Header image by Robert Jones
A Zionsville startup is reinventing the way homeowners connect with home improvement pros — encouraging them to start with a short video instead of traditional phone calls or form fills. ProjectStory is a video-based home improvement platform that cuts out the hassle of getting home improvement quotes and helps homeowners get fast, valuable responses from top-rated local contractors.
Homeowners spend hours searching online, making calls and filling out forms, only to get underwhelming responses — or sometimes, no response at all.
“With even the most basic type of projects, homeowners don’t know where to go,” founder Jeff Wraley says. “Other platforms that connect you to contractors started 10 or 15 years ago. We’re building for the current times, and our goal is to make the process feel easy and enjoyable; we want to give you a relaxing sigh of relief instead of frustration.”
Wraley is a civil engineer, and his wife is an interior designer. When they bought a 1970s ranch in Zionsville and went through the renovation process, they experienced the exact problem Wraley is trying to solve.
“We can buy cars online, have doctor’s appointments virtually, go to school via Zoom — why is the home renovation process so inefficient and frustrating?” Wraley says. “Having valuable conversations before everyone spends an hour and a half driving to and from meetings is something we can do.”
ProjectStory is a sister company to Groundwork (also founded by Wraley), which is a tool that contractors can use to collect better information — videos, measurements, etc. — from their leads so that they can streamline their sales process. Wraley’s friends, neighbors and family members were always asking the Groundwork team where to submit their project videos. And their pros were always asking them for help getting more leads. After years of contemplating the idea, Wraley and his team created ProjectStory as the best way to get a quote on your next project.
So, Wraley and his team flipped the process. By using short video content, they’re able to match projects with a contractor of appropriate scale, eliminating wasted time on the contractor or client end and removing the missed calls and necessary back-and-forth.
“Meeting with contractors in person is a barrier that freezes everyone,” he says. “It’s taking up your time, their time — and a lot of potential clients worry their project may not be substantial enough for a contractor to take on and feel like they wasted someone’s time if an on-site initial consultation is planned.”
The Process
Share your problem or project vision in a short video. Talk through the project just like we were there with you. Don’t worry, ProjectStory provides some coaching along the way.
Once you submit your video on the ProjectStory website (no need to download an app!), you’ll get matched with vetted and highly rated contractors in your area. No spam calls. No phone tag. Just valuable interactions with pros who already know your project.
ProjectStory wants to bring a world-class customer experience to home improvement. Launching in Zionsville, Carmel, Westfield and other northside suburbs with local pros ready to conveniently respond to common spring projects, reach out to get started on your next hassle-free project with services including:
– Tree care and landscaping
– Concrete leveling and patios
– Exterior painting and pressure washing
– Fencing, decks and more
You can get started by visiting their website at myprojectstory.com.
