeling an old bicentennial farm.
The project involved tripling the square footage of the building while also preserving some of its original features, such as plaster walls and stairs. As expected, many challenges arose, including dealing with uneven floors and refinishing century-old doors For Mack, this project perfectly encapsulated the nature of the trades industry—a continuous stream of issues that require innovative solutions.
While he acknowledges that it may sound daunting to some, he sees it as an exciting and rewarding aspect of his job. He states that successful tradesmen thrive in this environment, constantly seeking out challenges and coming up with practical solutions.
He summed up his thoughts on the remodeling industry, describing it as “a system of issues” that tradesmen are responsible for solving. But for those who genuinely love what they do, like himself, it’s deeply fulfilling.
For Mack this starts before you hit the job site:
“People don’t understand how important it is to stay on time and on budget. And what does that mean for us? That means just ensuring that everybody has exactly what they need to be efficient before they even recognize that they need it.”
This is where having the right software in place comes into play. In his opinion, software keeps everyone accountable. But more importantly, it helps him ask the right questions about the business:
“…going in the field and being able to check in and actually get eyes on these things [job progress] is a luxury that we don’t always have. But through the software and through our team members being able to clock into individual phases of a job and mark them completed. We actually have as close to a real-time and in-the-moment view of what’s happening without having to step foot on that job site. Freeing up that time is what gives us the ability to focus on getting new jobs in the door.“
Mack Chrisman
On software, a big investment for a big payoff
Mack believes that although incorporating software into your processes requires an initial investment in time and effort, the resulting return on investment is significant. He stresses the importance of fully utilizing technology to improve operations and take advantage of growth opportunities:
“…the initial time invested, and the return on that…can be as great as you want it to be. You can put in minimal effort and just have the small benefits of efficiency, but if you truly leverage the opportunities that Knowify has for you, you have the opportunity to take your business further than you could without it.”
It just gives me peace of mind and allows me to just pour my whole entire self into whatever’s directly in front of me.
Mack Chrisman
Operations Manager, 1stChoice Services
Mack spoke to another benefit of using construction management software like Knowify: the ability to end double data entry:
“It’s helped us tremendously, because QuickBooks and Knowify are able to share information back and forth seamlessly. I had spent some time recording with other companies, and it was like, yeah, so it can pull information from QuickBooks, but you have to use this other third-party, API that’s gonna push and pull data for you. And it just became really complicated, so that was definitely a major selling point for you guys.”
For Mack, software streamlines their processes and keeps clients and himself informed on jobs. According to Mack, having a fully integrated system that allows him to track the status of each job has been a game changer:
“Let’s say we’re working for a client and they call me up and they go, ‘Hey, so what’s the status of this thing?’ And I can pick up my phone and go, ‘well, actually, today I can see the guys have completed X, Y, and Z, and here’s a link to your customer portal so you can actually see these things in real-time.’ It’s a lifesaver. I think a huge thing for me; it just gives me peace of mind and allows me to just pour my whole entire self into whatever’s directly in front of me…it provides me the freedom and peace of mind that I need to really be successful in my position.”
His team saw revenue grow 60% and 100% growth in the past two years, respectively, which led to a significant increase in workload and challenges in managing their growing business.
However, dedicated construction management software has been a crucial tool in helping them keep up with their rapid growth. As a result they were able to avoid potentially devastating financial management process failures. In the past, they relied on custom spreadsheets and double entry, which proved to be inefficient and prone to errors:
“We saw 60% growth last year and a hundred percent growth the year before. And when you do that, it’s unregulated growth. You break every system that you have, and we accidentally found ourselves in a position where we were doing double entry for all of our data on different spreadsheets and weren’t carrying things over correctly.“
Mack Chrisman
In addition, software brings a wealth of added features that help bring projects under control. Mack believes that advanced features like geofencing advance their processes and allow for more accurate billing and cost tracking:
“I can make sure that when my guys clock in the field they are where they say that they are. So I can feel good about billing our clients for the hours that are being recorded. You know, having a catalog of different building materials or different rates for if someone wants to call me and say, Hey, I need to have, 12 square of siding put up, I can just go and pull that item from my catalog and shoot out an invoice in a matter of 20 minutes.”
Instead of spending hours creating spreadsheets, Mack can now quickly pull the necessary information and send out invoices in a matter of minutes. Jobs are not siloed. Every phase flows into the next. Software cuts down on the time and effort needed to keep jobs moving along in an organized, efficient manner.
“You know, you can build yourself a nifty little spreadsheet that does everything that you need really quickly, but that doesn’t play nice with everything else. Having access to a full suite of software components under one user interface, one dashboard, it’s just, it’s huge.”
Mack stressed that relying on manual processes such as handwritten journal entries for bookkeeping doesn’t lead to long term growth. Moreover, it can result in a larger staff resulting in higher overhead costs. However, by leveraging software like Knowify, a team of four or five people can effectively be reduced to just two. This not only creates longevity for the company but also minimizes overhead liabilities.
“You know, every hour that you are going to spend on your computer at your desk, figuring out how to make this work is going to equate to hours and hours and hours of savings. That means you have more time for your family. That means you have more time to develop bigger relationships within the community, and get that dream project that you’ve been keeping your eye on for a while.“
Mack Chrisman
The benefits of using technology in the trades industry are undeniable, as Mack shared a personal experience of being able to quickly generate work-in-progress (WIP) reports:
“In five minutes, I can do a work-in-progress report on all my projects and know exactly where they’re at. If we were doing everything on paper, it’s like, ‘well, hold on, gimme about two hours, and I’ll get back to you.’ It’s night and day.”
Mack further quantified the benefits of using Knowify by mentioning the hidden efficiencies within the software that add up over time:
Starting as a handyman service for wealthy communities, their company expanded to handle larger projects such as remodels, additions, and new constructions. Mack credited technology and software as a key player in their success, stating that without them, they wouldn’t have been able to keep up with the increasing workload or opportunities.
Industry outlook
Mack believes that with the right onboarding process and a cultural shift in viewing trades as a viable career path, the industry will continue to thrive. He started by busting a common myth amongst the trades: that those who work in the trades didn’t choose it as their first career choice.
I think that we can do a lot more to onboard them [younger generations] in a better way. I think if we really capitalize on that opportunity and let [younger generations] know that the trades are a viable future with longevity, you’re gonna be able to provide for yourself and your family and have a nice life, you know. Just making that opportunity known to kids.
Mack Chrisman
Operations Manager, 1stChoice Services
In truth, as he explained, the trades are a viable profession for someone looking to start a lucrative career:
“People can actually make the educated decision to pursue these things and have the ability to provide for themselves and their families. I feel like we weren’t let down by our previous generations. I think they were trying to do the best that they could, but we are just seeing the results of, you know, everyone being told to go pursue a college degree outside of the trades.”
Mack practices what he preaches. He currently has a high school intern who was handpicked by his shop teacher, working with them for three hours every day. Mack highlights the importance of meeting the next generation where they are and empowering them to join the industry.
With the constant advancements in technology, it is critical to have a younger generation who already has a greater understanding and comfort with it. He expressed excitement for what the future holds, as the younger generation’s input and feedback could push the industry to new heights.
He believes that in the next decade, barriers will be removed to make way for these young professionals. The potential for this industry is limitless, with examples such as 3D printing houses already being a reality. In the end, Mack is hesitant to put boundaries on the possibilities and expresses excitement for the future of the trade industry.
Final thoughts
His advice for those looking to improve or grow their remodeling business:
Focus on solid foundations. Never take fundamentals for granted, and constantly work to improve the basics. Despite being seen as unglamorous, these fundamentals are essential for success in the construction industry. Moreover, look to master basic concepts of entrepreneurship and simple actions anyone can master such as punctuality and transparent communication.
Above all, Mack recommends taking the time to invest in the future of your business. He emphasized that the initial investment in software should not deter you from exploring potential solutions.
The potential return on investment is too great to ignore. He advised not to rush the process and to dedicate time to understanding the construction management software as it can lead to significant time and cost savings in the long run.
The more you embrace technology and use it to free yourself from laborious time-sucking activities, the more time you can spend with your family, friends and any of the things you care about most. Time saved is your most precious asset. Or as Mack puts it:
“That means you have more time for your family. That means you have more time to develop bigger relationships within the community and get that dream project that you’ve been keeping your eye on for a while.”
There’s an easier way to grow your business
Take control of your remodeling business and optimize your workflow with Knowify. Book a demo today and see how our all-in-one construction management software can streamline your business, increase productivity, and maximize profits.