In the ten years since Roy Maor opened MY Home Builders in Los Angeles, he has developed a reputation for trustworthiness, quality and experience. And while the good vibes around that might be satisfying enough on their own, his business has reaped tangible rewards thanks to its strong commitment to its values. Here Maor shares his take on the importance of a great reputation, and how other pros can build one for themselves.

On the photo above is Sam A. a project manager that works with Roy Maor.

Make Quality Work the Cornerstone

While it’s common for new business owners to take whatever work they can get, meaning it might not be their dream project or area of expertise, making quality a priority from the start is essential. Maor did this at first, then found that gaining experience and being more selective made getting high-quality results easier.

“In the early years, we’d scramble, take any job we could, drive any distance we could, cater to any person we could,” Maor says. “As you mature as a person and as a business owner, you become a lot more picky, because you understand that your success and your reputation are going to be based on the quality you’re able to produce. That quality comes when you’re comfortable in what you do.”

Tangible benefit: “Once you’ve got that reputation for quality so people recommend you, it’s a mutual benefit for both sides.” Maor says.

Lay a Foundation of Respect

Giving the person who pays the bills respect is usually a no-brainer, but Maor shows his own team as well as paying customers respect.

“Reputation is not only customers; it’s also based on how you treat your subcontractors and your employees,” he says. “If you have a reputation of being a good owner and a decent and honest business, then you’re able to maintain a high level of personnel that’s going to help you excel on the next project.”

How exactly does he treat his team well? First by “giving people confidence and pride that they’re good at what they do,” he says. “Number two is incentivizing them.” Incentives might come in the form of a vacation, a check, a holiday gift or even just telling people they’re appreciated.”

“Number three is just keeping the right atmosphere,” Maor says. “They come into this office, and they know someone’s listening. They know that we come out to the site to see what they do, not just expect them to perform and send me a picture. It’s a whole atmosphere of collaboration and appreciation.”

Tangible benefit: A collaborative atmosphere “just makes people want to stay,” Maor says. “I’ve had subcontractors that have started the business with me the day I did.”

Tip: Software such as Houzz pro can make collaboration between you and your team, and between the client and you, much easier and more efficient.

Add Strong Support

“Probably a year into the business, I was still doing everything by myself,” Maor says, “and I started to burn out. I was wearing too many hats: I was the project manager, I was the salesperson, I was the general contractor, and I was the receptionist all at the same time. At some point you understand that something like this is impossible.”

Bringing on staff you trust allows you to delegate, which frees up your own time and can reduce any stress. Whether you use that newfound time to create work-life balance or strategize about how to grow the business is up to you.

“When you start hiring people that you really trust and you know that they can represent you according to your morals and values, then you find yourself with more time to do your personal things and evolve the business,” Maor says. “I can sit down in my office and think about strategy and growth rather than running to the job site myself.

Tip: Follow your gut instead of strictly reviewing résumés when hiring. “I appreciate someone’s demeanor a lot more than I appreciate experience,” Maor says. “If someone’s willing to do something and their heart is in the right place, it’s easier to teach them a task.”

Get to the Next Level

“You can’t stay behind; you’ve got to stay relevant,” Maor says of the importance of continuing education and mentorship for business owners. “I try to attend trade shows, and I’m a part of a group of contractors here in Los Angeles that meets once a month to discuss new ideas and trends and even how to handle difficult times.”

Maor also has had two mentors over the years, whose perspective and advice he values. One was a business coach who “helped me put my business puzzle together,” he says. She taught him about finances, hiring and firing, and the like. The other “is a good friend of mine who’s 20 years older than me who’s a very prominent builder,” he says. “We have a coffee and I pick his brain about construction, not about business. I’ve learned a lot that way too.”

Maor isn’t the only one at MY Home Builders who sees the value in getting professional guidance. His office manager learned a lot from Mark G. Richardson’s business course for remodelers, called Taking Your Remodeling Business to the Next Level. A highly acclaimed author, speaker, columnist, and remodeling industry expert, Richardson has empowered business and sales leaders nationwide with his wealth of knowledge and experience. His online course covers all the important aspects of running a successful company: understanding finances, hiring and retaining a terrific team, managing time effectively, and much more. It offers video lessons, podcasts, quizzes, and supplemental materials, plus a certificate upon successful completion.

Tip: The full course of Taking Your Remodeling Business to the Next Level is free for all Houzz Pro subscribers.

Regularly Schedule Reputation Maintenance

Rare is the project that sails perfectly to the finish line. Maor sees any unforeseen waves as an opportunity to shore up his company’s reputation rather than a reason to batten down the hatches, however.

“I think what customers appreciate more than anything is your ability to solve a problem more than your ability to promise something very nice in the beginning,” he says. “If you and I have a little construction problem, and I was there for you and solved it for you immediately, you’d appreciate me a lot more than if everything just went on cruise control from day one.”

And as important as reputation maintenance is during projects, it’s just as essential after completion. “If I created a project that took a lot of time and a lot of effort, I’d like to show it in the nicest way possible,” Maor says. That means investing in professional photographers and getting great reviews.

“My office manager often tells me, ‘The customer called, and they loved our photographs. The customer called, and they loved our reviews. The customer called, and their next-door neighbor saw a job that we did.’ For me, reputation management means a lot, and Houzz is a very, very good part of that,” Maor says. While he uses Houzz Pro mainly for lead generation, the software also is “a very important part of our reputation maintenance,” he says. “Whether it’s reviews, pictures or exposure, that’s the part I love about it the most.”

Tip: Try Houzz Pro free to see how it can help you generate leads and build a great online reputation.

Keep the Keys at Hand

“I think the key to success in everything you do is really liking it, loving it, and taking pride in it, and at the same time giving other people around you the opportunity to show their value,” Maor says. “Not just hire people that you can boss around, but bring people that can bring another set of thoughts, another pair of eyes. That’s very important for the growth of a business.”

And for those just starting out, he offers these parting words of advice: “Honesty and integrity are what’s going to take you the furthest. Making $100,000 quick today is much less valuable than having continuous business for 30 years.”