Meet Larry Peck of GO2LED in Toco Hills

Today we’d like to introduce you to Larry Peck.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Larry. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Like many small business owners, I stumbled into it. A couple of years ago, I had developed a residential marketing plan for the solar power industry and was pitching it around town. At one company, I had a spirited debate with an executive about how customers should switch to LED lighting first to decrease their electricity footprint. This would possibly require a smaller solar installation and result in a lower price point. He seemed more interested in selling bigger solar systems. After that meeting, I started playing with the idea of starting a company that initially offered LED conversions for homeowners. LED lighting can save users up to 85% off their lighting bill vs. traditional incandescent bulbs and up to 35% off vs. CFL bulbs, so it’s a very beneficial conversion to make.

Many people don’t realize that as a society, we are moving pretty quickly from a D.I.Y (Do It Yourself) to D.I.F.M. That’s why you see companies like Home Depot and Lowe’s offering more installation and repair services. So GO2LED.com was born. I spent the first year trying to develop some marketing programs with HOA’s around the metro area, but received very few responses. Then a company I do some lead sharing with told me about becoming a Trade Ally with the Georgia Power Commercial Energy Efficiency Program. I became active in the program as of the beginning of this year and it has opened many doors for me. For people who aren’t aware of the program, Georgia Power Commercial customers are eligible for rebates when they upgrade their lighting to LED bulbs. The rebates help reduce the cost of the conversion, which makes it more attractive for businesses to make the switch.

Has it been a smooth road?
Actually, the road has been a little bumpy. It’s been a bit frustrating getting potential customers to understand the savings that LED lighting offers. Not only does LED lighting save users money on their power bill, but it also saves them a ton of money by not having to buy more bulbs over the many years that LED bulbs last. And for commercial customers, replacing fluorescent tubes with LED tubes not only saves them up to 53% on their lighting bill, but also thousands in maintenance costs by extending the life of fixture ballasts. As I like to say “the watts don’t lie” and they really don’t. Plus, converting to LED lighting has a pretty decent return on investment. I’ve also learned that many people still confuse LED bulbs with CFL bulbs. They either think that LED bulbs are CFL bulbs or had such a horrible experience with CFL bulbs they don’t even want to talk about LED’s.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
What we do is pretty straight forward. For residential customers, we come to their home and convert it to LED lighting. We determine what type of bulbs are needed; how many; and install them. We also recycle any CFL bulbs we replace. For commercial customers, we also determine what rebates they would qualify for and submit the rebate applications to Georgia Power on behalf of the customer.

We are a solutions oriented company and we pride ourselves on doing everything we can to find our customers the best LED solutions for their situation. We don’t oversell or overpromise and that is very important for us and our customers. Reputation is extremely important for a service company. If you don’t treat your customer fairly in all areas, word travels fast and you won’t stay in business long. What sets us apart is focusing on managing expectations. Issues come up? You call the customer ASAP. Going to be late? Give the customer a courtesy call. A hiccup during a project? Let them know! I know it seems like a simple thing to do, but waaay too many companies don’t seem to get that communications and managing the customer’s expectations are key to getting repeat business and referrals.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Atlanta is a great city for a small business like ours and most other small businesses. With the Atlanta metro being a tech hub, there are plenty of people looking to adopt newer, money saving technologies.

Atlanta is as any other city to start a small business as long as you do your homework and can be an effective business owner.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.GO2LED.com
• Phone: 770-262-1670
• Email: CustomerService@GO2LED.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GO2LEDatl/

Image Credit:
Larry Peck