How to Build A Yeti: Lessons on Launching a Small Projects Division

Do you believe in Sasquatch? What about Yetis? The perfect man? I know for sure at least one of those doesn't exist—and I think we all know which one.

At Sasquatch Contracting, we've built a reputation on ADUs, remodels, and new construction. But a few years ago, I set out to build something different: a handyman division we call Yeti. I thought it would be simple—spin up a service arm alongside our core construction business. Instead, I failed twice before figuring out how to make it work. Those failures turned out to be the best business lessons I've ever learned. 

If you've ever thought about adding a handyman division—or any new service line inside your company—here's the unvarnished story of how I did it wrong, what finally made it click, and the lessons I'll never forget.

Why I wanted a Yeti

If you've been in construction for more than ten minutes, you know cash flow is a roller coaster. Permits, interest rates, election years, historic districts—it's always something. I wanted a steady stream of revenue that wasn't tied to a six-month kitchen or a twelve-month new build. But service work is fast. A client calls in the morning, you quote the job, do the work, send the invoice, and get paid that day. Compare that to a remodel where you're waiting weeks for cabinets and months for permits. Adding Yeti meant I could smooth out the bumps and build healthier cash flow.

There's also a marketing opportunity. We spend thousands on postcards, ads, and social media. Sometimes it's like throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. The beauty of having two divisions is cross-marketing. Build a kitchen with Sasquatch? Hand it off to Yeti for ongoing maintenance. Maintaining a home with Yeti? Refer the big remodel to Sasquatch. Same marketing dollar, double the return. And every extra truck, shirt, or social post strengthens the brand. Every time people in our community see Sasquatch or Yeti, they know quality showed up. That's how you build visibility and credibility without spending twice the money.

Do as I say, not as I did

My first failure was putting the wrong people in the wrong role. We had a guy—let's call him Bob. Bob was great with clients, he had solid construction knowledge, and a positive attitude. He'd maxed out in his role, and I was worried about losing him. So I put him in charge of launching the Yeti. Within a month, it crashed. It was not Bob's fault; it was mine for not recognizing that he didn't know operations, processes, or how to run a business, without the support he needed. I put a great person in the wrong seat without any support.

My second failure was putting myself in the wrong role. If Bob couldn't do it, I decided I'd run it myself. Heck, I was already running Sasquatch full-time and juggling another business; surely, I could balance a Yeti on top. I've started companies before; I can start one more. I found out the hard way that I didn't have the bandwidth, and Yeti fizzled again. The big lesson learned from these two failures is not to half-ass a business launch. If you're going to start a new division, build a plan, and find the right person to own it.

A Yeti unicorn

Every market has handyman companies. I didn't want Yeti to be just another guy with a truck. So we launched with something unique: a home maintenance subscription. Four times a year, our Yetis come in and check everything—from crawl space to roof. We swap filters, check fire extinguishers, change smoke detector batteries, and look for leaks. Clients love it because it's proactive. And it makes us sticky, because we're in their homes on a schedule.

That subscription is our differentiator. Figure out your own based on your market. What gap can you fill that makes you stand out from the noise?

A foundation built by a construction company

One of the first things to decide was which jobs get a Sasquatch and which get a Yeti. The rule we came up with is simple: if a project needs a project manager, it goes to Sasquatch. If it doesn't, it goes to Yeti. That definition protects both sides. Yeti stays lean and quick. Sasquatch handles the big, complex work with the proper oversight. Clients get clarity, and teams don't trip over each other.

Even though service processes are short, the foundation is the same as that of a construction company: repeatable systems and tight processes. Every Yeti client should get the same experience, no matter which tech shows up. We built scripts for door greetings, templates for emails, and close-out checklists. If a client has a bad experience, it's usually because someone skipped a step. To run the machine, we use some systems that Sasquatch relies on and some new tech platforms:

• Notion for SOPs—every process searchable and templated. Every Yeti has access to the database.
• simPRO for dispatch—auto texts clients with ETA, handles payments, and generates reports with photos taken by Yetis.
• LiveFlow + QuickBooks for dashboards—live revenue, AP/AR, billable hours, PTO, even fuel usage.
• Finmark for financial modeling—are marketing dollars paying off? Which tech is profitable? Where are we off plan?

Regardless of the company, the platform's purpose is simple: we need accurate, current data to make decisions based on reality, not gut feelings. But who is this "we?"

On the third try, Yeti took off because we had Jo in the Yeti Seat with the proper support.

When I decided to try Yeti again, I got serious about who I needed to run it. Just like I made a business plan for what Yeti is, I wrote a profile of who Yeti's champion would be: someone with operations experience. Someone who had launched businesses before. Someone who could build processes and manage a team. It is critical to find your who. Yeti's "who" is Jo Burgoon. She's fantastic. Jo Burgoon made history in the Treasure Valley as the first person to successfully design and build a container home. This feat required relentless persistence and navigation of complex zoning and building codes. Not one to back down from a challenge, she went on to battle the insurance industry next, eventually securing coverage for a non-traditional structure that no one thought could be insured.

Jo doesn't just embrace challenges—she charges at them with clarity, grit, and an unwavering sense of purpose. Her out-of-the-box thinking and solution-based attitude are what first made me realize she was precisely the kind of leader Yeti Services needed.

On the third try, Yeti took off because we had Jo in the Yeti Seat with the proper support.

The hard part of failure

Here's the part no one likes to talk about. Failing twice damaged relationships. We had to go back to the property managers and say, "Remember how Yeti didn't work last time? Give us one more shot." I owned it. I explained the changes, introduced Jo, and showed the systems. And because we left things on good terms the first two times—we didn't abandon jobs, we just folded—they gave us another chance. If you're going to fail, fail as nicely as possible. Don't leave anyone hanging.

It took me three years and two failures to get Yeti right. Now it's running smoothly, with processes, data, and leadership in place. The plan is to perfect it in our market, then expand to others.

I tell my team all the time: we're not just building houses; we're building a brand. Every truck, every shirt, every job is a chance to show up strong. Whether it's Sasquatch or Yeti, the fingerprint is the same: solution-based, open, moral, and employee-first, allowing them to put clients first.

That's how to build a Yeti that lasts.