shiawasseecounty.net

I started RoboJoe Industries ..............6 years ago. During that time I had .......nothing. I came to Vernon .....with a dream. I wanted to help people. I wanted to help people ......in a way ........that ......"really" mattered. My life .......at that time ....felt ....insignificant. After having worked in the appliance repair industry for over 20 years, .....I had just lost my most recent job, ....and I was tired of having to "rip people off" ....for a living ...working for other companies under retail protocol. I was ....confident .......in my skills as a technician. And, I knew ......I needed to do it ...."my" way!

As it had turned out, at the same time, there were ...some people .....here ....who were in desperate trouble, ......and they needed my help. They had a "lot" of money, ....but absolutely no quality of life and no common sense. A family. A family who had been here for over half a century. All the dead relatives buried in the same cemetary ....6 blocks away. One, .....is a WW2 vet. Shot up on the beach in Normandy .....fighting for our country. And, ....they "all" suffer .....from OCD. They needed help getting back some "dignity". Their house was a shambles and the neighbors were not real fond of them. Their image .....was tarnished. They felt ....outcast ......and out of control. And they needed someone to come in ....and take over. And, ....I needed financial backing in order to start my company. So, .......we came together .....and constructed ...a mutual "brain child".

You give to the universe ...........and the universe gives back.

I was to tear apart and up heave an entire household and put it back together again in some type of functional order so that they wouldn't be condemned by the fire marshal or the health department and in an effort to save their "image" with their neighbors. And they, ....in return, .......were to help me build this company. So, ......I stepped in. And over the first 5 years, .....we struggled very hard ......to do the necessary work involved with the tearing apart and reconstruction of an entire family home and property, inside ....and out, ......and, at the same time, the building of a complete "empire" .......based on ...."honesty" and "integrity".

This "empire" would require ....a "vast" amount of spending. Spending of ...."their" money! Hard earned spending! Risky spending! Long term ........risky spending. Money for building materials and labor for the house. Money for advertising, Yellow Page ads, money for parts, tools, vehicles, overhead such as computers, internet service, business phone, business cards, flyers, gas, maintenance, ......and I could go on and on.

These people .....took me into their home. They trusted me with their lives. They trusted me with their money. I was the brains ......and they were the brawn. So, ......we went to work. Started with nothing .......running calls out of a 1999 Buick and re-constructing the entire house. It took me 5 years to finish the house. And it took me 5 years to establish a solid customer base.

I played poker with Yellow Page ad industries, and online advertising agencies ...and studied very, ....very hard ....to learn how to "manufacture" and "properly" market ...a website. I did my job, ....and they did theirs! And ...........we started ....spending ....money. A lot ...of money. And, ....our lives ....were now ....in each others hands!

We needed to build our parts inventory, ....and commit to doing long term business with as little overhead as possible so that we could genuinely charge the bare minimum for our service in order to fulfill our commitment to "helping" people in the ways that mattered "most", .....at the same time as being able to build this company to a point where it would keep us alive! This has not been an easy task. Half of what we do ....is ....charity. It has come down to .....the money we save on haircuts ..........is money my customers save on service.

About a year and a half ago .......we had ......an economical disaster. This disaster, ......not only devastated our own ability to buy ....healthy food, .......but, .......it appears now to have traumatized ......a whole lot of good hard working Americans out there who just want to feed their children and function as families in a ....civilized .......society. All the alarms went off! I knew we were going to take another hit and at the same time, ....I needed a doctor.

After having lost almost $170,000 on the stock market, ....we were afraid that we were going to lose all the rest of our investments as well! So, .....it was time for us to make some very serious business decisions. We were backed into a corner! Our choices .....were limited to either raising our prices, ......giving it up completely, or taking another $50.000 off the stock market ....and investing it into this company! We had just put $40.000 into the house, just to make the neighbors happy. We found ourselves .....coming up with some of the most radical ideas that we could possibly muster ......in order to try to continue staying in business. More "risk"! It took .........primal courage ...on the part of "everyone" involved ...in these undertakings! Including myself, .....as .....I was spending .....someone els's money! And the only way we make any money at all ......is by doing ............."volume"! And 6 calls a week doesn't cut it as we only make money on about 3 out of 5 calls. And, .....not very much ....at that. I also extend a lot of credit. And, ....this ....has been very difficult to "collect" on.

Presentation is "everything"! So, in an effort to boost our call rate to 30 to 40 calls a week .........we bought ..................2 trucks. We invested approximately $40,000 into modifying and equipping both of them in order to promote the company and operate more efficiently by having the capacity to carry $5000 worth of parts and tools and "advertise" at the same time.

We only had about $80,000 left. And, were afraid of losing it too. At the very same time, as it turns out, ....some very dear friends of ours had just filed bankruptcy. And, ......they are now losing their house. These are the same type of people we are trying to help! These people are the all American, baseball, hot dog, apple pie, and Chevrolet, ....litteral ......nuclear family. We love them .....and we respect them in who they are. Hard working, ......down to earth, ......dependable, and always there when "we" need "them". And they were about to "leave"!

So, .........we bought a house.

Over the spring and summer, ......they will be moving in .....and renting from us .......at less than "half" the monthly expenses they were having to pay out. This helps them by getting them back on the ups. And it helps us by keeping them here, ....and, with "any" luck, ....protecting "some" of what's left of our assets, .....which, ......are now dwindling rapidly!

We are a team! We work diligently to "help" people in times of trouble! None of us can do it "alone"! I wanted you all to know ........that we have made .......the ultimate investment ....of our lives ...........in "this" community! We did it based on mutual trust! And, ......our future is now at stake! We are counting on our community to start to heal! I am asking everybody .....to please ........come together. We are all just one big family! We need to start acting like it!

We all need to be watching over each other ....and genuinely trying to "help" each other in these troubling times! Lining your pockets is easy! But, .......sacrifice ..........is not! It only takes sacrifice of "breath" .... to spread the good word. To spread the bad word ....is just lining your pockets. We are the best! We charge half price ....if any price at all! And our work ....is guaranteed!

Please .........help us! Help us spread some good word. Tell everyone you know ......that it's time to come together. We are trying to make this a better place to live for "everyone"! Start thinking about the big picture! Start doing for the greater good of "all"! Not just "yourselves"!

I just wanted you all to know ......the sacrifice, .........that the Dean Family .........and myself ........have made ............and how fully invested we now are in "this" community. We have made a commitment to serve the greater good of "all" in this community! We have given it our "all". And, now ...........we have .................nothing left.

We have even gone so far as to .........................eliminate the .................ferrel cat problem. (grin)

The only way this could all be done ....was to risk ....."everything" .......in order to turn adversity into opportunity!
Bad things happen all by themselves. Good things have to be made to happen! And now ..........our very lives are depending on it! We have now ....put it "all" .......out there! I have no heath insurance. I am not .....healthy, as you all know. I have ....serious injuries. I have acute health problems. And, ......I do not know how much longer ....I can last.

So spread the word now. Tell people that we are here to help. Before .....we cannot help .....anymore. I .....honestly ....don't know .........how much worthy time I have left. So, please, .........help me make what time I do have left .....as worthy as possible. We are now at "your" mercy .....to "help us ....help you". And .....others. While we still can! Please, ...tell "everyone you know" that we are genuine, and we are here to "help"! I do not want to go on the dole! "This ....is my "retirement". I ....will die .....doing ....."this" .....work .....in "this" community. We have made "our" commitment! Now we need a commitment from "you"! More "volume"! We need "your" help. Please ....tell people we are here ...so we can "stay" here!

We all need to develop and maintain a symbiotic relationship ......if we are to last .....much longer. We cannot help people if they do not know we are here. And, ......we cannot keep going ........if we do not increase our volume.
We need to be ........."all we can be"! Now! We are at a very serious crossroad! And, "this" ..........is our final effort! So, please, .........help us spread the word. It's about time we "all" come together ....and help each other out ....in the ways .....that matter .............."most"!

Thank you.

And, thank you for reading this.

Sincerely.

Blessings.

Robo









(Edited .............15 times ....for ..........................continuity, ....and, ....because ....I like the number 15. )

YOU ARE THE MAN ROBO! I am sure each and every person that you and yours have helped and will help, truly, truly appreciate all of your efforts and heartfelt empathy for their blight, whatever it may be.

Small business is a hard thing and word of mouth seems to be the best advertisement. Yell loud and long!

GO ROBO! Let us hope when others read your comment that they too will Pay It Forward!

Robo did a repair for me, but he did not know it was me when he did it. I am satisfied with the service performed, and the price I paid.

Thank you, Robo, for all that you do. You have helped my family tremendously. We love you. You are nothing less than a bona-fide hero in this community. And I, for one, am truly grateful that you are here for us. I always tell my friends about the good work that you do. You are a genuinely caring and compassionate man. And, you are one of the smartest, most resourceful people I have ever met. Your web site is a scream. And, your references on MerchantCircle.com are absolutely impeccable. We need you here. We need more people like you here. Especially now. I will continue to do my part in spreading the word about the vital service that you provide.

All my family and friends know Robo. We tell everyone we know. This man is a saint. We call him all the time. He has literally kept my family going for over 5 years. He has saved us probably thousands of dollars over the years. He always charges way less than what we would ever expect. He is always there when we need him the most and he always does right by us. Go Robo!

Last year, I was living with my sister. She had just had a baby. This is her third child. She is a single parent. She needed surgery and her recovery took too long. She lost her job and her home. When she moved, she moved into a rental house in Byron that had a refrigerator and no stove. She had her own washer, but, no drier. The refrigerator wasn't working so she called RoboJoe. RoboJoe fixed her refrigerator for nothing. Then the next day he went out and found her a stove and a drier. He brought them to her house and surprised her with them and then he installed them for nothing. Still working great. He asked for nothing in return. I was at work at the time. When she told me what he did, I called him to say thank you and he said he had grandchildren and could not imagine allowing them to live in a house with no stove and that he felt the same about all children. This man has a heart. He cares about other people more than he does himself. I have seen the pictures of his grandkids on his website. Since then, I have been telling everybody I know about what he did. I can not express how grateful we are for what this man did for us. This was a truly selfless deed! I have my own place now and I keep his number right on my refrigerater and I will not hesitate to call him if I ever have trouble. My mom has his number on her refrigerator too.

Thank you, RoboJoe. Thank you soooooooooo much!

Go Robo!

You are awesome RoboJoe! You are righteous dude! Thank you for watching our backs. We will be watching your back too. We love you amigo! We are here for you too. We do not trust many people. We trust you. Thank you for being so good with us. You are a good friend. And you can trust us too. That is a promise. Go Robo!

Hi. My name is Karol Dean. I am part of the Dean family and part owner in RoboJoe Industries. I just wanted to say that I am very proud of Joe and all of his efforts in helping people. He is a good man and he has really change my life. He cares about all people. My life here has been very difficult since my mom died. The house was a mess and I didn't even know where to start. Me and my brother just could not do it alone anymore. Before Joe came here I was afraid of people. I never went out. I never had any friends. I never let anyone come to my house. My neighbors hated me. Since meeting Joe my whole life has changed. He has given me confidence and the ability to be more outgoing. He fix my house and my yard so that I am not so embarrassed all the time. He take care of my father who is a disabled WW2 veteran. My dad really loves him a lot. He does things for my dad that the rest of my family has not ever been able to do. I have never met anyone like him before. Now I have a lot of new friends and a really nice place to live. I am not afraid to meet new people. Joe has really taught me a lot about helping other people and feeling better about myself. I have never posted on here before. But now I see what he does and I wanted to speak out about some of the good things he is doing. He has made me feel like the whole world is my family now. I am not afraid to be myself anymore. He is not just about making money. He tries to help people in ways that really make a difference. And now I am trying to learn how to do the same. I have learn that money can not give you happiness. But helping others is what makes me feel like I really belong here. Joe has shown me how to help others and he has help me to come out of my shell. I could not have done this without him. When he first came here my brother did not like him. He thought he was just going to take advantage of us. He was very skeptical. But now he see what he is doing and he has become a believer. And now he actually helps to support the cause and the company. RoboJoe has given us all a reason and an opportunity to live our life to the fullest. I am very grateful for all that he has done. Thank you Joe. We love you. Go Robo!

Nice post Karol and welcome to the forum... In the event that you, you're brother or father have any needs that you're having difficulty meeting don't hesitate in calling the VA office... that is what they are there for...

And I too agree RoboJoe Is a great guy..

Thank you. Joe likes you a lot. He says you are a really good guy. I think he has been trying to find some time to take you out for lunch. He misses you. lol

My name is Jessy. I live in Durand. I met RoboJoe on a roof about 5 years ago. He was helping on a job. After we were done, the boss said he didn't have enough money to pay us. He didn't pay me or 2 other guys. But he gave Robo some money. Robo turned around and gave that money to me. I broke my back 4 years ago. Yes, I fell off a roof. I have been trying to get on disability since then and have been denied 4 times and they say I'm not supposed to work. I have 3 daughters. My wife works at Riverside. Joe and Karol gave us every appliance we have in our house. They gave us our washer, our drier, our refrigerator, our stove, and, our microwave. They bring us food when we need it and toys for the kids on Christmas and on their birthdays. They have helped us a lot. We are very blessed to have met them and that they have come in to our lives. We owe them more than we could ever pay. I do not have a computer and I had to use someone elses to write this. But, a friend of mine told me that Joe and Karol needed some help to get the word out so he let me use his. I just want everyone out there to know how important they are to us and to say thank you to Joe and Karol. You honestly mean the world to us! We need you! Thank you so much for helping us. Amy and I do not know how we could make it without you. Go Robo!

Thank you Jessy. Tell Amy I said hi.

It's really a nice thing that you are doing. Your friends must sure appreciate it a lot. You and Karol are very special people. We always tell our friends about you. You do a lot of good things for people. We stand by you and support what you are doing. You have helped me out quite a bit and many of my good neighbors. Thank you. Good job!


Go Robo!

Wow!

I wasn't expecting to see a response like ......"this".

I really wasn't expecting to see ....any response ....at all.

Just .............telling my story.






I must say, ......."this" ...............................brought tears to my eyes.






Thank you "all" so much.

It really means a lot to me ........that you would go out of your way like this .............to say these nice things.




And, ........Karol, .........................I am ...........speechless.

I know it took some real courage for you to make that post. You know, ......I couldn't have done this without you. I knew you had it in you. You're a good person! Thank you so much for all that you have done. You see? You are much stronger than you ever knew. It is very important to me ....that .....you have ............no ..............regrets. I knew it was going to take a very "dynamic" effort ...in order to pull this off. You are the only person that I could trust to help me do it. I work ....very hard for you. And, ....I will continue ....to work hard ........for you.

"Yo Adrian! Adrian! We did it, Adrian!"







I am .......very humbled, ...............and honored by this.

Thank you "all" for ...........trusting ..................."me".

I only want ....good things for ......."everyone". We "all" need help! And ....."this community" ........is a great place to start.



Life begins ...."now"!



Thank you everybody.

We missed you at the Swallow last night. Where were you? Better watch out Karol. My mom has a really big crush on Robo. lol You guys are doing some really awesome things. I hope that others will see this and follow suit. We need more people like you here. Thank you for all that you have done. You have helped a lot of people here. Me and my mom included. Springtime is almost here. We will keep spreading the word and I hope that you have a really good year this year.