Explore Greta Bajrami's journey in the Roofing Contractors Industry

Within my industry, I don’t have any prior connections. Roofing was not something that I was aware of before The Golden Group idea being born. I am a woman in a male-dominated industry; this makes me a rootless entrepreneur, somebody with no roots or connections to my industry.

Honestly, I don’t know if I can even answer that question, but I’ll try my best. How I stumbled into entrepreneurship is a little bit untraditional. I saw an opportunity that was too good to pass up. I was struggling and living paycheck-to-paycheck.
So, I was on welfare, and I saw a golden moment of opportunity to create something different where nobody had yet tapped into the way I envisioned. At that time, I had about $15,000 of savings. I guess you could say my love affair with entrepreneurship was born from a challenging moment in my life, and this entrepreneurial calling was my one-way ticket out of it.

I was a college student and went straight from the college classroom into the role of CEO and owner of Golden Group Roofing. I was that awkward girl, your business major student from the college classroom that spent their weekends and summers working as a server in the hospitality industry.
Although my background before Golden Group Roofing did not directly contribute to Golden Group Roofing success, my work experience helped to create the culture that Golden Group Roofing embodies today.

I always thought I was going to become a news anchor. I don’t know; maybe it is because I talk a lot, or perhaps it is because I love being around people. When I was a child, I dreamed I would become a tv or news reporter. Growing up, I would walk around my house with anything that looked like a microphone. I would randomly start interviewing my mom’s friends when they would come over to our house.
– Greta Bajrami

My first business idea came to me during my senior year in college. I wanted to open a coffee shop and call it “Tiramisu.” Tiramisu is Italian for “pick me up.” Having worked in the hospitality field during college, this felt like a natural path for me. I spent my senior year preparing a business outline and a business plan for my coffee shop. I envisioned Tiramisu being somewhere in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston.

The first step that anybody has to take when opening any business is doing the proper research. You have to do the research and study your markets. You have to determine if what you are bringing to the market is innovative or different.
All too often, business owners don’t do enough research before creating their own brand and identity. If the business doesn’t have a unique identity, it will lose its value position in the marketplace. When it comes to construction, I would also recommend that future entrepreneurs work with local organizations and local government chapters to ensure that the business is set up correctly with the state.

I wish that I had known more about incorporations and taxation. When I first incorporated my business, I remember saying, “ ‘oooh’ corporation sounds cool, let me go ahead and choose that.” I wish I had known how to study classifications of each corporation type and what benefits came from having each one.
It’s no secret that entrepreneurs get excited when they have their first business ideas and often don’t do the research to understand corporate classifications and their benefits.
– Greta Bajrami

Golden Group Roofing was the right path for me because I could innovate something different in the way the Construction process is handled. I saw a niche; I saw a male-dominated industry that operated on “paper and pen,” an industry that is run poorly in communications and customer experiences.
I saw a place that I could embody my personality, my character traits, and my vision. Golden Group Roofing was the right path for me because it allowed me to create something different that didn’t exist in my market. The Golden Group Roofing path allowed me to create a construction company that embodies the feels of hospitality and provides you the concierge experience from start to finish.

I depended on the manufacturers and distributors within my industry. I am very grateful that I was able to create connections with the manufacturers. They became one of the critical resources of my growth. Manufacturers produce your product, and their product is something you rely on to provide your service. It is essential to be certified, adequately trained, and to have incredible knowledge of the product.
They will fight for you; they will go out and be by your side and contribute to your growth. The companies that have helped me along the way are GAF Materials Corporation, one of the largest asphalt manufacturers in North America, and CertainTeed. These two companies were key resources that I depended on for knowledge, empowerment, networking, industry tips, and ultimately, growth.

Wow, my first client, I do remember him, of course, I do. His name was Michael. He had just moved to Worcester, MA, and he wanted a roof done. He called us and invited us among other contractors. I remember being afraid and thinking how in the world is this guy going to trust that I am the expert because, at this point in time, I truthfully was “ the expert,” but I didn’t have the portfolio that some of my competitors did.
We did not have the reviews that they had, I did not have the years in business that they had, but I had the passion. I knew I could make Michael proud; I knew Golden Group Roofing would be the perfect company for him. I remember walking into his property with Freddy, my partner thinking, “how are we going to make this client realize that we are amazing?” because let’s face it, we did not sound that amazing on paper.
We knew we were good; we just needed somebody to give us the trust to take that leap of faith. There was something in Michael’s eyes when he looked into mine. He could see the drive; he could see the passion. Although we couldn’t provide him unlimited reviews or certifications, he decided to go with us; he chose to work with Golden Group Roofing. We installed Michael’s roof in October 2014, and by December 2014, we had gained another 15 clients.
– Greta Bajrami

If I could single out one thing that made me gain my credibility, it was, and it is craftsmanship. I knew that Golden Group Roofing had to be different, and I knew that we had to obtain one thing that we would be known for in the community and that for us was craftsmanship.
We gained our credibility in the marketplace by craftsmanship. We decided that our main focus for the brand was “the hands on the roof.” A lot of times within companies, owners empower the exceptional skills, along with their accountants, their marketers, their sales team, but all too often, many company owners and CEOs forget about the team members that are in the exterior, the team members that are out there performing the work on a daily basis. With that in mind, I decided to make the Golden Group Roofing unique.
At Golden Group Roofing, we knew from day one that we were going to empower the “hands-on the roof”, we were going to empower the people that were touching the homeowner’s homes on a daily basis. The credibility was going to be gained through craftsmanship, craftsmanship for the hands-on the roof.
We provide our team with training four times a year. We certify them every single time a new product or procedure becomes available in our markets. When you drive by one of our jobs install locations, you know that it is a Golden Group Roof and that it is a Golden Group Roof Team member. It’s an incredible feeling walking into a room where individuals that are your competitors have the ultimate respect for you and come over to shake your hand. I think that answers the questions in terms of credibility; the Golden Group Standard.

Creating a dynamic team is all about treating people with ultimate respect for the position you have hired them for and providing them with pathways to share their thoughts and opinions. The ability to understand that people’s creative sides are often found in untraditional working patterns.
Everybody produces results differently. To create a dynamic team, you must realize that people work and produce equal results in different ways. Some people work better at night, while others work better in the middle of the day. What matters the most is that they are accomplishing their daily job duties.
We don’t limit our employee’s productivity to a 9-5 working day. At Golden Group, we realize that sometimes life happens, and maybe you need to start your day at 11 am. When you are hiring people to join your team, understand that cultures are shifting, generations are shifting, and what you may have grown up to believe is to create a team might not necessarily be the right way today. Our world is constantly changing, and when creating a dynamic team to be mindful of that fact.
– Greta Bajrami

I wish I had started more partnerships from the beginning, but I was simply too afraid. If I could do it all over again, I would choose more key partnerships and partnerships with affiliations from the beginning. I didn’t understand the power that affiliations have on your brand and your community.
I also did not understand the power of social network groups. Entrepreneurs often forget how important it is to network within a social group or organization within your industry from day one. Why? Well, because entrepreneurs simply don’t take the time for it, forget and leave it behind. However, once I fully understood the power of affiliations, I made sure that we aligned with organizations that were impactful for our industry.
Those affiliations allowed us to improve our brand and company culture and served as a social network system.

The creative strategies that I used to develop Golden Group Roofing were innovating through technology to elevate the construction process. Our idea was to bring hospitality to roofing and redefine the construction process for the modern homeowner. We sat down as a team and thought about ways we could enhance their experiences.
At Golden Group Roofing, it starts with something as simple as “booking online.” Additionally, we have developed a roofing calculator on the website. The roofing calculator allows our clients to instantly get a roofing quote from the comfort of their couch.
We don’t stop there; we are also using drone imagery and 3D rendering of your home in our proposals. We believe in virtual contact to accommodate busy lifestyles; our whole process is online.
– Greta Bajrami

To best answer this question, I am going to break it down in a few different ways. Success is a state of mind. If you do not think you are successful, you will not be. It’s as simple as that. If you do not believe in yourself, there is no way your client, team, or anybody around you is going to believe in you.
Also, if somebody else did or did not do it, what is stopping you from doing it?. If someone has done what you are trying to do, it means it can be done, it might be harder, but it doesn’t mean that it’s impossible. There is always room for better ideas and processes within each industry. For example, there can never be too many coffee shops. With that, I keep these principles on top of my mind each day.

I didn’t know this question was coming. One of the biggest failures Golden Group Roofing had was during year four in business. Our growth rate was fast, and because we were happy, we were careless with our marketing spent budget. We weren’t doing the proper research with marketing channels, we simply wanted to be in each and every one.
We made a few errors in our marketing approach because we trusted the wrong people with our marketing approach and campaigns. If you choose the wrong marketing campaigns for a service-based roofing company, the negative effects are unavoidable. This negatively impacted our business because we lost control of our lead generating platform.
My biggest advice; when you are working in the lead generating service industry, be very mindful of who you are trusting to run the PR and marketing campaigns for your business because along the way, they may change your vision and business principles. You might wake up one day, watching your commercial and say, “what in the world is this?”
– Greta Bajrami

The whole thing? Golden Group Roofing innovated the customer buying experience. The buying experience in Golden Group Roofing is different from any other company. At Golden Group Roofing, anxiety levels are non-existent because we give full control to the homeowner through knowledge. I should mention; we have a consultative process.
At Golden Group Roofing, we allow the homeowner to be in full control of their project. We provide the homeowners all the details, the proposal, the pricing, and stop there. We don’t chase them to sign here now. Moreover, we give the homeowners time to decide on how to proceed on their own.
This psychological switch and shift have been so impactful on our business because we have allowed our clients to lead the way by giving them all the knowledge needed, and the Golden Group Roofing team is the support team along the way.

The risks that Golden Group Roofing is currently facing, along with other construction companies, is a labor shortage. In construction, we recognize there is going to be a shortage of labor in the trades. Why? The young boys and girls in our societies are focused on science, technology, engineering, and math.
I can’t say I blame them. There are still ways to make the construction trades popular and known for those who don’t fit in the popular career paths. However, there is a lot of stigma in construction and telling someone you’re interested in working as a tradesman. Until we successfully remove this stigma and empower individuals, so they are proud to work as tradesmen, the labor shortage is of significant risk.

YES, Sure, of course, failures! Every time we failed a marketing campaign, it innovated a new approach. If I hadn’t gotten so” screwed over” (haha) by hiring some of the marketing agencies we chose, I would not have the dynamic marketing team I have today.
If there had not been so many bad experiences along the way with certain products and manufacturers, I wouldn’t have picked the right partners we have today. There are inevitable business failures, but that brings us to new plans, new partnerships, and better branding.
– Greta Bajrami

Right now, we are having a growth rate of about 15-19%. Because our approach is so unique, we will be able to sustain this growth for about 5-7 more years.

The most outstanding achievement we‘ve made is Golden Group Roofing is the community brand it is today, without investors or the need to sell shares within the company. I know that could soon change, but for now, that is a big achievement for me. It is a great achievement for my future partners, as it shows the true level of self-dedication, the level of hard work and perseverance I had for Golden Group, and my vision.

If I could single out one reason for my success, it would be the fact that I always put the customer’s feelings first. It is important how they feel each step of the way. The first question I ask; “Are you happy? Are you satisfied?” I know a lot of business owners ask as well, but do they all really care what the response is? I’m not so sure if they truly do. But that is the difference for me. Whether it is one client or a million clients, I care the same for each one.
At Golden Group, we have a “no deposit policy” and “no payment until you are satisfied.” The reason these policies are in place is to make sure that clients are pleased. It goes back to my husband’s father’s Italian restaurant; he would never give a bill to the customer he knew was not 100% satisfied. Instead, he would offer to remake the dish, give complimentary desserts, or sometimes provide no bill at all. The point is; the client’s satisfaction is everything.
– Greta Bajrami

The Entrepreneurial advice I strongly disagree with; never work for free. I worked for “free” for three years. When I first opened Golden Group Roofing, there was a long time where I was working for free, followed by times where I was barely breaking even.
All too often, entrepreneurs, especially younger entrepreneurs, forget how necessary “free” labor is and how much you can gain from each free labor experience. At times, entrepreneurs get discouraged because they are not making a financial, monetary return on their time, and I think they need to step back and realize that they need to give time.
You can’t expect everything to have a monetary association in life, and with that, you have to be willing to work for “free.” If you lead with dollar bills first, and I am not saying they are not important because they most definitely are, if you lead with $ first, you are missing the bigger picture. One more thing; if you believe that payment comes only in dollar bills, you have to go back and reevaluate your whole Entrepreneur goals.

Being an entrepreneur has affected my relationship with my family and friends. In the beginning, it was a lot worse than it is today. I will speak about my experience in the beginning because I want entrepreneurs starting out to know what they are in for.
It is going to take a toll on your personal life. It is going to take a toll on your family life. I woke up at 3:30 AM, in the early days, because the construction sites start at 5:30 AM. I would work until 6:30 PM and got home around 7-8 PM, and by the time I showered, it was 9 PM. The sad thing; the next morning, I had to do it all over again. My daughter grew up around my mother more than me, and I barely saw my husband.
It was tough; there were a lot of low moments when I was at a job site, where I was sitting, asking myself, what am I doing here? Entrepreneurs that are ready to build a brand have to be ready to face this challenge. I would suggest discussing with their family and establish a support system because there will be moments where you begin to question everything and question if you should even be an entrepreneur, it was a blessing that I had a great partner that I could rely on.
My husband and I promised our daughter that this was going to be something that she would thank us for one day. We promised her that this was our one-way ticket, our moment, and our opportunity.

Hahaha, as a roofer or as a CEO? Both. I am probably a horrible roofer; I have only attempted to roof a couple of times. Although I know everything about roofing, it is definitely hard work. I spent my first three years on roofing job sites. I used to sit on the ridge peak of the roofs and observe the workers. I have a lot of respect for what they do.
As a CEO, I don’t think I am the absolute best at what I do, but I think I’m a great CEO because I’m always evolving. As a CEO, I see myself evolving, sometimes even every week, but sometimes I have periods where I have a slower growth rate where I don’t really see much change in myself for six months at a time.
Within our company, we have a policy where employees are able to critique me and provide feedback. It is very important for me to see things from their perspective and see what I could do better.
– Greta Bajrami

One thing that I would do differently is that I would hire a full-time accountant from the very beginning. I didn’t realize how important full-time accountants were until year two of business. In my office, I had receipts flying everywhere. I knew that I was probably missing some money, money that I never properly accounted for.

Because Golden Group Roofing is a brand, Golden Group Roofing is a team of dedicated individuals; Golden Group Roofing has become a community partner and a brand that is embedded and cares about everything that our clients care about. Golden Group cares about your community, your charities, your local organizations. When you think about who you are going to do business with, those are things that I think should be considered and evaluated.
As a consumer, I notice most of the companies I do business with, most of the products I buy, are aligned with things that I love, and principles that I believe in. I think the reason Golden Group Roofing is the perfect fit for anybody in MA that wants to purchase a roofing system is that we are a dedicated team of individuals that every single day is perfecting the craft of roofing. I don’t know how many companies can say that and mean it. For that reason alone is, Why not Golden Group Roofing?
– Greta Bajrami