We were lucky to catch up with Patrick Salazar recently and have shared our conversation below.

Patrick, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

I would say that being a business owner has it’s own pros and cons that come with it. Am I happier being a business owner? Yes. It’s allowed freedom for me and more time with the family. It’s definitely more rewarding being able to serve people directly than being an employee at a big name brand. At the same time it’s also exponentially more stressful. Having to know all the answers and holding the responsibility for all actions. There’s always a normal job to fall back on but that would be worst case scenario. The fear of failure is only that, just a fear. You never know until you try.

Patrick, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I got into the HVAC trade through automotive. I always enjoyed wrenching on cars at a young age and still do. I was about to sign up for automotive schooling and had accepted a position with a prestigious manufacturer. Right before I went to school my uncle who I am named after asked me if I did my hobby for a living would I come home and still want to do my hobby? After looking at all options I found HVAC was very similar and signed up for trade school locally. That was a decade ago and now here we are with a baby business. We help our community with their mechanical problems. Heating and cooling is something a lot of people take for granted. Providing expert service at the best price brings a smile to our faces and helping people when they are in need feels great.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Word of mouth will always be the best source of new clients. Doing great work for someone and having them tell someone else really helps all parties involved. Already having trust and a relationship with one person can easily spread that trust. The marketing and advertising side is extremely expensive and it has to pay off otherwise it’s a waste of capital. Some streams are better than others but none are as good as old fashioned referalls.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

All of the business funding came from out of pocket personaly. The registration and licenses, the work truck, the shirts and hats, etc. Everything came as the income came. It’s all very organic. We don’t have investors or wealthy families backing things. The business has been built from scratch with hard work and dedication. Our family helps by spreading the word of our services. I owned most of the tools and equipment already just from being in the trade for so long so that helped. Our vendors help by knowing we are a small company and doing what they can to keep us. We just have to keep planting the seeds and watering in hopes of a fruitful harvest.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.rightchoiceSLC.com
• Instagram: @Rightchoiceslc
• Facebook: Www.facebook.com/Rightchoiceslc
• Yelp: Right Choice Heating And Air