just starting out

[bponder]

First off just want to say hello to everyone here as I new to the site. Now on to my question. I am have my certification number and I am just starting out my inspection company. Is there any advise that you guys can give me on getting started and drumming up business? I have been in the building industry for around 10 years now in jobs ranging from design to sales of building materials. Any help that you guys can offer is greatly appreciated

[James E. Braun, CMI]

Market, market and market. Education, education and education.

[bponder]

what types of marketing do you mean james? I was thinking about joining my local real estate chapter as an affiliate. I am working on a brochure and i was thinking about also printing out sample reports to put in my local realtor's offices. any other ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

Change your profile information Brock, to reflect where you are located. Many of the questions you have could be answered more appropriately if we know where you're located.

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Welcome Brock. And as Jeff mentioned, that would help. There are 100's of Inspectors throughout the Country here at your fingertips to help you with anything you may encounter.
Good luck in you endeavors.

[Bob Elliott]

Meanwhile we are working on a checklist to get you started......
http://www.nachi.org/forum/f2/any-volunteers-51333/

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by bponder

First off just want to say hello to everyone here as I new to the site. Now on to my question. I am have my certification number and I am just starting out my inspection company. Is there any advise that you guys can give me on getting started and drumming up business? I have been in the building industry for around 10 years now in jobs ranging from design to sales of building materials. Any help that you guys can offer is greatly appreciated

Spend a year learning the business before you do a home inspection or invest in any expensive equipment. Take some courses, read the message boards....look at it from all sides.

When you can honestly answer the question "Why should someone hire you INSTEAD OF your most experienced and qualified competitor?" and your answer is factually true and has nothing to do with your fee, you are ready to start a business.

Until then, you have nothing to offer anyone. Nothing to market....nothing to sell.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Originally Posted by jbushart

Spend a year learning the business before you do a home inspection or invest in any expensive equipment.

Is that what you did James?

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

My advice: begin part time. Don't quit your day job. Business is slow sometimes, at least in SC. Many a day, I wake up unemployed.

[Dominic J. Maricic]

Brock, the online education here on nachi.org is second to none. Definitely watch all the videos and live on the message boards in your free time.

[Jeffrey R. Jonas]

Originally Posted by dmaricic

Brock, the online education here on nachi.org is second to none. Definitely watch all the videos and live on the message boards in your free time.

And (fair warning) do not venture into the "Last one to reply" thread... those guy's are "brutal" in there !!! (you have been warned).

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Originally Posted by dmaricic

...and live on the message boards in your free time.

and if you're married, prepare for the wife to stay pissed off.

[Dale Duffy]

Originally Posted by bponder

First off just want to say hello to everyone here as I new to the site. Now on to my question. I am have my certification number and I am just starting out my inspection company. Is there any advise that you guys can give me on getting started and drumming up business? I have been in the building industry for around 10 years now in jobs ranging from design to sales of building materials. Any help that you guys can offer is greatly appreciated

Hi Brock

Have you already performed Home Inspections?..I read your "starting out", but the first year is starting out.

When you say you have your Certification Number what do you mean..state certification-license?

Hard to give you information without knowing what stage of the business your in. If you have not performed a Fee Paid Inspection, have you performed many inspections on homes of folks you know?

Have you done an inspection on a Home, written a report, and had a very experienced Inspector inspect the same home and compare report findings?

Have you been on Fee Paid inspections with an experienced Inspector?

Personally I would need to know more about your experience, what you have done, what you haven't, before I could give advice on how to go about drumming up new-more business, not knowing what you have tried already if anything.

Good Luck though, but clue us in regarding what exactly you have done as far as inspections and marketing as of now.

We could help you much more, knowing more.

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by bponder

First off just want to say hello to everyone here as I new to the site. Now on to my question. I am have my certification number and I am just starting out my inspection company. Is there any advise that you guys can give me on getting started and drumming up business? I have been in the building industry for around 10 years now in jobs ranging from design to sales of building materials. Any help that you guys can offer is greatly appreciated

ActiveRain. If I were just starting out and knew about ActiveRain, I'd be there in a flash.

[Darin Redding]

You are king of AR in my area Russel (maybe even the whole darn thing) - I can't compete with that