Part time

[Scott Hand]

I know I just mentioned this to you Dom, however, I am wanting to get some feedback on why it would be a bad idea to let clients know I am a part time inspector.

Here is the deal guys and gals! I shut down operations of my business in the Des Moines, Iowa area due to financial reasons and personal reasons. When I started the business I could only do it part time. I never disclosed that bit of information upfront. If they asked, I told them. It was never anything that came up very often at all.

Now that the personal issues are behind me and my stress level is at an all time low, I want to get back into this. I am in a different city now and will be serving the area around where I grew up. I will still have to do this as a part time gig.

What would be the draw backs to me being upfront and honest about being part time? (I already know what answers I will get, by the way)
Me being part time shouldn't give people the impression that I am not a quality inspector! I feel that I give a very thorough, quality inspection along with a great report, thanks to HIP! By being upfront and honest about being part time and advertising my hours of availability, wouldn't people look at that as a good thing?

As a potential client visiting my website looking at my fees and reading about me, seeing that I do inspections on a part time basis and here are the hours and days I can do this, would that make a big difference as long as you liked what you saw and read on my website, and the available time and day worked for you?

Here would be the scenario for available inspections:

Monday- 8am
Tuesday- All day
Wednesday- 8am
Thursday- off
Friday- off
Saturday- off
Sunday- All day

I could do one inspection in the morning Monday, two inspections on Tuesday, one inspection in the morning Wednesday and two on Sunday.
That is 6 a week on a part time basis. At $250-$350 a pop, that is $1500-$2100 per week when fully booked. If that was able to be done consistently then I would bust out to full time. Realistically getting started again I may only have 3 a week. That's still and extra $750-$1050 per week in income.

In my experience, doing inspections on a Sunday has always gone over well with my clients. I ALWAYS booked inspections on Sunday! Most people are free that day! Also, and this is not an ideal situation, I have scheduled inspections where I had to do the exterior one day and the interior another. It has worked the few times I had to do that. Again, not an ideal situation but it was thinking outside the box.

Does any of this make sense?

I welcome all opinions and am not set in stone yet on of I should advertise that or not.

Thanks.

Scott Hand

[Dominic Maricic]

Welcome back Do you still own inspectintegrity.com ? Looks like it's a filler site right now. If so, point it back to our servers.

If you were a firefighter inspecting on your days off I could see it being a positive (we have quite a few inspector/firefighters).

Let me ask you this. You're about to spend $250,000+ on a home in your area. First big purchase of your life. Do you go for the guy who says on he's site that he inspects part time or the guy who says he does it full time? What would you do?

[Scott Hand]

I guess I'm just thinking about playing the honesty card.

After sleeping on it I have decided that I will just do what I did before...leave out the whole full time/part time thing.

If it comes up I will be honest of course and tell them.

Dome, I don't own inspectintegrity.com anymore. I think it is still available but need to see if there is a better domain. Any suggestions on domain names I should try to capture?

[Dominic Maricic]

I tried getting inspectintegrity.com for you. They want a minimum of $1000 to bid on it (darn cybersquatters).

What are the top 3 cities, population & distance from you?

[Casey Patten]

Scott,
The honesty aspect is great; but it's also a MAJOR marketing tool for your competition.  I'd market that like crazy if I knew someone was "part-time". 
Just my thoughts...best to you!
Casey

[Dominic Maricic]

It's dishonest to advertise you're full time, but I don't feel it's dishonest to not mention you're part time on your site. If you're asked (which you won't be), be honest.

[Scott Hand]

Agreed! Like I said, If asked I tell them.

As for the cities around me. I live in North Liberty. I am just outside of Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. Northlibertyinspections.com is an available domain! What are your thoughts on that? Also, they call the area of travel from Cedar Rapids to Iowa City "The Corridor". Corridorinspections.com is also available.

Let me know what you think Dom.

Let me know when you have my site available to me, if you would.

Thanks Dom.

[Scott Hand]

Scott,
The honesty aspect is great; but it's also a MAJOR marketing tool for your competition.  I'd market that like crazy if I knew someone was "part-time". 
Just my thoughts...best to you!
Casey

Casey,

I have thought about that too. Everyone says "DON'T advertise you are part time!"

Has anyone ever intentionally marketed themselves as part time? If I could find a way to put a huge positive spin on the fact that I am part time, then I may try it.

However, having always left that out on my marketing, I see no issue with doing it this way either. Not sure how many times I have ever been asked that question. Very few times I'm sure. Just leaving that out I think is the best from a perception standpoint at this time.

But if I can think of a clever way to positively market myself as part time I will give it a try! But I see what you're saying.

Thanks Casey!

[Dominic Maricic]

What are the populations of the cities around you?

[Scott Hand]

North Liberty-12k
Iowa City- 62k
Cedar Rapids-120k

Keep in mind I live in North Liberty.

[Dominic Maricic]

Ok, North Liberty is out. How far away are the other two cities?

[Scott Hand]

Iowa City is 5 miles away and Cedar Rapids is about 12 miles away.

Most people think of North Liberty as being in the Iowa City area. Like I said, it's in the "corridor" between the two cities.

Iowa City is a college town plus with the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics it is a big doctor town too. If that matters.

[Dominic Maricic]

Well Cedar Rapids is your best target. Are you not going to market there at all because of your friend?

[Scott Hand]

That's it! I know some realtors in Cedar Rapids so I may get some business from them. But I don't want to market there because of him. I probably wouldn't hurt his business any but he has been a big help to me in my learning. Wouldn't be right to repay him that way!

So I think I want to concentrate on the Iowa City area and the outlying areas.

I'm sure as the business builds around here for me that I will probably have a fair amount of business from Cedar Rapids.

[Jay Markanich]

Scott - if a buyer is reviewing websites on line to determine who to call, and they see sites that say, "We are full-time home inspectors.  We don't do anything else.  We are devoted to our profession and industry and nothing else.  Don't go with that part-time company!"  Or something like that.  I think that puts you at a disadvantage.  Something like Casey said.  Your site information gives your competitors that ad line.

If I were you, and people called or tried to set up on the times you are not free, simply say that you are booked and could it be scheduled for another time.  Then offer times you are free.  I have been doing this a long time, almost 30 years, and I am asked frequently if I do inspections full time.  I think buyers want an inspector who is full time and not focusing on anything else.  Your honesty is great, but you might be costing yourself inspections.

[Casey Patten]

Ditto to what Jay said...

[Scott Hand]

For the last 2 years I have been telling people I was booke when they wanted to schedule a time. It always worked for me. My thought was just to get some input on changing it up a bit.

Now I have decided to continue doing it the way I always have.

Thanks guys!!