I consider myself to be extremely fortunate. I (somehow) ended up in a career that I really enjoy, that allows me to help others and that helps me provide for my family. I started doing home inspections in 2000, and soon thereafter started teaching other home inspectors (and Realtors) about our industry. I’ve helped inspectors in many different states start, …
7 Things That Influence Success
In my position as an educator, I often find myself speaking with people about the home inspection business. Whether its inspectors who are brand new to the industry or individuals interested in becoming an inspector, the questions they ask are usually quite similar. Surprisingly enough, everyone is trying to figure out whether or not they’ll make it as a professional …
Practice vs Perfect
As a home inspector, it seems like we’re wired differently than other people. We can’t help it, we were born that way. For as far back as we can remember, we’ve always been inquisitive. We’ve always asked questions. We’ve always wanted to be given a reason why. And if you’re anything like me, your mother probably told you “Because, I …
The Dreaded Question
I am a Professional Home Inspector, which is a pretty cool job, as I get to help people for a living. I obviously do my best to make sure that my clients’ needs are met. This usually involves answering questions about the house they’re considering purchasing, as well as the occasional question about the home-buying process. While inspectors typically answer the …
A Dream Job…
To many people, being able to do home inspections seems like a dream job (at least, that’s what I keep telling myself..) The reality of working as an inspector is that we’re faced with an almost impossible task. We’re not like an HVAC technician, that’s simply looking at the AC to see what needs to be repaired. We’re not like …
Right Place, Wrong Customers
Customers. They’re the lifeblood of any successful business. Without them, we’re just standing around, thinking about how great our business ideas are. Without them, we’re soon on the way to the unemployment line. No business can survive without cash flow, and that means customers. Unfortunately, customers can also be the worst part of our business, often causing untold grief and pain. I’m …
Guaranteed Success
At a recent continuing education class, I was speaking with some other home inspectors, and one of them asked the group what was the one trait that made them successful. Most of the group gave predictable answers, touting their experience or explaining how thankful they were for their good fortune. I didn’t provide an answer at that moment, as I couldn’t …
All the World’s a Stage!
I hope that this post finds everyone happy and healthy. I would like to open today with a well-known saying: “All the world’s a stage.” Depending on how old you are (and your musical interests), you may believe that this saying originated in a song by the rock band Rush. It’s actually a phrase that begins a monologue from William Shakespeare’s play …
Unrealistic Expectations
I hope that this post finds everyone doing well, being happy, and making money! Great way to start, right? While it would be great if just wishing for things could make them happen, it would be quite unrealistic to expect that mere wishes were truths. We are all imperfect creatures, living in an imperfect world; nothing will ever be perfect. We will …
Hurt Yourself. The Pain of Becoming Experienced.
As business people, we are subject to scrutiny by our potential clients. They’re often probing and prodding, looking for insight into whether we’re an inspector they can rely on. Much of the time, the first thing they look for is experience. When did you start doing your job? Clients want to know how long we’ve been practicing our craft. When …