One of the benefits of living in the digital age is relatively easy access to any audience in the world. We can contact almost anyone, any place in the developed world, easily accessing them through our smartphones. This can be beneficial in our business, as it allows up to easily acquire knowledge through the mistakes and successes of other people. Learning from those that have gone before you, what to do as well as what not to do, is one of the best ways to improve your chances of success (in life as well as business.)
I try to practice this as much as possible in my business life, constantly scouring all sources for things that can help me grow my business. I enjoy a variety of podcasts while I am driving, listening to the musings of successful business people as they freely share their knowledge. I belong to message boards and digital groups that keep me constantly reading about the questions, concerns and problems of other people in my industry. And arguably the most important outlet: regular live meetings with other inspectors. Whether it’s at a CE class, a conference or a regulatory board meeting, the time spent speaking with other business owners that are “in the trenches” is where I learn the most information.
This interaction provides an opportunity to discuss the industry, learning not only what is proving successful for the other business owners, but also what is causing them the most pain in their lives. I am always willing to listen to someone’s story, offering any insight that I can provide based on my experiences. I try to answer any questions that I can from other inspectors who are taking part in same experience: attempting to learn information from others in their industry.
One of the more common questions involves wanting to know what one thing will ensure success. I know that they are longing for sage wisdom, such as “You need to compile a list of all the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, title and insurance companies within a 100-mile radius, segmenting them according to production vs market share, choosing the top 5 in each category for an automated email series, scheduled for delivery once every 5 days for the first 3 weeks, dropping back to once every 8 days for the next 7 weeks…”
Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for becoming an overnight success in any type of business, especially service-based industries like home inspection and real estate. Business, it turns out, is just like life. There are always many different variables affecting the outcome of any situation. For individuals in service-based industries, being competent in many different areas of your business can help increase your chances of success.
Marketing is often considered to be the holy grail of business. While it can be argued that marketing may be the most important element of the equation, there are numerous other factors that contribute to the success or failure of a home inspection business. The quality of your inspection report, your company image, the professionalism of you and your employees, your digital presence, your marketing skills, your knowledge, your interpersonal skills and your level of capitalization are all factors affecting the future success of your business.
The more knowledge we acquire, the more experiences we have (personal or second-hand) and the more well-rounded we are in our skill set, the better our chances of success. William Crawford said “Being a student is easy. Learning requires actual work.” Be more than a student of your craft; put in the work and become a master.
I welcome all feedback (positive and negative) about my take on this subject. Please leave your comments below. Thank you!
Please Share with Friends!
I thoroughly enjoy creating these posts for you, the reader. Please take a moment to comment, letting me know what you think about the topic, and passing along any of your knowledge to our community. Please feel free to get in touch with me, letting me know if you have any specific topics that you would like to see covered on the site. And please feel free to share this content with your friends. The more people that we can help in their careers, the better!
Thanks, Joe