Danny DeJesus faced a pivotal decision. His future depended on the outcome. After the owner of the construction company he labored for retired, DeJesus struggled with the decision of whether to work for another employer or strike out on his own. With a wife and infant son to provide for, it was an agonizing dilemma.

He had always dreamed of working for himself, but that prospect was equally intimidating, he admits. “I always wanted to go on my own, but I was scared,” he confesses. But with his former employer’s retirement, he decided to take the plunge into the ranks of the entrepreneurs. The time was right, he believed. “I needed that excuse of him retiring to get started,” he explains.

So two months ago, DeJesus used his tools and carpentry skills to frame his own business, “DeJesus and Son Quality Home Improvements”. “I’m concentrating on interior finish work, cabinetry and kitchen and bathroom remodeling,” he says. “I can do a little bit of everything,” he says of what he’s learned through his 12 years of experience in the trade. The new entrepreneur is devoted to providing customer satisfaction, regardless of the size of the job. “My goal is the customer comes first and making them as happy as I can,” he says. “I’m there to satisfy the customer.” This includes providing straightforward advice and suggestions, if sought and desired by prospective customers. But, he also stresses, customers have the final say. He doesn’t try to influence customers into directions or try to convince them about materials that they are uneasy with, he says. “I put in my input and leave it up to them,” he says.

Among his services, DeJesus provides free estimates. And if desired, he can also create drawings of what a particular project will look like. “If need be, I can provide plans too,” he says. As a new businessman, DeJesus knows how crucial customer satisfaction can affect his success, how it can determine whether he swims or sinks as an independent contractor. He also understands good work produces more work. That’s why he’s made quality craftsmanship the plumb line of his business. “To me,” he says, “it’s more about quality than quantity.” He is meticulous about his work because he knows it reflects on him. He takes pride in his work. “I take the time to do the job right the first time,” he says. Although he may be working in a stranger’s home, DeJesus adopts the approach he’s working on his own property. “I try to treat the job as it was my house,” he says.

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