Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Winter.
Hi Chris, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I began as a Dealer for portable buildings back in the early 2000’s selling sheds and cabins on our sales lot in Smithville, TX. which continues today as ” A place for your stuff” a leader in portable building sales in central TX
As time passed we noticed a trend, customers began using these sheds for creative spaces such as Man Caves, She Sheds, Pool houses, Hunting cabins and even full time residences. Many of our clients knew what they wanted to create but lacked the know how or skills to make it happen. In 2017 while restoring our home after severe flood damage I got the idea to create a company that could design and convert these buildings into Tiny Homes up to 800 s.f. as well as most anything else you can imagine turning a portable building into. We are currently working on converting a small shed into a concession trailer. The possibilities are endless.
From this Tiny House Texas was born . We are still a somewhat boutique operation working closely with our clients to design, manufacture and deliver unique quality homes that meet all residential building codes. Unlike homes on trailers which are built to recreational vehicle standards our homes are built to mirror site built homes but on their own foundations making them portable.
Since then we have gotten the attention of many folks interested in what we do. This includes television shows such as Barnwood Builders (Barnwood Cottage, season 8) featured on a variety of networks, several magazine articles (who you calling tiny? (Shed builder magazine, Nov. 2023 and various podcast such as “Shed geeks”
We are working to expand operations in the near future creating affordable and sustainable small home developments in Central TX creating opportunity for low cost home ownership. We have proposals with local municipalities to hopefully create vocational training programs for high schools to train students to build and offer homes as a veterans program and a way out of the section 8 cycle and into home ownership.
We love what we do and like to think it shows in our products and how we do business. We invite you to visit us at Tinyhousetexas.com
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
A smooth road? Lol, some of the learning curves have been grueling. Between Covid, past material and labor shortages, tariff pricing increases past and future . We almost closed for good when an associate whose wife was doing our books disappeared after cleaning out our bank account. Hard lesson learned.
Cities and Counties with little understanding of what we are and how we differ in design from the RV, THOW (tiny house on wheels) and Park Model homes set unneeded and unrealistic requirements that are not required for a typical on site builder We are encouraged at the progress the City of Austin has made recently embracing the benefits of smaller home ownership and its benefits to the community.
After nearly 8 years keeping our company afloat through all these challenges we’re more encouraged than ever at the sustainable growth potential we are seeing.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Tiny House Texas is one of three Winterteam Enterprise companies. A place for your Stuff, portable buildings was started by my Father Mike and I in 2003 In 2005 we began selling carports and steel frame structures adding to our portfolio. Eventually that turned into a stand alone business as CarportME Carports. Each business having its own website and marketing approach. In 2017 the idea to develop a tiny house manufacturing company utilizing the portable buildings we already sold was created as Tiny House Texas.
We continue to own and operate all three businesses out of our Smithville, TX location.
I began my professional career where I grew up in Northern Ca. working in the wine and spirits industry for major wine companies and distributors on the west coast. I later married and moved to Texas in 1999 and began a 2 year stint in the fast pace tech sector sales and later took a job as a corporate recruiter in the high end medical sales arena. In 2008 recruiting dried up during the recession and I found myself unemployed about to head into my 40’s With few prospects on the horizon I took a position as a business development manager for a commercial shed manufacturer which eventually led me to opening my own sales lot with my Father who retired 2016. Of all my sales experience oddly enough I developed a passion for this industry and the potential it has created as well as the satisfaction of creating a successful businesses on my own.
Thoughts of retirement come and go but I think I will know when it is finally time to hopefully hand over the reigns to someone who can take it to its full potential.
What matters most to you? Why?
Honesty, integrity and ethics matter the most.
My many years of sales experience I’ve seen a variety of approaches. Everything from the manipulative motivational approach where someone is going to win and someone lose, which will you be? People fall prey to this often not realizing. I call this the Wolf of Wall St. approach. Set foot into a car dealership if you want to experience this, or ask yourself how did that door to door guy sell me a two thousand dollar vacuum I didn’t need? Skilled sales people can do very well with this approach. Although powerful, in reality no one wins. The customer will realizes they have been manipulated and resent it. The salesman may have short term success but will suffer in their personal lives and relationships. You can not just turn it off and on.
The company I began with trained using aggressive sales techniques. I had left the tech sector with companies that spent fortunes training this way but using a Tony Robbins like approach that had you not realizing you were bending someone’s will. By replacing this approach with an ethical one, I was one of two top producers nationally and within a year fired for bucking their system ( bonuses withheld,) This company once owned greatest market share in the industry, they are now out of business.
Once that happened my Dad and I switched to a Mennonite supplier who I respected as a competitor . Being fair and developing client relations ethically you will grow your business compared to the short sale guy. This is not the customer is always right approach. A buyer will sometimes try to negotiate unreasonable discounts by criticizing you, your product or company. I call this “the getting over or never pays retail guy” When he/she threatens to go to your competitor if not made happy open the door and say “I don’t think we are the right place for you” suggest your competitor and lead them out the door. Don’t worry they’ll be back and at that point find a free pen to give them to keep their pride in tact then cash the check.
Give someone a good honest sales experience, be willing to take the blame when your are wrong and when making concessions all you need to be is fair to the customer and yourself. Repeat and referral, that is how you will succeed
Pricing:
- Unlike others our tiny homes can appreciate in value in the same way a regular house might.
- Less per s.f. than a Park Model home
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tinyhousetexas.com
- Instagram: tinyhousetexas
- Facebook: tinyhousetexas.com
- Other: CarportME.com and Texassheddealer.com
Image Credits
Chris Winter
