Warren Pavon has seen his share of mistakes on the journey to success, and he wants to save other guys the years of struggle as much as possible. With this in mind he came up with the idea for CRU Summit (Commercial Roofers United Summit). The upcoming conference at Myrtle Beach is discussed in this episode along with more of Warren’s story and business advice.
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On New Year’s Eve 2020, Andy posted questions on his Facebook page, which spurred a discussion that brought in hundreds of responses. One of those was from Warren, which sparked the idea of a conference.
That night Warren posted about his successes and failures over the decades and learning from his mistakes. Now in his mid-fifties, he wants to share with the younger guys how to press through failures and not be overcome with frustration and disappointment.
“Workshops and classes are great but having great conversation with others and hearing of their experience” is even better. Warren says gathering with different men of all walks of life has taught him more than any classroom. Inspiration and irreplaceable knowledge.
Warren was a runaway kid who became a roofer. Now successful in business, he is ready to share all he has learned and pass it on. Warren’s levelheaded approach, heart for the younger generation, and generous attitude toward helping others had Andy wanting to team up on a business venture.
Despite a temporary setback from covid, it has been a good year for Warren. He “came back with a sword to tear it up with success” and kicked butt in 2021.
The story in a nutshell: Covid shut things down in 2020, he had to lower his insurance coverage, yet the payment increased nine-fold. He learned the hard way that smaller guys are seen as more risk to insurance companies, and when he dropped coverage, he was viewed by them as more likely to have injuries, fires, the wrong paperwork, etc. Typically, a larger company is seen as less risk because of safety protocols.
His advice, “know your numbers no matter what” as the insurance man is coming for you, along with all other expenses. Even a small brothers’ roofing company must know their numbers and market, overhead costs and be prepared no matter the level of operation.
When you give an estimate, make sure it is from your real overhead costs. “If you understand that part of it, you will be fine. Don’t just throw in a sq. ft. price, cover all costs. It’s like a rolling thing, sometimes you’re under it and sometimes over it, but it just keeps going. You can keep pushing through if you know your line items.” At the CRU Summit in February, Warren will offer a session on estimates, numbers, margins, job costs and how to break it down.
Andy and Warren invite you to come and contribute to the conference, share your knowledge and learn around the dinner table from the experiences and setbacks of other guys in the industry. The speakers and expos are great, also the time with people running every size of business is invaluable conversation.
Learn more at https://crusummit.com