How did most of you guys start out?

[Dan Bowers, CMI]

Nick -

What I find disgusting in my market is that many guys have busted guts developing nice, classy 4-color brochures on slick card stock, etc. I see these all over town in realtors offices in pretty plastic stands.

Right next to them is a cardboard foldover stand with COLORED COUPONS (take a 8.5 x 11 sheet of astrobright yellow OR passion pink 24 lb paper AND cut it into 1/3rd sections) that advertise:

$245 Home & Termite Inspection
(Any Size House)

These bozo's and their 3 coupons to a 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper will out do all the slick, shiny brocures in town. Our agents are amazing ...............

[ROBERT V. YOUNG]

Originally Posted by jbushart

Some people will do anything to book a job.

More "marketing advice" from RR?

Nick is that your marketing strategy.
Is Mr.Bushart right in his wording.
I am or have never even imagined the language or----
HA HA HA HA.Good one Mr.Bushart.

[ROBERT V. YOUNG]

Originally Posted by gromicko

When I first went into the inspection business, I moved about 300 miles to a town outside of Philadelphia where I had never been. I started my inspection business from one of those self-storage units with only a battery-powered camping lantern and a cell phone. My first inspection call was only about 10 miles away, but having been in town only a week or so, I didn't where it was and so turned it down thinking it was too far away. I then looked it up on a map and kicked myself. My next investment was a wall map of the surrounding area. Anyway, within 90 days of starting up, I had huge office space, a full-time administrator and 4 inspectors. I took home (for just myself) over $1,000 a day, every day, except for Christmas for 5.5 years. I fed my family of 4 on that income and still managed to save nearly a million dollars in those 5.5 years. I would have made more but I was competing head-to-head with member Joe Hagarty. Looking back on it, he and I should have merged. I then sold the company to my employees and carried the note for them for another 5 years at zero interest. It was a nice run.

The more I read about your past, the more I understand the man behind the brand.
I have seen that you have ''sowed seed'' to your members ( employs ) you caring there loan at cost.
It allowed them to sew seed and it is a perpetuating cycle if not stopped.
As I said to you in a closed note.
You have been blessed by God and intern aid others.
You are a solid man in my eyes.
I am PROUD to be part of the InterNACHI brand and to be a certified InterNACHI member.
I was losing faith, but it has been restored.

[John Evans]

I took advantage of a lucrative early retirement program from my former employer. With all medical benefits for my family included at no cost, I was able to slowly start my HI business. Completed about 25 ride alongs with a very experienced inspector and also completed formal training. Do not expect to make a profit for awhile, it took about a 1 1/2 years to finally develop a profititable business. Be prepared for market fluctuations, very busy some months, slow at other times. Our revenue has increased yearly, which must happen to sustain the business. As mentioned in other posts, there is a very high failure rate. Have a back up plan, for your financial security. Good luck.

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by dbowers

Nick -

What I find disgusting in my market is that many guys have busted guts developing nice, classy 4-color brochures on slick card stock, etc. I see these all over town in realtors offices in pretty plastic stands.

Right next to them is a cardboard foldover stand with COLORED COUPONS (take a 8.5 x 11 sheet of astrobright yellow OR passion pink 24 lb paper AND cut it into 1/3rd sections) that advertise:

$245 Home & Termite Inspection
(Any Size House)

These bozo's and their 3 coupons to a 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper will out do all the slick, shiny brocures in town. Our agents are amazing ...............

So you can only do volume with under pricing ?
Is this something I should be doing?

[Russell J. Hensel]

What stops you from putting three different brochures out? See which one works best. A cheap one, a middle one and a high quality one. Have a different identifier on each one to show which one gets used more.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

Originally Posted by bboerner

So do you still have a copy of what you came up with that blew the competition away? If so will you post it so we can see?

Back is his day, it was faxing the report the same day.

I actually had somebody who wanted a report faxed this year. I had to ask my girlfriend if we even had a way to fax?

[rsmith24]

Some people still use fax and you can actually fax in color these days. I sometimes use fax to send agreements to have them signed and faxed back. Way easier for some to sign a piece of paper and fax it back then to explain to them how to Esign.

[Joseph Burkeson, CMI]

I was a CIA Operative outed by GWB.


"I haz a secret"

[Joseph Hagarty, CMI]

Originally Posted by gromicko

.....I fed my family of 4 on that income and still managed to save nearly a million dollars in those 5.5 years. I would have made more but I was competing head-to-head with member Joe Hagarty. Looking back on it, he and I should have merged.....

Started in the latter part of 2000...
purchased a HouseMaster Franchise in first quarter of 2001.
On my own now...
Started as Full-Time, still Full-Time Inspecting as well as ownership in another business venture.

A merger back then would have been interesting to say the least.

.....as a side note, Joe Myers is still working with me on several projects...

[Dan Bowers, CMI]

Robert & Bob -

My point is simple / In MY AREA, brochures don't do squat ........ I've been in high producing office after office where there are 7-8 HI companies brochures in nice neat clear plastic holders in the mail room (thats where they're usually placed in MY AREA). You count them or MARK not only yours and your competitors (ink mark on back of 3rd-4th brochure in box). Next week OR next month they're still there / 3rd-4th one still marked.

[Jeffrey R. Knight]

Originally Posted by dbowers

Was running guns and booze into South America; doing a little mercenary work on the side; and an occasional sniper gig or 2; wanted something more stable where I could make big bucks quick AND the #1 reason was to meet all the HOT real estate sales babes.

Ditto....except I thought doing software for home inspectors would be a very fulfilling occupation....helping people get their lives back and spend more time with their families instead of them pounding on a computer all night long to get their reports done !! Have even saved some marriages over the years I think.

[Manni Dwyer]

Im studing to take the exam here in Texas and you guys are making me nervous, I never expected this to be easy but is it really that bad

[Nick Gromicko]

You (and your willingness to read www.nachi.org/success.htm and every link in it) are the determining factors.