Posts

When and How to Part Ways with an Employee

May 25, 2021

By David Stamper, NPI, Inc.’s President & CFO As a business owner, you’ll be faced with making tough calls almost every day. Perhaps one of the most challenging of these is having to let an employee go. It’s difficult, and oftentimes uncomfortable to deal with, but it’s a choice that you’re forced to make for the betterment of your business. There could be any number of reasons you have to let someone go from quality of work to personal problems. So how should you go about parting ways with an employee? EvaluationBefore you make a final decision, you should review the employee’s past work and reports. You can also refer to any comments from other employees and even customers to hear secondary opinions and identify any common problems. You might find that the issues started recently and aren’t an overall indicator of their temperament or their work performance. If you find that work has only been slipping recently, it might be more appropriate to speak with an employee directly. There could be some underlying personal issue that’s impacting their work. It’s always best to get your facts straight and then take the next step. Collect Relevant Documents To protect yourself

The Benefits of Having a Site Blog

May 18, 2021

By Adam Kiesel, NPI, Inc.’s Digital Marketing Assistant Nowadays, it seems every business, no matter its size, has some sort of blog. In fact, there are over 600 million active blogs across the world. These cover topics on everything from sports, to clothing, and lifestyle advice just to name a few. With as popular as blogging has become and will only continue to be, let’s take a look at the question, “What can blogs do for you?” Pump Up Your SEO Search Engine Optimization or “SEO” is a major part of your business marketing plan. You want to get the most out of your website to appear higher in the search results to get customer traffic to your page. A blog is one simple and effective way to help you inch closer to the top of the SEO summit. Search engines use fresh content to determine where to place a page in the results. Having a blog that’s updated on a consistent basis provides that fresh information to index you above your competition. Also, including keywords in your blogs will make them more relevant to customer’s searches. Incorporate it Into Social Media Keeping your social accounts up-to-date is just as

How Should You Handle Price Shoppers?

May 4, 2021

By Roland Bates, NPI, Inc.’s Founder & CEO Everyone loves to save money where they can. We clip coupons, pinch pennies, and always keep an eye out for a great deal. As a business owner, you’ll more than likely deal with this situation regularly. At first it can be a bit of an annoyance, but as you encounter it more, it turns into frustration. It’s hard to find the right balance between helping clients out and completely undercutting your business. So how should you deal with super savers in your industry? Don’t completely shut them off at first. While you can definitely walk away from a deal that isn’t in your best interest, don’t turn away shoppers right away. Success as a home inspector relies largely on how you treat longtime and prospective clients. Being too brash can give you a negative reputation that could make future clients look somewhere else. Although you may be dealing with your umpteenth price shopper of the day, repeating the same information, it could be their first time speaking directly with an inspector. Keep them talking to understand what their situation is and what they’re looking for. Even if you don’t reach an agreement,

Mitigating Risk as a Home Inspector

April 27, 2021

By Bill Erickson, NPI, Inc.’s Executive Vice President Taking steps to limit your liability as a home inspector is as important as your marketing plan or report-writing process. You don’t want to leave a customer unhappy, especially to the point where they seek legal action against you. While you can’t erase your risk completely, there are ways that you can significantly lower it: Constantly Communicate From the time the inspection is scheduled to the report review, keeping your clients in the loop is an easy way to manage risk. Having a record of each interaction involving the inspection will come in handy in case you need to refer back . Prior to your arrival, send the client or homeowner a list of what they need to do to ensure a complete and uninterrupted inspection. Most people might assume that you’ll be moving items to access parts of the house (a major no-go in terms of liability), and may not realize an inspection is all visual. After, take the time to explain your findings to the customer so they aren’t left guessing. Relaying information before, during, and after the inspection is sure to clear any confusion about the process and your

Building Self-Confidence to Better Your Business

April 20, 2021

“Confidence is key.” This is a phrase often quoted by the best in their field, from star athletes to business leaders. Reaching your goals often starts by forming a strong mental fortitude and believing you can accomplish anything. Yet if you tend to be more reserved and always second-guess yourself, it’s hard to develop that confidence. Recognize what makes you worried. To instill confidence in yourself, you have to start by recognizing what makes you nervous. It could be trying out a new marketing approach, performing an inspection for a new client that could lead to future referrals, or simply getting your feet wet as a rookie business owner. Situations like these are definitely stressful and can cause you to freeze up, debating with yourself what direction to go. If this happens to you frequently, then it’s time to work on bettering your mentality to charge ahead. Identify the situations that make you feel uneasy and what worries you the most. Control what you can control. The fear of the unknown is something that everyone will experience at least once in their lifetime. Intimidation about making the wrong move can cause you to not make a move at all. The

Perfect Fit: Knowing if a Franchise is Right for You

April 13, 2021

By Sammi Marcellus, NPI, Inc.’s Recruitment Coordinator Franchising has long been a popular business venture in both the United States and Canada. In 2019, almost 800,000 franchise outlets employed over 8 million people in the U.S. and almost 2 million Canadians worked for 76,000 outlets. Needless to say, if you’ve decided that franchising is right for you, you’re in good company. While it’s an exciting choice to go out on your own, it can also be intimidating. With so many different options out there, how do you know which will be the best for you? Read on for our rundown of the most important factors to consider. Determining Costs While researching, the first thing you might notice about a franchise is the price tag. Franchises can vary on their upfront costs, so it’s important to evaluate what you’re receiving in your start-up package. Most companies will have everything broken down in their franchise disclosure document (FDD) so you can see exactly what you pay for. From here you can better gauge if the cost is worth it. Are there any large costs you pay for? What does your ROI look like over time? Thinking about questions like these as you

Cautionary Tales: Why Buyer’s Regret Skipping Their Home Inspection

April 6, 2021

Most everyone aims to save money where they can, but in some cases saving now will cost you later on. Homebuyers are starting to waive a home inspection in the hopes that they’ll save a few hundred dollars up front. This is a risky choice since you never fully know what you’re getting into. In fact, some folks that bought a home within the last year are realizing that their attempt at pinching pennies is coming back to haunt them. How can you save a homebuyer from potential disaster and keep your schedule filled with inspections? Read on for a few effective selling points! The Speed of Covid It comes as no surprise that COVID-19’s impact on the housing market continues nearly a year later. With so many people relocating for their jobs, some markets saw a high turnover rate with homes and exceedingly low inventory. To expedite the acquisition process, buyers either opted for a virtual meeting to go over an inspection report or skipped it altogether. Those who did forego an inspection are now faced with the possibility of learning the hard way why safety should always take precedence over speed. Not All It Seems Digital tours are

Bonding with Your Employees: Building Relationships and Making Work Fun

March 30, 2021

By Kimberly Stevens, NPI, Inc.’s Marketing Coach Your employees do so much to help build your business, and it’s a nice gesture to show them that you notice their hard work. Workers that are shown gratitude are reported to be more productive, happier, and motivated. Here are some fun ideas that you can do with your team this week to create a better workplace. Company Field Day/Office Olympics An office-wide competition day is sure to bring out your inner kid. If the weather allows, going to a park or other nearby greenspace lets you soak up some sun and get fresh air. A water balloon toss, obstacle course, or relay race are a few of the many events that you can set up. You can increase involvement and effort by offering a reward for the winning group such as a gift card. A day outing like this is a great time for everyone, and fairly inexpensive and easy to put together as well. Escape Room Another way to get out of the office is by going to an escape room. They’re an amusing challenge that also improves employee relationships. They teach cooperation and problem-solving, which translate back to working together

Inform vs. Intimidate: How to Deliver Reports without Scaring Clients

March 23, 2021

By Jon McCreath, NPI, Inc.’s Technical Supervisor & Training Administrator The home-buying process is lengthy and intricate. From searching for the perfect place to finally signing, there are lots of things that have to fall in line. One of those steps is the home inspection and subsequent report that both play a big role in a buyer’s final decision. It’s important to disclose your findings along with any concerns so customers know what they’re getting. But how do you make sure you’re properly informing a client without fully turning them off from a purchase? Negative reputations stick with you. Nobody likes being labeled negatively, as it follows you around and could eventually affect business. Gaining a reputation for turning off buyers and undoing an agent’s hard work is something you definitely want to avoid. It can lead to frustration on both sides and strain otherwise healthy working relationships. While you can work to reverse a less than desirable reputation, it’s better to develop a positive one beforehand. Small, actionable measures show your customers that you’re a professional who cares about them. Properly identify items in your report. How you label an item in your inspection makes a world of difference.

Preparing Your Small Business for Retirement

March 16, 2021

By Roland Bates, NPI, Inc.’s Founder & CEO If you’ve started thinking about retiring from your small business, congratulations! Building a company from the ground up takes years of hard work and is a major accomplishment. Transferring ownership is a lengthy process and can be made more complicated without a definitive course of action. Picking the Right Time You’ve probably thought about the day when you decide to walk away from your business. But that day may move closer or further away depending on a multitude of factors. Although it’s difficult to lock down a definitive date, here are some things to keep in mind to know when the time is right: Whatever your reasoning, it’s all about what feels best for you and your situation. Devise an Exit Plan To make sure that you’re ready for the day when you step aside, begin the process as soon as possible. Envision how things will look like after you’ve retired and what your goals are when you leave. Do you have a family member you’d like to pass the torch to, are you handing it off to an employee, or are you selling to another business owner? What if something such