What’s in a name?

You have probably heard this saying over and over throughout your life, but have you ever stopped to think about what it means? The old adage leads us to believe that a name is relatively unimportant.

Traditionally in marketing, the name or brand name was actually not that important. Generally one picked a name, and used the media to develop it, create buzz and so on…. Then quality was established and built upon, and the brand became a household name. For example, take the brand name Kodak  The name actually evolved from a industry specific term (ie. jargon) that would be meaningless to the average consumer. (more…)

The first time that I was involved with marketing a home inspection business it was a fairly standard process that was not unlike what would be done when starting any business. We did some basic market research, and developed a marketing strategy. This was back in the early 90′s when the home inspection business in Canada was a very new, and largely unregulated industry. The newness of the industry meant that many of the potential customers that we had identified, simply didn’t know what a home inspection was, let alone why they needed one. We realized that in order to succeed, we had to raise awareness. This is easy if you have a lot of capital. You simply do a lot of local advertising, and eventually you’ll get some business. (more…)

Step 1: Establish a Need
There is an old adage in business; find a need – then fill it. Like most business principles (yes even marketing) this was true 500 years ago, and it is still true. However this idea is not exactly straightforward!

Before you invest $1.00 of your hard earned, saved or borrowed dollars in a home inspection business, you need to establish if there is truly a need for it in your area. (more…)

We live in an ever changing economy that is quite different than the economy that the baby boomers experienced. One of the most prominent trends in business today is the trend towards the home based business. The US census indicates that 49% of businesses are currently home based (Click Here to read the full article). It was originally forecast that the 50% mark would be surpassed in the year 2010. However we seem to be well ahead of that trend.

Presumably, you are reading this article because you are either engaged in a small home based business, or because you are planning to start a small home based business. This article outlines why starting a home inspection business is an excellent choice for the entrepreneur looking to start a home based part time, or full time business. (more…)

The answer to this question is certainly not black or white. Each business model has its positives and negatives, and neither is really better or worse than the other. In my humble opinion, the reasons for choosing either of these business models is really a function of the type of person that you are.

Why should I buy a Home Inspection Franchise?

Really, the reasons for buying a franchise in any industry are the same. The most predominant reason is that individuals want to be business owners, while avoiding many of the risks and headaches that are associated with starting a new business.
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While this article is about becoming a home inspector in Canada, it could easily be applied to becoming a home inspector in the US. The same basic issues affect all people that are interested in getting involved in this potentially lucrative business.

Is home inspection business a good business to pursue?

I don’t have a specific answer for this question. For a variety of reasons, I think that it is a good business. However, it might not be for you. You are unique. Where you will practice is unique. There are a variety of market conditions, personal attributes etc. that only you can address. In short only you have the ability to answer this question.

That said I may be able to give you a bit of help. (more…)