For many home improvement contractors, finding better financial services is not always the hardest part. Finding the time to make a change is. Business owners already spend their days managing sales teams, serving homeowners, planning projects, and keeping their companies running. Switching payment providers can add another long list of tasks, from reviewing fees and connecting software to setting up new accounts and making sure payments continue without problems. Even when a new provider offers better service, many contractors choose to stay where they are because they cannot afford the extra work.
Pure Finance Group, a financial services company focused on the home improvement industry, aims to reduce that burden. Through its financing and payment processing services for home improvement contractors, the company works to simplify how contractors manage their financial needs while giving them more time to focus on their businesses.
This challenge became a central topic during a recent PowerChat interview hosted by Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100, featuring Jamie DeMersman, Chief Payments Officer at Pure Finance Group. Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry.
Through PowerChat, Greg brings forward real business challenges and the lessons industry leaders have learned from solving them. In this conversation, he asked Jamie why contractors sometimes turn down financial services that could benefit their companies. Jamie’s answer brought attention to a problem many business owners know well. Contractors do not always resist change because they are happy with their current provider. Sometimes, they do not have the time to manage another major task.
His response opened a wider discussion about switching payment processors for home improvement contractors, the need for honest communication, and why financial partners should take responsibility for making the process easier.
Every hour matters when running a home improvement company. A contractor may start the morning meeting with a sales team, spend the afternoon reviewing projects, and end the day handling customer questions. Between those responsibilities, there is little time left to deal with complicated business systems.
Yet that is often what happens when a company considers changing an important service provider.
The contractor may need to compare costs, review payment tools, connect existing software, and help employees learn how to use a new system. Even when the change could benefit the business, the amount of work involved can make staying with the current provider seem like the easier choice.
Jamie DeMersman, Chief Payments Officer at Pure Finance Group
During his PowerChat conversation with Jamie DeMersman, Greg Cummings raised a question that brought this issue into focus. He wanted to understand why contractors sometimes decline Pure Finance Group’s services, even after learning what the company offers.
For Greg, the question was about more than winning new customers. He wanted to understand what keeps business owners from making a change that might improve how their companies operate.
Jamie explained that the answer he hears most often is simple. Contractors do not want to spend more time changing the systems they already use.
“People don’t like change, right?” Jamie said while explaining why contractors hesitate to move to a new payment processor.
He acknowledged that this concern makes sense. Contractors have businesses to run, and changing financial systems is not always their most urgent task. Some companies may also be going through major business changes, making it a poor time to introduce another process.
That is why Jamie believes the responsibility for making the transition easier should fall largely on the financial provider.
“We handle everything front to back. And I think that’s what a processor should do,” said Jamie DeMersman, Chief Payments Officer at Pure Finance Group.
His message points to a larger issue in the relationship between contractors and the companies that serve them. A financial provider may offer competitive rates, useful technology, and reliable payment tools. But if using those services requires the contractor to handle most of the setup work, the provider may be creating a new problem while trying to solve another.
Jamie believes a better approach begins with understanding what the contractor needs and taking responsibility for as much of the process as possible.
For Pure Finance Group, that means working to make contractor payment processing setup and onboarding easier, rather than expecting business owners to manage every detail themselves.
But Jamie’s perspective goes further than making signup simple.
He also believes financial providers should be clear about what they offer, explain what contractors can expect, and remain available after the account is opened. A company should not promise an easy transition only to leave its customers searching for answers when they need help later.
This raises an important question for home improvement CEOs. When choosing a financial partner, are they only looking at what the provider offers, or are they also considering how much time and effort it will take to use those services?
A contractor may find a provider with better rates or more advanced tools. Those benefits matter, but so does the work required to make the change. If the provider can handle much of that work, the contractor has more time to focus on customers, employees, and business growth.
Jamie also made it clear that switching is not always the right decision. If a contractor already has a payment system that works well, or the business is going through a major change, a good financial partner should recognize that and offer honest advice rather than push for a quick sign-up.
His perspective challenges payment providers to think differently about the value they bring to contractors. The goal should not simply be to offer another service or convince more companies to sign up. It should be to make running a business easier for the people who depend on those services.
For home improvement CEOs, the lesson is worth remembering: A financial partner should not make contractors work harder to get better service. It should take work off their shoulders so they can spend more time building their businesses.
During the PowerChat interview, Greg Cummings and Jamie DeMersman explored why contractors often stay with financial providers even when other options may better serve their businesses. What began as a question about changing payment processors soon became a wider discussion about time, trust, and the responsibility financial partners have to their customers.
Jamie explained why making a service easy to use is just as important as the service itself. He also shared how Pure Finance Group works to reduce the burden of changing providers, give contractors honest advice, and remain available when they need support.
Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100
Their conversation revealed an important lesson for home improvement CEOs. The best business partners do not simply offer more tools or better terms. They help contractors spend less time managing problems and more time building their companies.
For many home improvement CEOs, the decision to change a payment provider is not just about finding a better deal. It is about deciding whether the possible benefits are worth the time and work involved.
Greg raised this concern when he asked Jamie why some contractors choose not to move to Pure Finance Group, even after speaking with the team and learning about its services.
It was a question that went beyond pricing or product quality. Greg wanted to understand what could stop a contractor from making a change that might benefit the business.
Jamie explained that the answer he hears most often has little to do with the service itself.
“It’s all it’s all about time,” said Jamie DeMersman, Chief Payments Officer at Pure Finance Group.
He explained that people generally do not like change, especially when it involves systems they use every day. For contractors, the concern becomes even greater because payment processing connects to important parts of their business.
A CEO may have spent years building a sales process that works. Office teams may already know how to manage payments, track transactions, and handle customer accounts. Changing providers means asking those employees to learn something new while continuing to manage their regular work.
This is why reducing the time needed to switch payment processors can be just as important as offering lower costs or better technology.
Jamie also recognized that not every contractor faces the same situation. Some businesses are growing rapidly, while others may be dealing with major company changes. Even when a new provider offers value, the timing may not be right.
That understanding matters because a financial service decision can affect several people across the company.
The owner may approve the change, but office staff, sales representatives, and managers may need to adjust how they handle payments. If the process feels too difficult, the business may decide to keep using a familiar system.
Jamie’s perspective challenges financial providers to consider these concerns before asking contractors to make a move.
Instead of assuming that a strong offer will convince every business owner, providers need to understand how much time the change will require and whether they can make that process easier.
For contractors, this also creates a useful way to judge new opportunities.
A better financial service should offer real value without taking too much attention away from running the company.
The goal is not simply to find a provider with more features. It is to find one that understands how busy contractors are and respects the time they need to serve their customers.
Understanding why contractors hesitate to switch is only the first step. The next question is what financial providers can do to remove that concern.
Jamie believes the answer starts with taking responsibility for the work involved.
Rather than giving a contractor a new account and expecting the business to manage every detail, he argues that payment providers should lead the process and help make the change as simple as possible.
“We handle everything front to back. And I think that’s what a processor should do,” Jamie explained.
His point reflects a broader belief about how service companies should treat their customers.
A contractor hires a financial provider because that company has the knowledge, tools, and experience to handle payments. It makes sense for the provider to guide the contractor through the process of getting those services ready.
That is where payment processor onboarding for home improvement businesses becomes an important part of the customer experience.
Before a contractor begins using a new system, the provider needs to understand how the company operates. This may include reviewing the payments it accepts, how its current software works, and what the contractor needs to manage transactions.
Jamie explained that his team works to understand these details early rather than rush contractors into signing up.
That approach gives both sides a clearer picture of what needs to happen before the new service begins.
It also gives the financial provider a chance to explain which tasks it can manage and where the contractor may need to take part.
This is important because an easy transition does not mean the contractor has no role in the process. Business owners still need to provide information, review their needs, and make decisions about the systems they use.
But the provider should have enough experience to guide those steps and avoid placing unnecessary work on the contractor.
For growing home improvement companies, simplifying contractor payment system transitions can help reduce the pressure on employees who already have full schedules.
A sales manager should not have to become an expert in payment processing to help the company change providers. Office staff should receive clear guidance rather than struggle to understand a new system on their own.
The financial partner should provide direction and help the team understand what comes next.
Jamie believes this responsibility should apply to payment processors across the industry, not just Pure Finance Group.
His message is that service providers should make life easier for the businesses they serve.
For home improvement CEOs, that raises a practical question when considering a new financial provider. How much of the work will the provider actually handle, and how much will fall on the contractor’s team?
The answer can reveal whether the company is offering a useful service or simply passing another task to the customer.
Making a financial service easy to adopt is valuable, but Jamie explained that a good provider must first decide whether the contractor needs to make a change at all.
During the interview, he acknowledged that some businesses already have payment systems that work well.
Their costs may be competitive. Their software may connect smoothly with the tools they use. Their teams may receive the support they need.
In those cases, moving to another provider may create extra work without offering enough value in return.
Jamie made it clear that his team does not want contractors to switch simply for the sake of gaining another account.
“If we cannot help a contractor legitimately help them, we’re gonna tell them, hey, you’re in a great space for right now,” Jamie explained.
That statement reveals an important part of his approach to transparent payment processing services for contractors.
A financial provider should be willing to explain what it can improve and recognize when another company already meets the contractor’s needs.
Jamie supported this point by openly discussing competing payment processors during the conversation.
He recognized strengths in companies such as Chase PaymentTech, Worldpay, Global Payments, and Stripe. He spoke about their pricing, reporting tools, and software connections, acknowledging that these services can work well for different businesses.
Rather than dismiss those providers, Jamie explained that his team asks contractors how their current systems work before recommending a change.
That includes understanding whether payments connect to the company’s CRM, how transactions appear in its accounting software, and what information the business needs from its reports.
These details help reveal whether a new provider can offer a meaningful improvement.
Jamie also addressed the importance of timing.
He explained that some companies are going through major business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions. During those periods, leaders may already have enough decisions to manage without adding another change to their financial systems.
In such situations, even a useful service may be better considered at another time.
This approach offers a lesson about choosing the right financial partner for a contracting business.
The right decision should depend on the company’s needs, not the pressure to accept a new offer.
A contractor may benefit from switching if the current provider creates problems, lacks important tools, or cannot provide the support the business needs.
Another contractor may be better served by keeping a system that already works.
What matters is making that choice with clear information.
For CEOs, honest advice can be one of the strongest signs that a financial provider understands the business.
A partner that is willing to say no when it cannot offer enough value may be easier to trust when it does recommend a change.
And for the financial services industry, Jamie’s message challenges companies to focus less on signing up every possible customer and more on helping the right customers make sound business decisions.
Even after a contractor finds the right provider and completes the change, the financial relationship still has to prove its value.
Pure Finance Group’s contractor payment services
Jamie warned that some service companies focus heavily on winning new customers but offer little personal support after the account becomes active.
That may not cause problems when everything works as expected.
But a contractor’s needs can change quickly when a transaction fails, a homeowner disputes a payment, or funds do not arrive when expected.
Jamie described the kind of service model contractors should avoid, where a provider signs up a business and then offers little help beyond a general support number.
He referred to this as a “set it and forget it” approach.
For a contractor trying to solve an urgent problem, that can create a difficult situation.
A payment error may happen while a sales representative is still meeting with a homeowner. A funding hold may leave a business owner looking for answers about money needed for daily operations.
In those moments, the contractor needs more than a system that worked well during setup.
Jamie believes dedicated payment processing customer support for contractors should be part of the relationship from the beginning.
He encourages business owners to find out whether they will have an account manager, who they can contact when a problem comes up, and what support the provider offers for payment disputes and chargebacks.
These questions matter because contractors should know where to turn before something goes wrong.
Jamie explained that Pure Finance Group has built its service model around direct relationships with customers. Its support teams help contractors handle payment problems and understand the steps they may need to take.
The company also works with contractors who face repeated chargebacks, helping them review what causes those disputes and develop plans to reduce similar problems.
This adds another level of value to the relationship.
Instead of only responding when a problem appears, the provider can help the contractor understand what happened and how to prepare for the future.
That kind of support can also reduce the amount of time owners and employees spend dealing with the same financial issues.
Greg connected this point to the wider challenge of choosing dependable business partners.
Many companies offer strong tools and useful services. But business owners may not know how much support they will receive until they face a problem that requires immediate attention.
For contractors, that uncertainty can make an already difficult situation more stressful.
Jamie also explained why technology alone cannot meet every service need.
While Pure Finance Group is using AI and other tools to improve its operations, he believes experienced people remain essential when customers need guidance.
The goal is to use technology to make work easier while keeping knowledgeable people available for situations that require personal attention.
For home improvement CEOs, this creates an important standard when comparing financial providers.
An easy setup should be the beginning of a dependable relationship, not the best part of it.
A good payment partner should continue helping contractors manage their financial services long after they begin accepting payments.
As Greg and Jamie looked toward the future, their conversation revealed another reason why contractors should think carefully about the financial partners they choose.
A service that works well for a business today may not meet every need that company develops as it grows.
A contractor may begin with a small team, a limited number of projects, and a simple way to accept customer payments.
Over time, the company may hire more employees, expand into new markets, and manage larger jobs.
With that growth comes more work for the people responsible for handling money, tracking transactions, and supporting customers.
Greg emphasized the value of choosing partners that can serve contractors at different stages of that journey.
He raised the example of a smaller company growing into a much larger organization and questioned whether its financial partners would be able to keep providing the same level of support.
His point was that business owners should not have to replace important service providers every time their companies reach a new stage.
The strongest relationships should have room to grow.
Jamie connected that idea to Pure Finance Group’s wider plans for the future.
He explained that the company’s original vision was to help contractors with their overall cash flow, not just one part of their financial operations.
Alongside homeowner financing, Pure has developed payment processing and loan servicing operations that Jamie wants to continue expanding.
This broader focus speaks to the growing need for cash flow management solutions for home improvement contractors.
As companies expand, their financial needs can become more complex. They may need to handle greater payment volumes, manage more customer accounts, and gain a clearer view of money moving through the business.
Having the right systems and knowledgeable partners can help leaders manage those demands.
Jamie also encouraged contractors to use the final months of 2026 to review their financial providers and expenses as they prepare for 2027.
He pointed out that business owners are already thinking about their plans for the coming year, making this a useful time to look at whether their current partnerships still meet their needs.
That review does not have to lead to a change.
It can help contractors understand what is working, where they face problems, and which services may become more important as the business grows.
For CEOs, this is part of financial planning for growing home improvement companies.
The goal is to make sure the people and systems supporting the business can keep up with its plans.
Jamie also believes providers must continue improving the experience they offer, rather than simply relying on the services they have today.
That includes making financial systems easier to use, helping contractors solve problems, and reducing the work required to manage daily operations.
The conversation brings the story back to Jamie’s original point about time.
Contractors want to focus on what they do best. They want to lead teams, close sales, complete projects, and build companies that serve homeowners well.
Their financial partners should help make those goals easier to reach.
For a growing business, saving time is not just about convenience. It can give leaders and employees more room to focus on the work that moves the company forward.
Greg and Jamie’s discussion shows why the right financial partnership should offer both immediate value and lasting support.
A provider that makes today’s work easier while preparing for tomorrow’s needs can become an important part of a contractor’s growth.
As the PowerChat conversation came to a close, Greg Cummings‘ question about why contractors turn down better financial services revealed a simple truth. Even the best solution can lose its value when getting started takes too much time and effort. For business owners who already have full schedules, another complex process may be the last thing they need.
Through his insights, Jamie DeMersman brought attention to a responsibility that every financial provider should take seriously. Contractors should not have to carry most of the work to receive better service. They deserve partners who respect their time, explain things clearly, and take ownership of the tasks they promise to handle.
For home improvement CEOs, this conversation offers a chance to think differently about the companies they choose to work with. A good price or useful technology can make a service attractive, but the real value lies in how much easier that service makes running the business. The right partner should remove unnecessary work, offer honest guidance, and give contractors confidence that they have someone to turn to when they need help.
Jamie’s perspective also shows why lasting business relationships require more than a successful signup. As contractors grow and their needs change, they need partners who can grow with them, keep their promises, and continue finding ways to make their work easier. That is the kind of relationship Pure Finance Group aims to build through its financial services.
Looking ahead, home improvement companies will continue facing new demands as they serve more homeowners, manage larger teams, and pursue bigger goals. The financial partners who bring the most value will be those who understand these pressures and help business owners spend more time on what matters most.
The message from this PowerChat is clear: A great financial partner does not ask contractors to work harder to receive better service. It takes work off their shoulders, earns their trust through action, and gives them more time to focus on building stronger businesses.
No. Power100 offers free registration to its Inner Circle member portal. Contractors can access PowerChat episodes, expert interviews, industry insights, and an AI concierge without paying a membership fee or providing a credit card. These home improvement business leadership resources help CEOs learn how other leaders solve problems, choose business partners, and manage their companies. The platform aims to give busy contractors useful knowledge they can apply without spending hours searching for answers.
Pure Finance Group aims to handle much of the work involved in changing payment providers. During PowerChat, Jamie DeMersman explained that his team works to manage the process from beginning to end. Contractors still need to share business details, review terms, and confirm their payment needs. Pure then helps with the setup and system connections. This approach to guided payment processor setup for contractors aims to reduce the work business owners must manage themselves.
Pure Finance Group offers a free review of a contractor’s current payment processing fees. Its team examines existing statements, looks at transaction patterns, and identifies areas where the business may save money. Pure reports that some clients have reduced processing fees by 20% to 40%, but the company does not guarantee those savings for every contractor. A contractor payment processing fee comparison helps business owners review potential savings before deciding whether changing providers makes financial sense.
According to its published payment processing information, Pure Finance Group does not charge onboarding or activation fees and does not require long contract commitments for its payment processing services. Jamie also explained during PowerChat that Pure does not rely on signup fees or long contracts to keep its processing customers. Contractors should still review the latest pricing and account terms before signing up. Understanding payment processing contract requirements for contractors helps owners make informed decisions and avoid unexpected costs.
Pure Finance Group offers payment tools that let contractors create invoices, send payment links through text or email, track unpaid bills, and send reminders from one system. Business owners can also control which employees have access to different payment tools. These contractor invoicing and payment management tools help office teams organize customer payments without switching between several separate systems. Contractors can choose settings that fit their business needs and how their teams work.
Not always. During PowerChat, Jamie explained that changing payment providers may not make sense when a company is already managing a merger, acquisition, or another major business event. These changes can demand time and attention from company leaders. Adding a new payment system may create more work at the wrong moment. Contractors should review their current needs, available resources, and business plans before deciding. Choosing the right time to switch payment processors can help companies avoid unnecessary disruption.
Yes. Pure Finance Group offers payment processing alongside its homeowner financing services. Contractors can use its financing portal to collect deposits and other customer payments while managing financing options for home improvement projects. The company also offers tools for credit card, debit card, and bank payments. These integrated financing and payment solutions for home improvement contractors can reduce the need to manage separate payment systems and help teams spend less time handling financial tasks.
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. Led by CEO Greg Cummings, Power100 gives contractors access to trusted leadership insights, industry knowledge, and real business experiences that help them make better decisions. It does this through its national CEO rankings and PowerChat interviews. The platform brings attention to leaders and companies that are making a positive impact while helping contractors learn from their successes and challenges. Its mission is to give outstanding CEOs the recognition they deserve, strengthen business relationships, and promote trust, accountability, and lasting growth across the home improvement industry.
Membership unlocks every Power100 interview, PowerChat episode, and expert playbook - free for industry leaders.
Power100 is the nation's premier CEO ranking and media platform for the home improvement industry. Using a proprietary 5-layer evaluation system, Power100 identifies and celebrates the top CEOs, companies, and strategic partners driving innovation, customer satisfaction, and leadership excellence across the country.
