LLSA Chamber Small Business of the Year Awards: ServPro of North Sarasota

Most of the clients who call Servpro of North Sarasota are in a state of panic. They’ve just experienced a flood or a fire and they’re worried about their home or business, so one of the first thing that owners Jeff and Monique Vermillion teach their employees is the importance of customer service.

“We train our employees to be like psychologists,” says Jeff Vermillion. “Sometimes people call us in tears. You have to stay calm and make the process as easy as possible for them.”

Servpro of North Sarasota handles cleanup and restoration after fires, floods and mold damage in residential and commercial buildings. Jeff and Monique Vermillion bought the franchise in 2004, after seeing the success of Jeff’s brother, who owns a Servpro in Cape Coral.

The North Sarasota franchise is one of more than 1,500 Servpros throughout the United States; 105 are located in Florida. Vermillion says that being a small business that is part of a larger organization is the best of both worlds for a business owner.

Forward movement and constant improvement are two things that the Vermilions strive for in their business.

“You always have to try and do better each week, each month, each year,” says Vermillion. “You can’t just sit still. You always have to be evolving and looking toward the future.”

BUSINESS BASICS

Address: 6341 Porter Road, Sarasota

Start date: August 2004

Number of employees when started: Eight

Number of employees now: Nine

Advice: Really be in tune with your business. Some people get out of touch with business because they have other people running it for them.

Where do you see your business one year from now? We’d like to grow another 15% by next year.