Johnatan Cedeno in the second year running his business, Volts & Watts. Based in Naperville, he does “everything electrical.”
Volts & Watts owner Johnatan Cedeno hopes to have a second service van and more employees for his Naperville-based electrical company.
Business: Volts & Watts
Address: Naperville
Phone: 312-545-4972
Owner: Johnatan Cedeno, 34, of Naperville
Years in business: 1.5
What does your business do? “We do everything electrical. We service electrical. Upgrade panels. Right now, what’s very popular is electric charging stations for vehicles. But we do everything, recess lighting, accent lighting, repairs on commercial equipment. … If there’s an issue, we come in. Troubleshoot it. Repair it,” Cedeno said.
Which work do you prefer? “Being in different places in one week is more of the type of business that I want to target. I don’t want to be stuck in one spot for months at a time. … Doing a new house, you have to wait for other contractors. If I go that route, it may take me away from other opportunities.”
Why are you an electrician? “My father was a project manager and had several contractors working under him. During high school summers, we’d go work for him. Painting, drywall, demolition. Fun stuff at that time, not any more. One day after I graduated high school, it was really hot. … His electrical contractor called. I overheard the conversation at lunch. The contractor said all his employees took their tools and left. ‘Do you know people who want to work? I’ll train them. I’m desperate.’ We were doing demolition. Really dirty work. It was hot. I said, ‘Tell him I’ll be there tomorrow.’ I learned from experience. … There’s just something about electricity. It’s amazing. It fascinates me.”
What happens when someone calls? “Sometimes I’m able to produce estimates over the phone.”
Is it difficulty to install residential electrical vehicle charging stations? “If the basement is fully remodeled, it will take a bit more time. Most of the basements out here are not finished, so I can run my conduit no problem.”
What’s your business philosophy? “Definitely follow code and we do like to be fair with our pricing. … All of our installs strictly follow electrical code. Once you step away from the code, that’s where the issues start. I’ve had clients who’ve asked me to do installs not following code. I tell them it’s too much liability for me and I won’t sleep at night. … I tell them, ‘I’m not your guy. Sorry. Good luck finding somebody else.'”
What horror stories have you seen? “I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen conductors inside walls that are arcing. … A bathroom had no power. I had to trace back the conductors into a closet in their master bathroom. They were not spliced properly. If there’s a space between the conductors, the electrons will jump from one to another. That’s arcing. That’s a fire hazard.”
How many people work in your business? “Right now, there are three of us. We’re pretty small, but we get a lot of stuff done.”
Where did you get the name? “You remember in cartoons, how an idea is a little light bulb? I work with volts and watts all the time. I imagined the light bulb (over my head). I get a lot of compliments on the name.”
When are you busy? “Right before the holidays. … Some of the businesses have an extra budget to invest (then).”
What do you like best? “The flexibility. I can choose and make my own schedule and can spend time with my family, which is very important.”
Any negatives? “I don’t consider it too much of a negative, but I do have my business in my head 24/7. Even when I sleep I think about it. But that’s business, right?”
How do you find clients? “Sixty to 70 percent is word of mouth in the past year.”
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What about pricing? “For service fees, troubleshooting is $125 for the first hour and $105 every consecutive hour after the first, plus materials. Bigger jobs, I come in, price out the material and time I think it’s going to take.”
How did the virus impact your business? “(The start of the) COVID-19 (pandemic) actually was when I decided to make the jump. I was working for another electrical company for about six years. I’d been thinking about it for six to eight months before I made the jump.”
Any challenges? “There’s a lot of competition. … Once people see the quality of our work, everything changes.”
Any future plans? “My goal is to have another service truck and maybe a couple more guys.”
What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “Patience. You need a lot of patience. That’s a big key to being successful. … Always bet on yourself.”
If you know of a business you’d like to see to profiled in Down to Business, contact Steve Metsch at [email protected].
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.