How Future Solutions Fence Uses ArcSite to Grow Their Business

David Gatto started Future Solutions Fencing and Outdoors with $100 in his pocket and no prior business experience.

"I was working at a tire company and one day I got the idea that I was going to start a business," Gatto said. "I didn't have a vehicle at the time, I really didn't have any money, so after work, I would just go and knock on people's doors and sell services to them."

Services like cleaning gutters and windows, mulching and raking, and other home improvement needs. Eventually, he acquired a truck and the jobs got bigger.

"And one day, I sold a fence."

Building a Fencing Business

One problem: David didn't know how to build a fence.

So he learned how by researching best practices and watching YouTube videos. Once he completed his first fence job, David saw the value in the industry and shifted his business to fencing installations.

Business was good. David was able to hire one helper, then two, then another truck, another crew, two crews, a space at a warehouse, and more as the business grew into a company. Future Solutions Fence is projected to do $5 million in sales this year.

David and his team at Future Solutions Fence turned $100 into $5 million with hard work, ingenuity, and a little help along the way.

Growing Future Solutions Fencing Business

There were growing pains along the way, as every business owner knows all too well. Hiring, paperwork, dealing with more and more customers, David often consulted with his business coach for advice on how to continue to scale without losing control of the business.

At first, David was doing it all by himself, from drawing and calculating estimates to installation and follow-up.

"I was going out and doing all the estimates and at some point, I couldn't keep up with it anymore," Gatto said. "I was just going out there and measuring it on carbon copy paper, very primitive. We had all this paperwork."

When he tried improving upon this process, it still had issues. He would go to a customer's house with sketch paper, measure the yard, go back to his house to create a Word doc, create a second drawing, and email the customer the estimate. When he tried to hire more salespeople to lighten the load, it had the opposite intended effect and added an additional layer of paperwork and communication issues.

Future Solutions Fence was at a crossroads. Customers loved their work, but they couldn't keep up with the influx of new jobs with their existing tools. They needed new tools to help scale the business.

Implementing Software to Scale a Fencing Business

David discussed with his business coach how they might overcome this issue. They explored building their own mobile app that would allow them to create drawings on-site that automatically used their products and prices to generate a proposal. This would allow them to go over the estimate with the customer and get a closing signature all on the first visit. They would also have their list of materials calculated and ready to order.

"And then one day I saw somebody say something about ArcSite, and I was like holy $#@! this software exists! Why would I develop it if it's already developed?"

Within a matter of weeks, Future Solutions Fence was fully onboarded with ArcSite and ready to scale. David now incentivizes his sales team to close on the spot, and business is good.

"Our closing rate has doubled. I'm not even lying to you, some of the days they go out there, they sell 100% of the jobs."

Sales are up. In January of last year, without ArcSite, they did $112,000 and this year they did a quarter million.

"A part of that is from ArcSite, and what it did is it eliminated all that back work at the office here. And so even if somebody doesn't buy that day, it's real simple. We just import the document right into DocuSign, and send an email over."

Because the office was no longer inundated dealing with estimates all day, they were able to spend more time developing their CRM, scheduling tools, and sales follow-up techniques.

"We're excited. ArcSite is exactly what we were looking for."

Gatto was looking to increase his closing rates, eliminate paperwork, and save time back at the office doing estimates. "Those are the benefits we're having from ArcSite, which is all that we wanted. So it's changed our whole way of moving forward this year."

Getting Started with ArcSite

Gatto had high praise for ArcSite's Customer Success team in helping his business implement the solutions he was looking for. "Pat was like a machine," Gatto said of ArcSite Customer Sucess Manager Patrick Caldwell. "I just had the impression he was working 24/7 somehow."

After onboarding with ArcSite, Gatto said adding and adjusting his products and prices is a breeze.

"It's so user-friendly. We've got the software right where we want it."

Interested in learning more about how ArcSite works with fencing companies? Watch this quick video that covers it all.

If your fencing business could use some help saving time preparing estimates and generating material lists, schedule a meeting to talk with an ArcSite expert.