I met up with Mike at his office and we talked about his company, Mike Barret Plumbing & Heating LLC.  We discussed the establishment of his Plumbing Company, and the hardest parts about owning a business.  One of the of the toughest parts of having a business in 2016, he says, is competing against guys who are not licensed and insured.  “Unfortunately it happens a lot, guys will pay other guys to borrow their licenses to get the job, and the customer will think their getting a great deal.” 

We talked about how he’s grateful for the small team of plumbers he has working for him.  They both have families in the Danbury / New Milford area.  Mike himself has twins that are four years old.  Both plumbers working for him understand the need for delivering the best service to their customers.
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Mike got his start after graduating from Henry Abbot Tech, and doing his apprenticeship with M&M Plumbing.  He explained that it was tough opening a business because advertising in the phonebook was extremely expensive.  Phonebooks are long extinct, and the internet has taken over.  

​Mike Barret Plumbing & Heating has built up 247 5 star reviews on Angie’s List, but Angie’s List recently changed up their listing format.  Now when you do a search in Angie’s List, the companies that come up first are the ones paying the most for advertising instead of the ones with the best reputation.
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On the flip-side,  Mike explains “the internet will can destroy a business rather quickly.  If you don’t do a nice job or treat people fairly then you’ll rack up a handful of bad reviews that can destroy your business.”  When talking about whether or not he wanted to grow his business he expressed the need to stay small in order to provide the best service to his customers.

​To wrap things up I asked - if a customer was to choose between Mike Barret Plumbing & Heating LLC and three others just like it, why should they choose yours?  Mike explains that “because I’m in touch with every customer regardless if I’m on site or not.  We stand behind our work completely – no questions asked.  On top of that we don’t have a lot of overhead so we’re able to keep our prices down.”
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After interviewing Mike Barret, owner of Mike Barret Plumbing & Heating LLC it was easy to notice that we was a real family man who cares a ton about business, and will provide nothing but the best plumbing service in the Danbury area.  

​Address:  Serving a 40 mile radius around Danbury including Bethel, New Milford, New Fairfield, Brookfield, New Milford and more. 

Owner:  Mike Barret

Year Established: 2001
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Website:  BarretPlumbing.biz

Phone Number:  (203) 778-3964

Akrham Shine’s rise to the top all started with the a Mustang.   Owner, Kevin Awalt was given a Mustang at the age of 15 by his father.  At first he just wanted to keep his ride looking great. Throughout High School his interest grew, and he was doing detailing jobs for friends & family.  During College he was the local go to guy for keeping your ride looking it’s best.  The years went by only for Kevin to get better at his trade.  In 2008 he opened up a place in Danbury, but more recently in March 2015 he opened up Arkham Shine (interviewed by The Danbury Review).
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Arkham Shine handles all aspects of Auto Detailing including window tinting, paint protection film, ceramic coating, scratch repair and paint touchups.  Kevin’s business sees a wide variety of different customers from dads who want to keep the family Jeep looking its best to higher end clients who want to protect their new Maserati with paint protection film.

​Kevin states that the toughest thing about opening was getting the word out.  He explains that often Auto Detailing doesn’t have the best name recognition.  There seems to be a lot of amateurs out there claiming their auto detailers, but they don’t have a professional background.  Kevin’s been Auto Detailing for 20 years, and based on the before & after pictures I saw I’d say he really knows his stuff.

In 2016 the toughest part of having a business is the fact that you’re always working.  The connectivity of modern technology has extended the 9-5 work day and had a significant impact on work/life balance.  In business you can never really clock out.  He relies on the effectiveness of the internet including Google rankings, Facebook and Instagram.  Its 2016 and people aren’t opening up the phone book anymore.  The only way new customers will find you is through your internet presence.
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After talking with Kevin Awalt, owner of Arkham Shine it is readily apparent that they are one of the leaders in the auto detailing business.  They are one of the only auto detailers in Connecticut that guarantee their results.  

There's many other reputable businesses in New Milford such as Integrated Wildlife Removal which is a wildlife removal company in town.  Integrated Wildlife Removal can be found at www.ctwildlifecontrol.com and does business in New Milford & Litchfield County, Connecticut.

Company Name: Arkham Shine Auto Detailing Studio

Address: 90 Danbury Road
                    New Milford, CT 06776

Owner:  Kevin Awalt

Website: ArkhamShine.com

Phone Number: (860) 799-5403