As professional business owners, we all have some standard that we operate by; some set of guidelines that we put out there so that our clients know what it is they’re actually getting when they hire us. Typically, these principles are provided to our clients in one form or another, either printed out in some sort of list or outlined …
Above and Beyond
Being a Professional Home Inspector can be a rewarding experience. As we’re not confined to an office, we get to experience a good bit of variety (sometimes too much…) in our job every day. We’re not locked into working with the same 17 people day after day and get to meet a wide range of individuals and deal with a …
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 …
The Hard Part
Running a small business is a hard thing to do. I really don’t need to tell you that, because you already know. Also, a hard thing to swallow is the fact the majority of new small businesses fail. It’s inevitable. There’s always going to be a lot of starters. Starting is easy. Starting is exciting. Starting makes us feel powerful. …
What’s This Gonna Cost?
Time passes, as it always seems to do. With its passage, we gain wisdom, we gain knowledge and we gain some additional pains that really weren’t there yesterday when we woke up. Often, along our Earthly journey, we find ourselves faced with difficult choices. We’re at an intersection on the road of life and must decide which road we choose …
Late To the Party
I have been extremely fortunate to find myself in a very unique position in the home inspection industry. I was lucky enough to get in on the ground floor of a multi-inspector firm with my friends and business partners. I started doing inspections, growing business to 40 inspections a month and then hiring and training my replacement for those inspections. …
Learning, Applying and Paying for Knowledge. What’s Your Responsibility?
Those of you who read my blog on a regular basis will already know that I am a big advocate for increasing your knowledge in your chosen industry. I cannot overstate the importance of belonging to different groups, organizations and message boards, so that you are able to keep up with the happenings in your field. Generally, the more knowledge …