Tag: entrepreneur

5 Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs

October 2, 2019

By Stepha Vesper It takes a special kind of person to be an entrepreneur. They’re driven, brave, curious and committed to their own growth. But what does a typical day look like for a successful small business owner? And what’s their mindset like? Below are five habits that successful business owners seem to all have in common. 1. They keep a regular schedule.Successful entrepreneurs keep themselves accountable by sticking to a daily schedule. But they don’t just keep that schedule to work-related tasks. They’re not afraid to pencil in time for socializing, relaxation and exercise, too, taking care to get professional responsibilities out of the way before scheduling recreation time. This balanced approach helps improve health and wellbeing, and in turn, business growth. 2. They stay flexible.A willingness to roll with the punches instead of balking at change or getting stuck in a certain mindset is crucial when you’re managing a business. Things can switch direction at any time, and flexible business owners know this can be sink or swim. The entrepreneurs that are willing to step out of their comfort zone and meet challenges are the ones that stay afloat in the long-run. 3. They get a good night’s

Mastering the Art of Delegation

July 17, 2019

By Zach Vesper As a small business owner, sometimes it’s hard to hand responsibilities to your employees. After all, you built your business by yourself and know what works and what doesn’t. As your business develops, though, you’ll reach a point where handling everything yourself doesn’t make sense any more, and can even stifle future growth. It’s one thing to understand this, but learning how to delegate effectively is something else. Here are 5 things to keep in mind when assigning tasks to your employees. 1. Be mindful of the tasks you’re assigning.Through thoughtful delegation of tasks, you and your employees can all accomplish more to push your business to the next level. Take stock of the things you do on a daily basis and determine whether these tasks are making the most of your skills and experience (you need to be very honest with yourself here). If not, these are perfect opportunities for delegation to someone with a different, more applicable skill set. And since you don’t want “delegation” to be a task unto itself, make sure to build it into your current workflows with a solid project management plan. 2. Be an educator.This may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes

How to Finance Your NPI Franchise

December 20, 2018

By Sammi Marcellus, NPI, Inc.’s Recruitment Coordinator You’ve talked to an NPI franchise sales rep, read through the FDD and decided that you want to start a home inspection franchise. There’s one snag in the plan, though: start-up capital. Before you get discouraged, you should know that there are plenty of options out there to finance your business. It takes some searching to find the one that will work for you, but we’re here to help! Here are some of the best ways to get a loan that’ll get your new franchise up and running. Traditional Bank LoanThis is the first place entrepreneurs who are just starting out go to secure financing, and works well in the right situation. The ideal bank to request a loan from is one you already do business with—they’ll have a ready-made financial history to work from, which can shorten the process. If the bank you’re working with offers small business loan options, they’ll ask you to fill out a loan application, which can sound daunting if you’ve never encountered one before. Don’t sweat it, though—you’ll just have to have certain information regarding your business, including the legal structure, what services you’re selling, and personal

How to Hire Employees and Help Them Succeed

May 9, 2018

By David Stamper, NPI, Inc.’s President & CFO So your business has grown to the point that you simply have too much work and can’t do it all yourself—congratulations! This is a great problem to have, but hiring employees to help your business grow can be daunting. Whether you’re bringing on your first employee or your 10th, it’s important to follow a few simple guidelines to avoid bad hires and set your new employee on a path to success. Define the role you’re hiring for.Before you even start thinking about looking at resumes, you need to know exactly what position you’re trying to fill. This starts by defining what your new hire will be in charge of and what their day-to-day responsibilities will be. It helps to be as specific as possible at this point—if you’re hiring another inspector, you’ll want to include details about what they’ll be expected to do in the field, like climbing ladders, going into crawlspaces or operating specialized equipment. If you’re hiring a marketing person, be clear about which marketing and social media platforms they should be familiar with (Google AdWords, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) and what you want them do be able to do, whether

5 Reasons NPI Stands Out Among Other Franchise Opportunities

May 2, 2018

By Celeste Black-Harr, NPI, Inc.’s Recruitment Coordinator National Property Inspections strives to stand out from other home service-based franchise opportunities by continuously offering a lucrative business model with competitive startup costs. Here are some of the key traits that set us apart from the pack: 1. National Property Inspections is built on honesty, integrity and professionalism.At National Property Inspections, we pride ourselves on upholding high standards of professional excellence. We always conduct our business with our motto of “Honesty, Integrity and Professionalism” at front of mind. In fact, our business ethics score us the highest marks in franchisee surveys again and again. These values trickle down through our franchisees and attract some of the country’s most successful realtors as well as thousands of satisfied clients. 2. We’ve been in the business a long time—we can help you achieve marketing success.Founded in 1987, National Property Inspections is the first property inspection franchisor in North America. We know the inspection industry inside and out, and we know the real estate business. Each NPI staff member is uniquely qualified to help you put your best foot forward, from our certified Marketing Coach, Kimberly, to our Marketing Director, Bill. 3. Our franchisees and their

Strengthen Your Brand in 5 Easy Steps

April 20, 2018

By Sydney Arp Brand identity can be surprisingly difficult to nail down. It’s often easier to pinpoint what you’re not as a business than it is to articulate what you stand for. And what if you leave something important out? You do a lot of great things, after all. These are just a few reasons why we don’t focus on the face of our businesses as much as the actual doing. (And don’t get us wrong, doing is important!) But the truth is that today, your brand matters more than ever, especially to a millennial marketing audience. Millennials are loyal—once they’re captivated. In fact, 60% of millennials are often or always loyal to brands that have gained their trust, and that means they’re more likely to recommend those brands to friends and family. Word of mouth is still the best brand endorsement for nearly half of all millennials, and online reviews count. So how can you communicate a strong brand message without disrupting your day-to-day duties or overthinking it? Your Identity Starts with Your Perfect CustomerDon’t start with a mirror. Looking outward is actually the perfect place to begin when strengthening your brand identity. Imagine your perfect customer. You can

Why It’s Important to Diversify Your Business

March 19, 2018

By Bill Erickson Let’s say you just heard about a great stock you want to invest in. It’s such a great buy, in fact, that you’re planning on putting every last cent you have into it. You go to talk with your financial advisor, and what do you think he says? He tells you that if you do that, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll lose your whole retirement fund. He recommends diversifying your portfolio to minimize the amount of risk you’re taking on. That’s smart investment advice. Just like in the world of investment, business owners need to diversify their services to be successful. We’ll explain what’s so important about diversification and how National Property Inspections, Inc. prepares franchisees for long-term stability and growth in the property inspection industry. What is diversification?Diversification is a business strategy that helps you minimize the risk of capital loss inherent in any industry. If you’ve heard the old saying “don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” you already have a grasp of the concept. To go a little further, though, diversification in business aims to boost your returns by investing resources in related-but-separate areas that would respond differently given a certain event

6 Ways to Know It’s Time to Go into Business for Yourself

March 2, 2018

By Celeste Black-Harr, NPI, Inc.’s Recruitment Coordinator Do you have a feeling you might be cut out for small business ownership? If any of these points describe you, you may be on to something. Here are six ways to know it’s time to go into business for yourself as a National Property Inspections franchise owner. You want to make money.This one is a no-brainer. If you feel as though you’ve maxed out your earning potential according to your current industry’s standards, the best way to make more money may be to go into business for yourself. When you’re your own boss, how much you make is only limited by your own level of dedication. The more time and energy you devote to your business, the more money you can potentially make. You aren’t fulfilled.It’s normal to get into a work rut every once in a while. The daily grind can be tough and we’re only human! But if you’re consistently feeling as though there’s something missing in your professional life, it could be time to make a change. According to a recent Gallup study on the American work place, up to 51 percent of the 100 million full-time employees surveyed

Why Investing in a Franchise Is Better Than Going It Alone

January 18, 2018

By Celeste Black-Harr, NPI, Inc.’s Recruitment Coordinator Going into business for yourself might be the biggest leap you ever take. That’s why it’s important to have a safety net. And that’s where investing in a franchise can help put you on the path to success. Here are the top five reasons that a National Property Inspections franchise is the key to meeting your small business goals. 1. You invest in us and we invest right back in you.At NPI, we strive to make your commitment worthwhile by continuing to invest in your success. Whether that’s updating our proprietary software or creating marketing materials based on the latest trends, we take innovation seriously and want you to feel as though there’s always something new in it for you. Unlike going into business independently, at NPI, you have a team dedicated to your professional growth. We’re industry experts with years of experience in home and commercial property inspection, digital marketing and more, so you don’t have to guess the right direction to go with your business. By following our tried and true business strategy, you can dedicate more time to honing your inspection skills and networking with real estate agents. 2. You

How to Hire Great Employees

December 27, 2017

By Roland Bates, NPI, Inc.’s Founder & CEO Great training. Great opportunity. Great compensation. They don’t mean much if you don’t start with a good hire. It surprises me how little time and effort many small business owners put into finding and training good employees. Can you imagine our NPI/GPI franchisees hiring an inspector and then finding out they don’t have a valid driver’s license, won’t go in crawl spaces or are afraid to climb ladders? Or can’t spell “GFI,” let alone know what it is? Growing a successful business requires having great employees. National Property Inspections, Inc. helps its franchisees with their hiring needs in several ways. We help them to know when to hire, what positions to fill, where to find those people, how to train them, how to compensate them, how to supervise them and if necessary, how to discipline them. We help our franchisees learn to be good bosses. And without the proper training, not everyone is a good boss. If you haven’t learned how to be a good boss, it can lead to employee turnover, which is disruptive to any business. We are here to help our NPI/GPI franchisees from start to finish. We don’t

Giving A Memorable Presentation As A Small Business Owner

April 4, 2023

By Kimberly Stevens, NPI, Inc.’s Marketing Coach Small business owners need to learn how to advocate on their own behalf and demonstrate their knowledge in many different venues. With success and expertise comes opportunities to share specialized knowledge with peers in their industry and related fields. Although public speaking may not come naturally to many business owners, presentations are fantastic opportunities to network and present themselves as masters of their craft. We’ve already covered some tips on how to improve public speaking as a small business owner, but there are many more strategies presenters should employ to make their speeches, classes, or demos more memorable. In most settings, business owners have a lot that they are trying to accomplish during their presentations. Not only are they trying to provide value to their audience by educating on their chosen topic, but their overall goal is also to leave a lasting impression that will convert their audience members into paying customers. Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or a newbie, here are a few things to consider to help take your presentation to the next level. Reduce Distractions (Through Preparation)The most effective presentations are done by passionate experts in their field. New technologies,

How Keeping Your Website Fresh Will Boost Your Small Business

March 28, 2023

By Sydney Bailey, NPI, Inc.’s Marketing Director A website is absolutely crucial to a small business’s long-term success. Especially in saturated industries and competitive markets, business owners should take advantage of every opportunity they have to get noticed. While setting up a modern, engaging website is a great start towards online relevance, it’s only step one when it comes to making a lasting impression on the web. To get the most out of your small business website, business owners should regularly check in and update their site to keep it relevant. For the best strategies to achieve a consistently fresh and impactful website, here are a few website strategies every small business owner should pursue. Keep Your “About Us” Up To DateWhen setting up your “About Us” page, it’s always best to collaborate with an experienced copywriter to ensure that you’re properly highlighted as an expert in your field. Specific details about your professional background and certifications can inspire trust and credibility. With your background and related achievements correctly detailed, your About Us page is also your opportunity to humanize your team and establish a rapport with your client base on a more personal level. Share a bit about your

Design Features that Will Catch Your Client’s Eye

March 21, 2023

By Melisa Rana, NPI, Inc.’s Graphic Designer When developing an overall brand for your business, there are many aspects that need to be considered in order to establish an image that is cohesive, strong, and recognizable. Your brand is displayed through every facet of your business: through the products or services that you deliver, through your customer service, and through your unique attention to detail. But when talking about how you plan on displaying your brand visually, this is where the fundamentals of graphic design come in. Through strong graphic design techniques, you can develop a brand that is recognizable while also conveying what makes your business unique in an efficient and effective manner. To get a better idea of how you can capitalize on your brand, let’s review some of the features of graphic design that help define your business. Typography Reinforces Your ToneAlthough typography is crucial to your business, this fundamental building block of graphic design is often woefully overlooked. Typography refers to the specific design, font pairings, and representation of the words on any marketing materials, websites, and other works either online or printed. While this aspect tends to be one that is rarely on the forefront

The Tools That Make A Property Inspector

March 14, 2023

Outside of a few mainstays, property inspectors tend to have a very diverse array of tools from professional to professional, depending on their regions and the unique demands of their homes and commercial properties. While states and Standards of Practice may make only a small set of tools necessary to complete the job, property inspectors have a great opportunity to add value to their inspections, cut down on time spent, and keep themselves safer by expanding their tool kit. As an inspector, your tools will change with time. Today, let’s discuss some of the basic tools to help you get started, then move on to the tools that could take your inspections to the next level. The Inspector’s Basic Tool KitA property inspector has an important job – one that could not be completed without a few basic tools. First, the inspector will need a way to record any defects that they encounter during an inspection. A basic digital camera with a flash is all that an inspector needs to get started documenting each job. Many inspectors will even opt to use a phone, since basic smartphone cameras have come a long way in increasing their clarity. Either way, inspectors

5 Ways that Blogs Boost Your Small Business

March 7, 2023

By Michael Trimble, Content Marketing Coordinator The internet is a wonderful, terrifying place at times. In an age where any fact is available at your fingertips in a moment, we’ve all dove down a rabbit hole and become an “internet expert” at some random topic. What you may have noticed are the encyclopedia-like libraries of information found on blogs. More and more, businesses are investing into blogs, informing and entertaining their audiences with these dedicated monthly, weekly, or even daily articles. Today, blogs are everywhere, but why have they become so standard? Let’s discuss the benefits that blogs bring to small businesses. Blogs Attract TrafficFor many businesses, jobs and clients can be largely generated through personal relationships and referrals. Those interactions are great, but businesses that excel in just face-to-face marketing could be missing out on a lot of business if they neglect their website and social media. An attractive, informative, and user-friendly website will draw in new clients organically, and blogs can build upon that organic traffic. The numbers don’t lie. According to Hubspot, a leading voice in marketing and sales, businesses that utilize blogs receive 55% more visitors to their websites than businesses that do not. If you’re

Should You Call Your Clients By Their First Name?

February 28, 2023

Running a successful business is all about relationships. This notion shouldn’t be a new revelation, but it holds particularly true for the home inspection industry. Strong relationships built with real estate professionals can grow your inspection business. So, how do you strengthen these relationships? And when you’re meeting new people, how do you make a strong first impression? Saying someone’s name is powerful. However, knowing when to use a first name versus when to use a title can be difficult. It’s tough to know the “rules” when different people swear by different social strategies when conducting their own business. To know how to build relationships while portraying yourself with professionalism, here are a few points to consider when you’re deciding how to refer to your clients and other individuals in your business network. A Matter of RespectTo some it may seem old-fashioned or overly formal, but many people prefer to be referenced with their surname and title in professional settings. In particular, surnames might be preferred when there is an age discrepancy or said individual has earned a specific title (Dr., Sgt., etc.). In these situations, using surnames is a great way to show respect. Perhaps even more importantly, repeatedly

When Is The Right Time To Hire?

February 21, 2023

Every small business owner or entrepreneur needs to develop a system for conducting business that works for them. For some, this comes naturally! They know the right things to say, they’ve connected with the right people, and they know how to develop relationships. For others, their business has to be built up through plenty of trial and error. Running a small business solo can be incredibly rewarding—at the same time, incredibly demanding. The best way to handle these mounting demands (and to manage your sanity) is to finally expand your team. With a co-pilot at your side, your small business can reach new heights and expand beyond what you ever imagined! But when do you know the time is right to hire? Here are a few signs that say you should hire sooner rather than later. 1. Your Are Turning Down New BusinessThis one may seem obvious, but if you’re reaching the point where you can’t keep up with the demands of your business, you need to make a hire asap. Successful entrepreneurs should be able to anticipate this situation and be able to make their hires before they reach their breaking point. However, sometimes business can accelerate beyond expectations

How To Show Appreciation To Your Clients

February 14, 2023

By Michael Trimble, NPI, Inc.’s Content Marketing Coordinator Business owners wear a lot of hats. They need to be an expert in their field and provide great service to remain competitive. However, many entrepreneurs may not realize how important it is to foster relationships. Businesses survive and thrive based on the development of ongoing relationships. Just as you innovate and improve upon your services, client appreciation should be a constant focus for improvement. Some people have little trouble with building relationships. However, many entrepreneurs are more detail-oriented and analytical in their personality types. While everyone knows that it is important to show appreciation, some might struggle with finding the best way to show it! To get the ball rolling on developing your own client appreciation strategies, here are a few well-tested methods that have produced positive results. Make Your Message Handwritten While not appropriate for every message, entrepreneurs that follow up after jobs with handwritten notes on occasion will stand out from the crowd. Society has shifted to less personal forms of communication. Email and social media are valuable tools for instant communication, but these channels can make conversations feel too general. Relationships are much more difficult to build with

The Secret To Employee Retention

February 7, 2023

By Kimberly Stevens, NPI, Inc.’s Marketing & Business Coach Any good business manager will be able to tell you that the key to real success is a strong team. It is difficult to find a good support system, so when you’ve finally secured reliable partners that perform their jobs well, there is a new challenge to overcome. Employee retention has become more difficult than ever in recent years. In 2021, the “Great Resignation” sent companies scrambling as they attempted to recover from record-high “quit” rates. Standards of workers have raised since then, and PEW researchers cite a laundry list of reasons that employees have decided to leave in a recent study. The secret to keeping your best employees on your team is simple: give them a reason to stay. Understand what your workers want, and show them that working for you is a great way to achieve those goals. Pay Your Employees More The most straight-forward technique to retain employees is to simply pay your workers more to reliably show that their value is recognized and their time is appreciated. This tip likely isn’t a surprise, but business owners should give this option serious consideration when it’s available. According to