Co-op gives homeowners leverage in getting best price for services
An interview with Greg Weismantel, owner of Global Pavilion Ltd. in St. Charles.
Q: Describe your business. What do you do?
A: Global Pavilion acts like a co-op of homeowners, harnessing the purchasing power of multiple homeowners for all services which a homeowner needs everyday. Global Pavilion currently has over 700 homeowners in the Tri-Cities of Geneva, Batavia, St. Charles, that are taking advantage of our programs. We will soon have 1,000.
Our analysis showed that every homeowner spends countless hours calling and soliciting bids for his or her own home, while at the same time their neighbor down the street has a similar project and spends the same amount of time — each receiving different prices. This ranged from tree cutting to landscaping to house painting to blacktop resealing, and others. We also found that the homeowner always absorbed all the risk and seldom or never checked the actual insurance coverage held by the tradesman.
The “global pavilion of services” allows homeowners to harness the purchasing power of many homeowners so that quality services are assured, with very competitive pricing. Tradesmen save over 35 percent of their costs when teaming up as a Preferred Pavilion Tradesman, and we pass this on to homeowners while keeping a minimal markup for our services. There are no fees paid by the homeowner, they come from Pavilion’s team of negotiators with the tradesmen.
In addition to Pavilion’s competitive prices on services for the participating homeowners, there are several other facets of Pavilion’s Homeowner Association Program, including a free homeowner website for all participating homeowner associations; “seasonal specials” that are offered to homeowners above our spring and fall programs; a promotional allowance program; and a rewards program in which the homeowner receives one point for every dollar spent on a Pavilion service, which can be used on any other Pavilion services.
Q: What made you start your business?
A: I found myself as a homeowner spending far too much time getting bids from tradesmen for painting, tree cutting, etc. and then it upset me when my neighbor was doing the same thing, and we were quoted different prices for the same job by the same tradesmen.
Q: What has been the most difficult obstacle in running or starting a small business?
A: Funding. Luckily, I already was managing my own business, and could utilize my current website and other resources to start Global Pavilion.
Q: What do you enjoy most about operating your business?
A: The customers and people who receive the great services at more competitive pricing than what they would do themselves.
Q: Is this what you pictured yourself doing when you were young?
A: No. I never had a specific desire to be anything in particular, but after college at Notre Dame, I realized my strength would be in marketing and sales.
Q: You could give one tip to a rookie business owner, what would it be?
A: Look for what I call the “NT” words when you are starting a business. Bounce your idea for a business off as many experts as you can who can comprehend what you are intending and wait to hear the NT words: “You can’t do that; It won’t work; You do’nt have the capital; You must be crazy because you won’t be able to do it.”
Look for the NT words and it tells you you’re on to something. If you don’t hear the NT words, be cautious!
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Global Pavilion
<B>Business:</B> Epic Group - Global Pavilion Ltd Address: 473 Dunham Rd, Suite 2-St Charles, IL 60174 Owners: Greg & Marilyn Weismantel Year business started: 2008 Web address: epicglobaltech.com