by Erica Herbst
Tieu Trinh is the owner and sole proprietor of Trinh’s A/C Services which he founded in Carrolton, TX in 1989 under a different name. He has been serving the Greater Austin area ever since. Trinh repairs and installs HVAC systems primarily, but also installs and repairs solar panel systems. His business focuses on helping customers save energy costs in their home or commercial building. According to Trinh, A/C service businesses are mostly the same, but his stands out for being a one-man Asian owned business, with Trinh performing most services himself. 
Trinh opened his own business to spend more time with his family, and to be free to make his own decisions about his business, choosing to focus on quality of service instead of quantity. At first he hit the expected financial hurdles and he had to learn how to build a client base. Trinh uses mostly word of mouth advertising and a focus on the Asian community to attract clients. Now, Trinh reports his client base increasing each year, and he currently serves over 20 area homes. Trinh found out about PeopleFund when he attended a small business development seminar hosted by PeopleFund. He received a loan in early 2014 which will help him with his plans to take on more repeat residential business. “[PeopleFund] gave me the money I needed to pay vendors and buy equipment necessary to run my business,” Trinh said. Trinh faces fierce competition in an industry where smaller business often takes less of a profit margin to get more business, but he plans to become a Home Depot subcontractor and potentially hire more permanent employees to take on bigger projects. Trinh’s A/C Services is Better Business Bureau accredited.
If you are interested in Trinh’s services visit www.trinhacservices.com