Without a doubt, one of the most important documents in the home inspection process (or any business deal, for that matter) is the contract. Contracts help set the terms of the business relationship, ensure that the parties know exactly what’s expected of them and provide a legal framework against which any future disputes should be judged. This is the last …
One (2) of Your Most Important Documents
Being a professional home inspector is a wonderful thing. It’s an exciting business, it allows us to provide for our families and helping other people (our clients) can often prove to be a rewarding experience. But, we all must occasionally face the stress of problems in our business. Thankfully for us, a properly executed home inspection contract can help minimize …
One of Your Most Important Documents
Running a small business as a home inspector can be a wonderfully rewarding experience. It’s a unique job that has a lot of perks. We get to be in a different place every day, and not stuck in the same cubicle next to “Gum-smacking Sally.” We get to interact with different people every day, not forced to attend yet another …
It’s Up to You to Let Them Know It’s Important
I’m not sure if it’s real or imagined on my part, but it seems like almost every time I engage in a conversation on a home inspection forum or discussion board, the topic inevitably turns to pricing. What we charge for what we do seems to always be a topic that’s top of everybody’s mind; it’s always on the radar. …
3 Simple Principles to Growing Your Business
Running your own business ranks up there as one of the most challenging things most people will ever do in their lifetime. It’s unfortunate, but the majority of those small businesses will end in failure. In the U.S., only about 25% of small business startups make it past their two-year anniversary. While the odds are stacked against new business owners, …
Who are You Calling an Idiot?
Sometimes what we say isn’t as important as how we say it. Unknown Author We’ve all run into it in our business. We provide some information and advice to our clients and recommend that they enlist the help of a professional who has expertise in the specific field that they need. And then it happens. Wham! You’re rolled over by …
Can We Live With Constant Change?
Unless you’re brand new at this small business thing (and if you are, good luck to you), we’ve all made it through the dreaded start-up phase. We’ve soldiered on, taken our lumps, run the gauntlet, learned our lessons and come out of the other end. We mourn for those who weren’t as lucky as us; the 75% of start-ups that …
Seeing Through the Disguise
Often, when starting out in a new small business, we run into problems. One of our biggest problems happens to be figuring out what type of clientele we want to deal with in our business. There are always two different type of potential clients available to sell our services to: professionals and amateurs. Unfortunately, because we’re just starting out in …
(Why are We) Just Getting By
We all have important things to do in our lives, both in our business and our personal lives. Some of these things are very important to us, like renewing a business license, getting exercise or visiting a sick relative/friend. And some things are much less important, but much more desirable, such as going to a sporting event or binge-watching our …
6 Common Mistakes of New Business Owners
Starting a new small business is often the most difficult thing most people will do in their lifetime. Short of a major tragedy in your life, nothing else will cause you the pain and suffering of creating a new business from scratch. While a handful are successful, the majority of new businesses fail; some dying out like embers in the …