Oz Taysun

Focusing on the long-term success trump’s ideas that prioritize short-term outcomes.

Oz Taysun is the owner of Westchase Roofing in Tampa. He started his career in the field of engineering. His skills in the area of mathematics, logic, visual resources, and innovation allowed him to have a fruitful engineering career until he decided that he needed a change of scenery. This is when he slowly transitioned into the roofing field as it was an area where he can spend a lot of time outdoors. Moreover, getting a chance to work with other people on a daily basis was another important incentive for him to start his venture.

Since 2008, Oz Taysun has been leading Westchase Roofing to the top of the market by providing timeliness and fair prices to his customers and loyalty to his employees. Doing so made it easy for him to build a solid reputation and maintain a low worker turnover. Thus, he never had to struggle with finding the perfect employee or worry about not having enough customers to keep his business operational. In the future, he hopes to expand his venture and find a way to utilize the technological resources that will give him a competitive advantage.

Where did the idea for your company come from?

Westchase Roofing, one of the Tampa roofing companies, was given birth when a group of experienced roofers decided to create a unique company that will offer high-quality services. We started in 2008 and the idea was to have an approachable organization where customers would feel welcomed and employees would enjoy the work environment. In order to achieve that, we ensured that the necessary training was created and that we practiced great customer care from the very beginning.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

It normally starts fairly early and I use the mornings to complete some of my e-mail correspondence from the day before. Whatever I do not get to is completed later on in the day. Then, I head over to the office to follow up on our engagements for the day and make sure that all employees are up to date on their tasks. If things are running smoothly, I may head out and meet with a few clients to go over their roofing Tampa FL quotes. If there are any complications, I tend to stick around and follow up until we come to a resolution.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I brainstorm until I have a tangible idea that can be converted into reality. Occasionally, this may take a lot of time as some of my thoughts are more abstract in nature. Nevertheless, by communicating with my team and researching proper solutions I am able to come up with some great schemes that aim to make our company better.

What’s one trend that excites you?

I am very excited to see all the changes taking place in the field of technology. The disruption is pretty much never-ending and we continue to see new resources come into play. Just consider our own industry, for example, and you will understand how advanced our projects are. Additionally, having the tools that allow us to communicate and organize almost all roofing services projects online is much better from the standpoint of accessibility and efficiency.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

I think repetition, in general, is definitely one of the most crucial parts of my roofing services career. This means that I try to stick to a schedule and a routine that has been proven to work in the past. So, I mentioned that I wake up early and take that time to finalize any e-mail correspondence. I started doing this a long time ago after realizing that I struggle to respond to people’s inquiries if I try to do it later on in the day.

What advice would you give your younger self?

To focus on the long-term outcomes instead of short-term ideas that may seem profitable. In other words, I would advise myself to work hard on building a roofing services Florida brand that will withstand the test of time. In the past, I was notorious for coming up with things that could help our company become an overnight sensation. Although there were definitely some perks to this, it is not the right way to go about ensuring that you have longevity.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

I have noticed that people often do not agree with my opinion on high-levels of automation. For instance, I am not a proponent of inventions like self-driving cars. Companies like Uber are working hard to bring these ideas to the market and I tend to dislike the bottom line principles. From where I see it, it is an incredibly high risk of malfunction that could cause people to lose their lives. As far as the benefits, it is not like we are unable to drive without self-driving cars already. Thus, I just do not think that the cost-to-benefit ratio is exactly right.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Every day, I take about an hour long lunch where I do not check on my e-mails and only answer emergency calls. Doing this allows me to take a much-needed break from whatever I am working on. Of course, there are many times where I am not able to get that hour due to an unanticipated influx on clients and potential issues. Luckily, most days are not that hectic and I can find a few minutes to go grab some food and let myself relax.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Putting customers first. Even if there are extenuating circumstances that cause issues and my company is not responsible, I will still do everything I can to make their experience with us pleasant. This perpetuates a positive track-record and it helps us bring new clients through word-of-mouth referrals.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

Some of the ideas I had in the past for growing the company rapidly were unsuccessful. These include aggressive marketing campaigns that were not planned well. After realizing that I need to be more detail-oriented, I slowed down and started going about things the right way.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

I think learning about phone software and how to build apps is a great career path in 2019. Those who possess these skills can create companies that people like myself can go to for customized apps. For instance, although our business has a great website, having a state-of-the-art app that is available on iOS and Android platforms would be extremely useful.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

I recently purchased a Fitbit bracelet that tracks my daily activity, steps, calories burned, and much more. This is definitely helping keep me accountable and on track with my fitness goals.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

I outsource a lot of our marketing campaigns to third-party providers who have experience in the area, such as Diamond Links. Doing so really helps me get the best results as I am not extremely savvy when it comes to social media campaigns and hot-traffic ads.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

“Imagine It Forward” by Beth Comstock with Tahl Raz. It is a memoir of Comstock’s long-term career as an executive who worked for large companies such as NBC and General Electric. I recommend it because it inspires creativity and will definitely be an interesting read.

What is your favorite quote?

“If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.” It is a quote by Jim Rohn

Key Learnings:

• Focusing on the long-term success trump’s ideas that prioritize short-term outcomes.
• Automation may become so forward-thinking that it hinders people’s safety.
• Outsourcing marketing campaigns to specialists is a great way to maximize one’s resources.

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