New Venture Lab: Equipping Christian Entrepreneurs

Electrical Contractor Turned His Work Experience Into An Award-Winning Renewable Energy Business

This profile features Seraphim Electric Company, winner of the 2006 Vision Forum Entrepreneurial Bootcamp business plan contest

Name:

Jonathan Lewis

Family Description:

Married for 18 years to the greatest help and inspiration that God could give me: my dear wife Kathleen. Five children ages 16 to 5: Isaac, Oliver Innocent, Addison Theophan, Mara Lucinda and Elsbeth Eleni Genevieve.

Business Name:

Seraphim Electric Company

Business Description:

Electrical contracting business that specializes in renewable energy installations - wind and solar

Location:

Goldendale, WA

Formal education/training:

3 years of college - no degree - lots of wasted money

5 years of electrical apprentice training

Prior work experience:

Worked as an electrician for big union contractors for 15 years before launching Seraphim

Forming the Idea:

• Dreamed of doing something that my boys could do along side of me
• Became interested in renewable energy technology and saw that the renewable energy industry was in great need of qualified electrical contractors in order to move it from the Solar Gypsy stage to the main stream

How you got started:

• While I was still working for another electrical contractor I educated myself as thoroughly as possible in renewable energy systems and business practice
• Our launch included a relocation so I tried to develop key connections in our new region before we moved (I don't recommend relocating right before launch)
• I also started acquiring the software and jobsite tools that I would need for the business - even building the website, establishing dealer networks, getting all of the licensing and entity paperwork in place, etc. - trying to do everything that I could before the umbilical cord to a steady paycheck was cut
• We received a small investment from a friend of the family to help us cover some of the start up cost and then we took the plunge on June 13, 2003

What was it like in the beginning:

• At first it was completely overwhelming; neither my wife nor I had ever kept the books for a business before and things like sales tax and quarterly reporting were a steep learning curve for us
• Every step was huge and painful
• The small town we moved into was very resistant to outsiders ("you're not a local here 'till ya been here 100 years")
• My contacts were helpful but not enough
• I learned the hard way what overhead is and how much work it takes to sustain it
• There were also many blessings: My neighbor ended up being a retired small wind expert who has mentored me in small wind and introduced me to opportunities that I never could have imagined

What stage the business is at now:

• Adolescence: awkward, acned and hungry for growth
• The business is four years old
• We are expanding our operation into Oregon and adding a sales representative

The biggest challenge you’ve faced:

Not anticipating a negative cash cycle on a government job. It was a 12 month project that took up most of my time. I failed to factor in enough to cover overhead and all expenses while I waited for the upstream to channel money down to me. It was very painful. When you're hungry stay away from the big bait - it usually has an even bigger hook.

Key steps that made the difference:

• Giving God the business. So often I would get completely beside myself in how we were going to pay the bills. Every time God has come through. Finally one day when it looked like we were at the end I realized that I had never given God the business - I was building an idol. I laid my head on the desk and ask the Lord to take everything. If He wanted to shut the doors - they are His doors and He could shut them. So far He has kept things going. Every day by His mercy and for His glory.
• Learning early on (mainly through a book called Guerrilla Marketing) how to leverage very limited marketing funds through creative networking, PR, establishing key customers as partners, and other means.

Lessons Learned:

Learning how to seek advice. This is something I still struggle with but it is so important to get good advice: In business you can't go it alone.  You must build a team of people who know more than you and use them to help you make wise decisions. It also helps me so much when I remember to share everything with my wife and listen to her counsel.

The best advice you received:

Get a good lawyer and accountant

What your work and family life was like before:

• Gone from home between 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Home when I was home

What your work and family life is like now:

• My office in the shop near our house
• My typical day (my wife says there's no such thing as typical): Office work from 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. Breakfast with family. Out to meet a customer or do a job. Home for lunch about 3 days a week (plus weekends). Sometimes spending the afternoon in the office or out on another job. Usually closing up shop by 5:00 p.m. My older boys come on jobs with me sometimes. They often work with me in the office, sometimes doing their schoolwork, sometimes helping with the website or the books, etc. The girls help clean the office, do mailings, etc. Everyone is learning new skills to help out in the business. When my oldest turns 16, he will get his apprenticeship card and more officially begin learning the trade.
• In some ways I don't have as much undivided, non-business time with my family as I used to, but there is a real sense that we are building something for our children and for our children's children. By God's mercy and for His glory.