In this economy, the idea of being debt-free has a very nice ring to it. Dan Hussey, owner of B&L Flooring America in Prescott Valley, has achieved just that, along with the satisfying feeling of knowing that he will never have to face bankruptcy, ever.
Hussey, an entrepreneur by trade, bought B&L Flooring America from its previous owner back in 1989. He has owned the business with great success, which he attributes to two things: complete customer satisfaction and being a debt-free business.
Although achieving a debt-free business is not easy, Hussey assures that it is worth it. “We didn’t have a large overhead because we paid off most of what we owed. That has enabled us to be fairly lean in our operations from an expense standpoint and hunker down and get through the tough times.”
The main idea is that all materials and products are paid for each time with a check. As Hussey receives a down payment from a customer, he immediately uses the money to purchase materials. Not only does this ensure no debt, is also eliminates interest costs. Some vendors and factories even include discounts on purchases that are paid for immediately. These savings are then passed along to the clients.
Hussey also applies this debt-free strategy to his personal life. Currently, everything that Hussey owns is paid off, except for his home and a few rental properties. He is using his system to become totally debt-free in the near future.
Although being debt-free has freed Hussey from the fear of bankruptcy in the hard times of today’s economy, he says this part of the business is not as important as the service that he provides to his customers.
“My main business philosophy is that we are passionate about making sure our clients happy,” Hussey says, “If we have to redo a job because they’re not happy or because I’m not happy, because it doesn’t look right, then we redo it.”
Lori Chasse, who has worked for Hussey for seven years, agrees that customer service is the main reason why B&L has stayed in business, successfully, while other businesses have closed their doors.
“Dan is all about the customer service. From beginning to end, he is all about what makes the customer happy. That’s how he runs his business. That’s why he has been around since 1989. In actuality, what’s been keeping him in business have been the referrals that he gets from the customer service that he provides.”
Hussey also explains that buying flooring can be overwhelming. His business has 7,000 colors of carpet, hundreds of styles of ceramic, hundreds of styles of hardwood and laminate, and thousands of decorative pieces. To counteract this, Hussey strives to build relationships with his clients by finding out what their flooring needs are. By doing this, he is able to help them find the right product for their specific situation.
“We sit people down and do an interview. We spend 15-30 minutes asking about their family, their lifestyle, their home, are they painting, are they buying new furniture and get to know them. Then we recommend products.”
Hussey also believes that he has a duty to the community that keeps his business going. “The business is taking from the community in the sense that they provide us a living, help us to pay off our debts. So we have a moral obligation to give back. We support through donations, as well as time [and] efforts that give back to the community.”
In fact, Hussey is a member of Kiwanis International Foundation, a volunteer organization that raises money to provide at-risk children and less privileged children with necessities of life as well as educational opportunities. Hussey has an auction each year, and proceeds benefit the organization. Along with this, he also provides donations to other organizations throughout the year. QCBN
Written by Bethany Dearden
Leave a Reply