Another relationship that has helped his business: his friendship with real estate agent, television and radio host Vanessa Romans. The two met in 2008, when Dan was about to incorporate his business. Vanessa was flip- ping a house and needed the hardwood floors redone. Dan came in, to fix work botched by a previous contractor, and actually ended up redoing the floors and windows to allow Vanessa to flip the house on schedule. The two have been friends ever since, with Vanessa bringing Dan in as an expert to speak on her radio show. “Being a professional engineer and a Red Seal carpenter is a rare combination in the renovation business.” Dan tends his relationships with the overall industry as well. He is a director on the board of the NS Home Build- ers Association and is co-chair of the Renovators Council, a member of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce and Di- rector of the Hammonds Plains Business Association. PASSION You only have to speak to Dan Monk for a few minutes be- fore his passion for his work comes through. He believes
“We ask if customers would re-hire us, and if so, why. The top three answers? 1. You showed up when you said you would. 2. You did the work you quoted on and promised to do. 3. You charged what you said you would. People want to do work with a company they can trust.” Dan says that customers expect quality. The difference comes in how the service is delivered. Monk respects that renovations can be a challenging experience for homeown- ers, and commits to work at minimizing the inconvenience. RELATIONSHIPS Building trust is the first step in creating the solid relation- ships that Dan values. Relationships are the reason cus- tomers return, and why they give referrals, as he notes. And Monk’s relationships with suppliers and vendors are of paramount importance. Dan names some of the sup- pliers and contacts he values: Kent, Payzant, Quest Kitch- ens, Tower Interiors, Taylor Flooring, Evergreen Electric, to name just a few. “I’ve seen jobs where I was two tiles short - I called up Mi- chele at Taylor, and she took tiles from a sample board to help me out or flew in products from a supplier to meet a deadline. That kind of service is based on a good relation- ship. Taylor has been great to work with.”
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS • APRIL 2016
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