What is the one piece of advice you would give to someone wanting to start a drywall company today?

March 2017

In addition to comments like “good luck” and “don’t do it,” we received these responses:

In these still uncertain world times, work on cash, not credit and you may survive another market crash!
—Rick Wagner, RWE-Richard Wagner Enterprises, Lexington, North Carolina

It's easy to make a small fortune in the drywall business—start with a large one.
—Craig Daley, President, Daley’s Drywall & Taping, Inc., Campbell, California

There is always room for a good company and a good competitor.

You will not get paid in a timely manner. GC’s payment schedules are much slower than what you would expect. Do not underestimate the lack of people paying on time.
—Scott Turczynski, Owner/VP, Heartland Finishes, Inc., Des Moines, Iowa

Dad told me you will need a good accountant, banker and a lawyer on your team. He added a psychiatrist and would like to add hitman but will not as it is not politically correct so we’ll add hitperson.
—Jerry Reicks Jr., Tri-State Drywall, Sioux City, Iowa

Other than be financially stable. I would say keep your word and communicate with your customers as much as possible. If you can’t start a job on time, you let the customer know. It’s better that you are truthful and communicative than ignoring and leaving the customer wondering if they made the right decision by hiring you. Be the professional.
—Larry, LS Drywall Inc., Mentor, Minnesota

Be humble and ask for help. It will save you a lot of heartache and you can always work on doing things your way as you grow.