The goal of this course is to teach the student how to start up and operate a successful home inspection business. This course free and open to everyone (both members and non-members), and can be taken again and again, without limit.
Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this course, you'll be able to:
Choose a business location.
Write a business plan.
Choose the legal structure.
Choose the business name.
Understand the business laws and regulations.
Get business assistance, inspection training, and marketing services.
Finance your business.
Calculate pricing and billing.
Use inspection agreements.
Work on branding.
Work on marketing.
Conduct business online.
Provide great customer service and communication.
Know how to hire employees.
File and pay taxes.
Build your business and hire inspectors.
Get legal help.
The course includes:
48,471 words;
30 minutes of instructional video;
study guide;
inspection and writing assignment;
research and writing assignment;
130 quiz questions in 9 quizzes;
50-question final exam (drawn from a larger pool);
instant grading;
a downloadable, printable Certificate of Completion.
You will learn the following:
Elements of Success
Build Success
Chapter 1: Do You Have What It Takes?
Comfortable with Taking Risks
Independent
Persuasive
Able to Negotiate
Creative
Supported by Others
20 Questions Before Starting
Chapter 1 Checklist
Chapter 2: 17 Steps to a Successful Home Inspection Business
Step 1: Choose a Business Location
Step 2: Write a Business Plan
Step 3: Choose the Legal Structure
Step 4: Choose the Business Name
Step 5: Undertanding the Business Laws and Regulations
Step 6: Get Business Assistance, Inspection Training, and Marketing Services
Step 7: Finance Your Business
Step 8: Calculate Pricing and Billing
Step 9: Use Inspection Agreements
Step 10: Work on Branding
Step 11: Work on Marketing
Step 12: Conduct Business Online
Step 13: Provide Great Customer Service and Communication
Step 14: Hire Employees
Step 15: File and Pay Taxes
Step 16: Build Your Business and Hire Inspectors
Step 17: Get Legal Help
Chapter 3: Home-Based Inspection Business
Before You Begin
Factors to Consider
Advantages
Disadvantages
Chapter 3 Checklist
Chapter 4: Choose a Business Location
Zoning Laws
Determine Your Needs
Is the Area Business Friendly?
Zoning Ordinances
InterNACHI Vehicle Magnets
How’s the Property is Zoned?
Home-Based Business Zoning Laws
Leasing Commercial Space
The Bottom Line
Buy or Rent?
Chapter 4 Checklist
Chapter 5: Write a Business Plan
Executive Summary
What to Include in Your Executive Summary
If You Are an Established Business
Mission Statement
If You Are a Startup or New Business
Company Description
What to Include in Your Company Description
Market Analysis
What to Include in Your Market Analysis
Organization & Management
Organizational Structure
Ownership Information
Board of Directors' Qualifications
Services
A Description of Your Services
Marketing & Sales
Marketing and Promotional Items
Overall Strategy
Funding Request
Financial Projections
Historical Financial Data
Prospective Financial Data
Appendix
Be Clear About What You Have to Offer – Be Unique
Don’t Become a Jack of All Trades
Identify Your Niche
Chapter 5 Checklist
Chapter 6: Choose a Legal Structure
Sole Proprietorships
Partnerships
Corporations
Subchapter S Corporations
Limited Liability Company (LLC)
Chapter 6 Checklist
Chapter 7: Choose the Business Name
Important Step
Available?
.COM
Search for Names
Suggestions
Future Growth
Check for Trademarks
If You Intend to Incorporate
Pick a Name That’s Web-Ready
Claim Your Social Media Identity
Apply for Trademark Protection
Register a Business Name
What is a “Doing Business As” Name?
Do I Need a “Doing Business As” Name?
How to Register your “Doing Business As” Name
Chapter 7 Checklist
Chapter 8: Understand the Business Laws and Regulations
Advertising and Marketing
General Offers and Claims Products and Services
Protecting Consumers’ Privacy Online
CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business
eNewsletter for Inspector Clients
Need more information?
Chapter 8 Checklist
Chapter 9: Get Business Assistance, Inspection Training, and Marketing Services
Reading course instructional material at 140 words per minute
5.8
Watching, listening, and studying instructional video
0.5
Taking quizzes
4.0
Taking the exam
1.5
Conducting a directed and independent inspection study performed according to the Standards of Practice, including the development of an inspection report
4.0
Submitting an inspection and writing assignment
0.5
Submitting a research and writing assignment
0.5
Total
16.8
Preparation
Studying & reviewing instructional material in preparation for taking quizzes and exam
10.0
Reading the downloaded student course book including taking the quizzes with the book
5.0
Reading, research, and studying related to completing the research and writing assignment
4.0
Studying and preparing for inspection processes according to a Standards of Practice, including capturing and storing digital images with a camera or device, making observations, evaluating conditions, deducing, formulating opinions, communicating observations in written form, attaining competency in performing inspections and using an inspection checklist or software and other inspection tools in producing a report.
10.0
Total
29.0
Sub Total
45.8
Overall Total
46.0 hours
Most home inspectors don’t think of themselves as business owners. Why? Most inspectors invest a great deal in learning the technical aspects of performing a home inspection, but they do not take the time to learn how to operate a home inspection business.
Do you have an MBA (a master's degree in business administration)? What was the last book you read on business? Ever taken a business class before this one? If not, then this course will be of great value to you regardless of whether you're new to the inspection business or a Certified Master Inspector®.
Many inspectors have no idea how to write a business plan, do market research, price their services, make financial projections, brand and market themselves, grow their business, pay taxes, and manage staff. These tasks are not rocket science, but each is essential in being a successful owner and operator of a home inspection business.
In this course, we’ll simplify the approaches to each of those tasks and more that will help you operate your business in easy-to-understand steps. And we’ve broken it down into 17 steps, each of which we’ll go over in this course.
And, in keeping with InterNACHI's commitment to Continuing Education, this course is open and free everyone, and can be taken again and again, without limit.
Reminder to members: InterNACHI's Code of Ethics 1.10 requires that you comply with all government rules and licensing requirements of the jurisdiction where you conduct business. InterNACHI's courses and Standards generally exceed the Standards of Practice that you are required to abide by locally.
Upon completion of this course and passing of the final exam, the student can download and print their own Certificate of Completion, which is auto-generated in their own name.
Here are some features that make InterNACHI's courses superior to existing Continuing Education options:
The course is free for all InterNACHI members.
The course is written in pure XHTML code for quick loading. The course loads fast on old computers, even with dial-up.
The course is designed using a hierarchal menu coupled with a sequential page navigation. This provides the student with the option to easily repeat areas of weakness.
The course permits the student to start, stop and restart any part of the course as often as desired.
There are a variety of images within the course, including diagrams, illustrations and photos.
The illustrations can be enlarged for clearer viewing by clicking on them.
The text is integrated into InterNACHI's Inspector Glossary. Rolling over blue-colored terms provides their definition.
The final exam uses multiple-choice questions that reference the images.
The course's quizzes and final exam have numerous advantages over traditional exam systems:
The course, quizzes and final exam incorporate built-in intelligence which identifies and strengthens each student's unique subject weaknesses.
Not only is each question weighted with regard to score, but each answer is weighted, as well as the correctness of each answer being weighted.
Answers to easy questions are weighted such that the student is penalized, in terms of score, for answering incorrectly, but rewarded modestly for answering correctly.
Answers to difficult questions are weighted such that the student is rewarded, in terms of score, for answering correctly, but not penalized for answering incorrectly.
Answers to questions regarding basic safety, or questions every inspector should know the answer to, are weighted such that the student is severely penalized, in terms of score, for answering incorrectly.
Upon passing the final exam, the student can print out a Certificate of Completion which is auto-generated in their own name.
The student's (InterNACHI member's) information is recorded on InterNACHI's servers for membership compliance verification, and automatically logs completion into InterNACHI's online Continuing Education log.