All of us suffer from the same malady: we’re human. As humans, we’re extremely comfortable with our routines. We’re reassured by the fact that we know what happens next; that we have a good idea of how things are going to work. We like it when things go according to plan; we’re happy when our lives play out exactly like …
Real Estate Agents versus Us
As we’ve touched on many times in these articles, it’s imperative for a small business owner to stay current on the constantly changing landscape of their industry. Continuously educating yourself is almost a requirement if you’re to have a chance to remain relevant in your niche. Being part of the digital age has certainly made it easier for us to …
Is There a Market for Quality?
Give the people what they want. George Jessel It’s an often-quoted line, and it’s typically used as an excuse for doing inferior work. Many businesses fall back on this old axiom to justify providing a mediocre product. They say that they’re only doing second-rate work because that’s all they’re clients want; it’s all they’re willing to pay for; it’s what …
Smashing the Piggybank
If you’re like me, and grew up in a much simpler time, you’re probably familiar with the piggybank. As kids, we all had a piggybank sitting on top our dresser or desk, and we would faithfully put money into the piggybank every time we came across a windfall. Birthday card from Grandma; money in the piggybank. Allowance for cleaning up …
6 Tactics to Increase Success – Part 3
Note: This article is part 3 of a 3 part series. Click here to read part 1. Every hour of every day, someone new decides they would like to be a professional home inspector. The lure of working for yourself, running your own business, controlling your schedule and being your own boss can be hard to resist. While different people …
6 Tactics to Increase Success – Part 2
Note: This article is part 2 of a 3 part series. Click here to read part 1. We each come to the home inspection business from different backgrounds, different thoughts and different ideals, but we all share one common goal: becoming a successful small business owner. It’s hard to start a successful small business in today’s dog-eat-dog environment. It seems …
6 Tactics to Increase Success
While we all come into the inspection business with different goals (making more money, becoming our own boss, having more control over our schedule, etc.), the overriding goal of everyone is to be successful. Success in the home inspection industry is dependent on many factors. Some of these elements, like the quality of the homes in our area, are (for …
Is This Really Working?
It’s often said that in order for someone to have success in their business, they must know two important things. They must know who their target audience is (who their work is for) and what it is they’re providing to their target audience (what their work is doing for their clients). Equally important, but often overlooked, is figuring out if …
Imitation and Mediocrity
It’s kind of funny, if we stop and think about it, but most people are surprised when they find out how hard it is to break into the world of small business. Common sense should tell us that. I guess that it’s the blinders that we all come into the business with that do it, but we would think that …
Riding the Elevator
The elevator pitch. It’s a phrase that we often hear in the business world, and it’s (unfortunately) something that we do quite often in our own business. But is it the right thing to do? Is it working for us? And what the hell does it really mean, anyway? Wikipedia describes an elevator pitch as a short description of an …