As the owner of Certified Property Solutions, a full-service property-preservation business in the Roseland community on Chicago’s South Side, Jim Williams leads a small but mighty staff that performs landscaping, snow removal, tree removal and small demolition projects on properties owned by municipalities and banks.
Williams does whatever his business needs—hopping in a company truck and joining his staff on a project, or working in his office, making sure Certified Property Solutions is running efficiently.
His life is less hectic, however, thanks to business advising from Builders Avenue, one of The Source’s 13 Business Support Organizations (BSOs).
Whether it’s a question on an estimate, a formal bid package, insurance or staffing, Builders Avenue always has the answer.
“Builders Avenue has been amazing,” Williams said. “They actually changed the trajectory of my business. They offered all of the services that are hard to find.”
Since he started business advising, Williams has seen the number of projects he has successfully bid on increase by about 30 percent.
Williams opened Certified Property Solutions in 2011, and his staff includes laborers, truck drivers and office support.
The business has worked with Builders Avenue, which supports entrepreneurs in the construction industry, for about three years.
Bidding and estimating is the most important issue for which Williams has received assistance. Builders Avenue offered classes that provided an up-close look at how to cover every last detail of what a project would include.
“I would sit and watch them estimate a lot of my projects,” Williams said. “It actually taught me how to estimate the gas that I’ll need, the labor that I’ll need. Just any other little details that I would have never known, I learned from one of their great estimators.”
Williams often works with Andrea Yarbrough, program director at Builders Avenue. She noted that her organization can also help with accounting, access-to-capital opportunities and certifications.
She called Williams an ideal client to work with—an entrepreneur ready to learn and grow.
“We put the resources on the table, and he takes advantage of them,” Yarbrough said. “I think for any person that’s engaging with Builders Avenue or any BSO within The Source network, we’re going to bring the resources to you, and as long as you take advantage of it, there’s so much potential and opportunity to grow.”
As part of The Source, Builders Avenue can also direct clients to other Business Support Organizations if they need additional resources or specialized guidance.
As he continues to work with The Source, Williams is grateful he has access to events that allow him to network and further grow his business. The Source hosts a monthly webinar series called Webinar Wednesday and connects business owners to other webinars and events that Business Support Organizations are hosting.
Entrepreneurs can also learn about available financing opportunities thanks to The Source.
Knowing that a Business Support Organization like Builders Avenue is so invested in his business is motivating and has inspired Williams to focus on formulating larger bid packages.
“Knowing that you have a crew of people that you can reach out to, that will wholeheartedly help you out with what you need, it just makes you want to go after larger and larger projects,” Williams said. “They’re very responsive. Usually within a day or two, I can get on a call with [Builders Avenue] and they’ll try to help me out with whatever I need.”
