If you’re like most home inspectors, you began your career working from a home office. But there might come a point where you need a little more space. A home office is a great setup that saves you money in those important early years. But if you’ve outgrown the kitchen table or just want a…
DetailsSo your business is really taking off and you have more work than you can handle alone? That’s great! You might get a case of nerves if you’ve never been an employer before. There’s so much to organize and so much to do. But if you set out your plan first, getting through it is…
DetailsAs a home inspector, you depend on referrals to drive more customers to your business. More customers mean more income, but that all hinges on who hands out your business cards and sings your praises. In many cases, real estate agents. Agents are your friends, or they should be. While you can drive business with…
DetailsStucco is one of the most common home cladding materials in the state of Florida. Its uniform appearance covers certain architectural elements, single walls or the bulk of the exterior, and gives a home the classic look that stucco is so famous for. But in Florida, there’s a stucco disaster that’s just now starting to…
DetailsThe primary reason contracts exist is to set forth in clear terms the scope of an agreement. That helps every party involved understand exactly what they’re getting into. No surprises equal a happier inspector and customer, and those are always good things. Your home inspection contract helps avoid the possibility of crossed wires, misinterpretations, and…
DetailsSooner or later it’s bound to happen. It doesn’t matter how careful you are, some day, some way, you’ll probably break something during the course of performing a home inspection. Liability management is a “huge issue for home inspectors,” says Working RE magazine. So much so that insurance isn’t optional, and the utmost care is…
DetailsAs more homeowners want efficient homes with a lower environmental impact, the call for “green inspections” is expected to rise. More homeowners want to know about details such as the home’s energy score, plus its energy efficiency and water efficiency rating. This information, says Carol Dikelsky for ASHI Reporter, helps prospective buyers and existing homeowners…
DetailsBrand reputation is everything. You can’t buy it, but it’s one of the most valuable things that you possess. In a small business such as home inspections, your reputation is one of the most powerful tools that you’ve got. But it might also be a significant detriment if you think your reputation will take care…
DetailsAs a home inspector, you don’t issue a rating or measurement for a customer’s indoor air quality. However, some of the systems that you inspect have a direct effect on it. There was a time when air quality concerns were limited to keeping down dust and other allergens and airing out paint fumes during home…
DetailsEveryone thinks they have a great idea for marketing and advertising. But wait five minutes, and some of them will be hopelessly outdated. That’s why it’s so difficult to use any ad for very long. But with the building blocks of what makes an ad work, you can design the framework of a strategy that’s…
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