The CUTTING of the inspetion price (kiling the industry)

[John M. Acaron]

FRIENDS:
Business Is very slow but we are still trucking. Our marketing strategy continue to be robust despite the slow down of the business. Positive thinking and been optimistic will keep us on the right track. We have seen a 40% drop this year in our business. However, the mold division of our company continue to be strong.

To succeed at anything, be it landing on the moon or building a successful home inspection business, you have to do many things correctly. Always work on building your business. If you are not inspecting... be marketing your business, learning more, or improving your services. Remember, if you offer a good inspection service, you have a moral obligation to let as many people as possible know about and benefit from your good works. Here are some things you can do when you are not inspecting: http://www.nachi.org/success.htm

Only the strong will survive in this distress market. Keep the faith and never let down. Some of my competitors in our area has given up. However, lower the cost for an inspection is the wrong thing to do. You are not really making a living you are surviving and destroying the industry that we all have work so hard for it. "When the tough gets going the going gets tough."

I will encourage those that are experiencing our dilemma in our area to work twice as hard to market your business, diversify and be competitive without killing our industry (LOWERING THE PRICE OF THE INSPECTION = KILLING THE INDUSTRY).

Good luck folks.

R/John M. Acaron
HOMEINSPECTORUSA

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[Steven S. Ramos]

Key word in this post: diversify. Diversify your services. Diversfy your marketing techniques and channels. Diversfy your knowledge.

[Kevin A. Richardson]

Nice truck!!

Good post.

Kevin

[Gary L. Porter]

Nice.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

What I have seen that my competition are doing wrong is doing the same things their competition are doing. If you do this, there is no way you can stand out among your competition.

[John G. Evans]

I just increased our inspection fees last week. There is one local "inspector" advertising most homes inspected for $195.00!!!!!!! We really try to educate price shoppers, explaining the BIG difference between the 195 guy and our inspection services. Some understand, unfortunately others do not, and many will regret their decision to "save" a few bucks after purchasing the property.

[Jack L. Gilleland]

Great Truck.

[Steven C. Meyer]

if we could get every one on the same page on this that would be great!!! But there are those who are so short sighted, they shoot themselves in the foot.
This has been a long standing problem in the construction industry, when the economy goes south, every unemployed tradesman goes "out on his own" and cuts prices just to get a job. But, when the economy gets better they revert back to their old jobs. Here today,gone tomorrow!!! In the meantime, however, no one makes a decent living.

I would rather do one full Billing inspection, than 3 "discounted" inspections.
Net cost of business remains the same, How can you justify lowering your charges. At the price of gas, it's cheaper to stay at home!!!!!!

If the only way you can market yourself is by price, then maybe it's time you got out of the HI business!!

Economic Theory "the good drives out the bad" The price cutters will ultimately go out of business. Gotta love free enterprise!!!!

[Kim W. Michael]

You may wish to check out http://www.topnachi.com/PressRelease.aspx to check out the TopNACHI Discount Card program Nick has talked about. The idea is to value-add in slow times instead of cutting prices. It will explain how your customers can recoup the inspection cost in a year. Now, what's better? A 10-15% discount from a freelance inspector, or a InterNACHI inspector that helps me get all my money back? Free will win every time.