TOPIC: Marketing your business

Mark,

One tip I've seen guys use is to make a really nice Sample Report and drop off copies in all the local offices. Make it looks sharp, nice photos, document things well. Real Estate agents respond very well to our report designs. Just ask any of the guys here.

Aram/Jay/Dominic,

Thanks very much for the constructive responses.  I think I get it .  I've got to get more aggressive and probably creative (like you Jay with the topicl notes).  I'm confident that once I let people know that I'm available and the service I offer things will pick up.  Probably trying a number of different methodologies will prove successful.  Being I'm located in a rural area (Jay, I'm located in Rappahannock County, approx. 20 miles from Warrenton and/or Culpeper), I'm just trying to find the most cost-effective way to market myself and reach people given gas prices and the state of the economy.  But I also realize you have to spend money - to make money!!

Dom, great idea.  I'm in the midst of creating a sample report not only for my website but also to present to the real estate folks.     

I go to Culpeper and Warrenton all the time for inspections.  Bristow is just up 29 from Warrenton, about 15 minutes.  As to the report, I think a real report has more to say than a made up one, but when you make up one you can be creative and add commentary and/or pictures you want. 

The report I have posted on my web site is a real inspection - horrific house, turned by an illegal into three apartments (one for each floor) and then turned back into a "house."  It was frightful, as you can see on the report...!

Jay, you have some outstanding ideas.  One idea that I've been thinking of trying (not sure that this will work) is to offer a discount to persons that volunteer their time.  I’m going to test run this idea with my church.  We have a group that does prison ministries.  I would offer people a discount if they would go and volunteer their time one day in the prison ministry.  Then have the head ministry guy sign off on a form and bam... they get a discount, the church gets volunteers, they get a good feeling for helping others and hopefully they or a prisoner finds God.  How can anyone loose with this idea.  You can do this for cleaning roads, Jesus House, homeless shelters, etc.

Fundamentally I’m trying to get people involved in their communities and help other. Some will love this idea, and others will snub their nose at the mere thought of volunteering.

I also offer a discount for emergency personnel, teachers, and military.  They serve our communities every day or put up with our wild and crazy kids.  So why not give a little back. 

Thanks, John - you do too!  Remember, you are charging others for a service that you render them.  Hopefully your service saves them a lot of headache or money or affords them the opportunity to make a decision they would be unable to make without you - either way, you are "giving back."  Prior to us home inspectors, the real estate industry was caveat emptor.  Now it is caveat sellor...  okay, the "sellor" word is my invention, but point made!

As to this concept of giving back - I think the people who need to give back are the burglars, rapists, thieves, cheats, murderers, con artists, and on and on ad nauseum.  You get what I mean...

Oh yes, I get ya.