The decision to start your own home inspection business is an exciting one. Making the choice to strike out on your own and build a business from scratch takes serious courage. Getting started is half the battle, but knowing where to go next can be confusing for those new to the business world. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place for advice – here are our recommendations for how to start a home inspection business:
Create a Business Plan
Every great business was once merely a plan on paper. Start your home inspection company off on the right foot by carefully mapping out your road to success. There are hundreds of helpful books and blogs on how to write up your business plan most effectively. Ultimately, though, your home inspection business plan needs to address start-up costs, the existing market, your competitors, and your timeline moving forward.
This phase of business development is heavily research-focused. Your home inspection business will not thrive without a solid foundation, so it’s important not to shrug off this important step. Take time to thoroughly investigate the existing home inspection businesses in your area and look to see if there are any gaps in the market. Is anyone offering roof inspections via drone? If not, that could be your niche! Whatever service you decide to lead with, make sure it’s in demand in your region.
Get Trained and Licensed
Training and licensure are the most important factors in the long-term success of your home inspection business. Without formal training and certification, real estate agents aren’t likely to recommend your services to their clients. Even the most experienced of home inspectors will need to meet requirements set by the state in which they hope to practice. While standards vary from state to state, most places have some sort of guidelines in place for professional practice. Be sure you’re aware of these requirements and compliant with state law before you accept your first gig as a professional home inspector.
Online home inspector training makes it easier than ever to train for a career in this exciting, lucrative field. From the convenience of your living room, you can learn all there is to know about industry best practices, techniques and tools. While some states require home inspectors to shadow practicing professionals before earning their certification, most do not. Chances are good you can complete your entire home inspection training from the comfort of your couch!
Build Your Brand
Marketing and advertising is crucial to the success of your new home inspection business. While this side of the business might feel intimidating at first, you’ll quickly discover how easy it can be to market your services to your community. It all starts with branding. Develop a catchy name, a slogan, and a logo and you’ll be well on your way to crafting a valuable new brand.
A logo is more than just decoration for a company polo or hat. It’s your opportunity to create a throughline carried across various platforms. Make sure your logo and name are used in the same way on your website, social media pages, and online business listings. When your branding is consistent, your services are easier to find and you come across more authoritatively.
Get Liability Insurance
In order to build a trustworthy home inspection business, you’ll need to have a comprehensive insurance policy to back up your services. Home inspection insurance helps protect your investment from lawsuits. For better or worse, your business is responsible for ensuring homes are safe enough for your clients to reside inside – should they discover problems after moving in, you could have an expensive lawsuit on your hands.
While you’re at it, find a lawyer to partner with before you need one. They can help you draft contracts, assist with the creation of your new business, and represent you in case of a lawsuit. A lawyer can also provide advice on record-keeping practices for your new home inspection business. The administrative side of entrepreneurship can be overwhelming at times, but with the right allies and legal protections, you’ll be ready for anything.
Enroll in Our Home Inspection Training Program Now
Searching online for information on how to start a home inspection business is the very first step in a long line of tasks necessary to launch a new company. If the advice above has fired you up enough to proceed, make training and certification your next step. Education and licensure are key components of any home inspection business, and without that foundation, you won’t get far in your start-up plans. See what our home inspection online training has to offer!
If you’re ready to take the first step towards starting your home inspection business, enroll in our online home inspection training program. Begin learning all you need to know about the techniques, tools, and business strategies necessary to build your company from the ground up. Online modules make it easy to start, pause, and re-start classes any time you’d like – there’s truly no better way to kickstart your new career than with ICA School!
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