Tag: hiring

How to Make the Most Out of Your Indeed Job Ad

November 15, 2022

By Stepha Vesper, NPI, Inc.’s Marketing Communications Specialist Making new hires is always an exciting venture. Either your business is growing, or you’re ready to fill an important vacancy to satisfy a need. In this position, it is important to know how to hire right and make the best use of the tools at your disposal. In the inspection industry, it can be difficult to find qualified individuals to add to your team. We have found that personal referrals from industry professionals (such as real estate agents or other inspectors) tend to result in the most successful hires. But when these contacts aren’t providing many leads, it may be worth trying Indeed. Indeed is a popular job-finding platform, recording over 250 million unique visitors each month, and hosting over 150 million resumes. With such impressive traffic, Indeed provides a great opportunity to get your job ad in front of a large audience. However, there are a few things to consider to ensure you get the most out of your investment with Indeed. Screener QuestionsA frequent experience that employers can have when working with Indeed is a barrage of applicants. Too many options are better than too few options, but many

4 Ways to Create a Positive Work Culture for Your Small Business

November 8, 2022

By Kimberly Stevens, NPI, Inc.’s Marketing Coach As your small business grows, you may find yourself in a position to hire additional employees, expanding your team and delegating duties as far as your finances allow. While growth is exciting, it also comes with its own set of problems. A successful small business owner must also become a successful team manager. They impart their vision for their business to new team members, who must become productive workers and genuine brand advocates. After making your new hires, you need to earn their loyalty and create an ideal environment for them to operate as optimally as possible. This, of course, all hinges on the quality of your work culture. Do your employees dread work, or do they look forward to it? Are they willing to make concessions when times are tough, or will they back out when they are most needed? Consider these tips to strengthen your company culture and develop a family-like atmosphere that makes work something to look forward to. According to a Globoforce study, happy employees are 85% more efficient in their work and stay in their positions twice as long. Although it might be common sense, sustaining a team

Entrepreneurship 101: How to Set Your Employees Up for Success

October 4, 2022

After a brief pause to enjoy the sun and hit the beach, we return to our Entrepreneurship 101 series. Here, we outline some of the best tips for running your franchise like a seasoned pro. In our first entry we discussed how to lead your franchise, and in our second entry we covered the best hiring practices. Now that you’ve got a new batch of employees, it’s time we made them into rockstar members of your company. Here’s how you can put your team on the fast track to success. Start Strong New hires have a lot to think about. They want to prove their competence, they want to give off a positive social impression, and they want to ensure they made the right choice for themselves in accepting their new position. It can be a stressful time! As an owner, a manager, and your team’s leader, it’s your job to walk them through an onboarding process that instills confidence for everyone on the team. First things first, set clear expectations so that your new employee knows what success looks like. Start with the basics. What does their first week look like? Their first month? Give them a clear picture

Entrepreneurship 101: How to Hire Right the First Time

July 19, 2022

To see continued growth and development in your business, you may consider growing your team. To ensure that you’re hiring the best individuals for your needs, here are three crucial questions to ask during the interview process. What to Ask: What do you know about the company? What Their Answer Reveals: This question is one of the most telling regarding whether the applicant has done their research on NPI. If the applicant knows nothing about the company, or provides incorrect information regarding NPI, it’s a no go! What to Ask: What about inspection interests you? What Their Answer Reveals: Answering this question correctly is very important in this industry, as it’s essential to look for people pursuing this position for career purposes rather than just a regular job. Those who are not able to provide a clear answer to this question should set off alarms for you. What to Ask: When would you be able to start? What Their Answer Reveals: If the applicant implies that they can start right away with little to no regard for their current employer, it’s another red flag. At minimum, a two weeks’ notice should be provided. After all, how you get them is

Properly Incentivizing Your Employees for Growth

March 1, 2022

By David Stamper, NPI, Inc.’s President & CFO Your employees are the most valuable asset you have for your business. And the more motivated they are, the more productive they’ll be to help grow your business. Here are some ways you can incentivize your employees. Why Incentivizing is Important Properly rewarding your employees for their hard work is important for a number of reasons. First, it makes them feel like they are a valued member of the company. Employees that feel they are needed are more likely to contribute. That willingness to contribute also leads to better teamwork and collaboration. Overall, there’s sure to be a boost in morale when your employees feel as if they’re valued members of the team. Pay Benefits Money is a common incentive most business owners use. It can motivate both newer and longer tenured employees. You of course want to give adequate bonuses based on how long an employee has worked for you, quality of work, and likelihood they’ll stay with you. You can use either a one-time bonus or bump their salary permanently. If you can afford it, doing these annually will further motivate employees. Vacation Time As much as we may love

How Recording Inspections Could Help You

September 7, 2021

By Jon McCreath, NPI, Inc.’s Technical Supervisor & Training Administrator When you think of the professions that utilize video cameras, home inspections might be far down on the list. Emergency services, loggers, and bartenders can be seen wearing cameras to record their shifts. Even cyclists and other motorists have found that cameras are useful, especially for insurance purposes. So, how do they make sense in the home inspection industry? Controlling Risk as Much as Possible There are different forms of risk you have to try and control as an inspector. Scammers, personal injury, and legal action are just a few of the common risks you might come across. Of course you can’t completely erase risk, but taking the right steps greatly lowers it. Making sure that you have the right insurance provider is just one step that goes a long way in protecting you. Now, inspectors are finding that recording inspections is helping in instances where further details are needed. Visuals in Report WritingThere’s no doubt that photos in a report are necessary to have. Whether it’s for your own notes or to point out a defect, they give a clearer picture of what’s going on. Maybe you’ve had to

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

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

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

Family-Owned Business: How to Work With and Manage Family Employees

April 23, 2024

When entrepreneurs start a new business, they’re looking for ways to really hit the ground running and hasten their growth. In the inspection industry, that early grind can be difficult to navigate alone, which is why we constantly see family members step up to offer a helping hand. Whether it’s as a marketer, a bookkeeper, or another pair of hands on an inspection, it can be a great benefit to partner with a spouse, sibling, in-law, or child early on who can offer a bit more flexibility than a typical employee. Family members can be an asset to businesses after seeing some growth as well, once extra help is needed to handle increased demand. Whatever the situation, the opportunity to hire family will likely come up at some point as a business owner, but some might not be prepared for the complex factors that go into this unique dynamic. From the vantage point of home inspection franchisors, we’ve seen family members work extremely well as employees, and we’ve also seen situations where it hasn’t gone so well. If you’re thinking about starting or expanding your business with a family member, here are some things to consider so that you can

Do Women Make Good Home Inspectors? Insights From Females in the Industry

April 9, 2024

March is International Women’s Month, and we’re taking a moment to celebrate a few of our amazing female inspectors who are helping transform the industry. We had a chance to ask them all about their experience, from what it’s like to work in a male-dominated field to what they love most about completing inspections and helping clients. Get to know Savannah Guenther, Ashley Brown, and Susan D’Andrea, and be sure to give them a shoutout if you see them around. Thank you for sharing, ladies – keep up the brilliant work! Q: As a female inspector, what are some unique benefits or challenges that you face in our industry? How do you overcome them?Savannah: I would say that one unique benefit is being able to help female REALTORs who may be working an open house or event by themselves feel more comfortable. Women feel a bit more at ease with another woman one-on-one than they might with a man they may not know very well. I’ve found that we can have an easy conversation; they’re inclined to share more about their work and background, and they’re more open to listening to what I have to say. The challenges of working

How to Overcome Being Told “No” as an Entrepreneur

March 12, 2024

By Kimberly Stevens, NPI, Inc.’s Marketing & Business Coach The most successful entrepreneurs are self-motivated, innovative, and ambitious. Their minds are focused on expanding their services, broadening their territories, and putting a stamp on their industry that will effect positive change. New business owners rarely imagine hearing the word, “No.” But the hard truth is, rejection in any sales endeavor is inevitable, and it will happen more often than many expect. Every small business owner needs to develop sales skills if they want to achieve their aspirations, and the first (and maybe most important) sales skill to learn is how to handle the word, “No.” To get started on becoming a salesperson extraordinaire, here are a few truths to keep in mind! Understand What “No” Really Means in SalesOften, when people face rejection after giving a “sales pitch,” it can be natural to take that rejection personally. But in reality, rejection is almost never personal. In sales, a “no” can mean many different things, and this is only rarely related to your delivery. Here are a few common translations for the word, “no,” in sales: “I don’t understand.”The first common translation for an unsuccessful pitch is that the concept of

Print Marketing 101: 6 Types of Marketing Collateral and When to Use Them

March 5, 2024

By Melisa Rana, NPI, Inc.’s Graphic Designer Across industries, experienced marketers know how important it is to practice omni-channel marketing to find success and grow consistently. This means finding your audience wherever they are and delivering your message to them in many different ways. Businesses that rely only on digital marketing will begin to feel impersonal and distant, while marketers who focus solely on in-person interactions spread themselves too thin and miss out on opportunities to stay top of mind. The most effective marketing plans employ multiple campaigns and various diverse strategies to foster business, ongoing referrals, and loyalty with their key customers. Because of this, no business should expect to reach their long-term goals consistently without a selection of well-designed, attention-grabbing marketing collateral. From posters to brochures, flyers, and door hangers, it can sometimes feel like there is an endless list of potential physical marketing materials to invest in. But to achieve the best possible return on investment, it’s important to understand how each material differs and in which situations they excel. With all that said, let’s discuss some of the most popular and effective print marketing materials, and when to use them! Brochures Pack a Big Punch in

From Startups to Industry Veterans: Why You Should Write A Business Plan

February 27, 2024

By Sammi Marcellus, NPI, Inc.’s Recruitment Coordinator When launching a new business, entrepreneurs embark on a demanding journey, defining goals, charting growth plans, and strategizing execution. A business plan condenses these key elements into a streamlined document for investors to assess. While securing funding often necessitates a business plan, even established businesses benefit from revisiting and updating theirs. Let’s delve into what a business plan is, how to write one, and how each section empowers seasoned entrepreneurs to achieve their ambitions. Understanding the Business PlanThe format of a business plan varies depending on its purpose. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), a valuable resource for new business owners seeking funding, outlines two main types: Lean Startup Plan: This concise, one- or two-page document provides a bird’s eye view of a business’s purpose and goals. It might not suffice for securing funding, but serves as a vital tool for entrepreneurs to revisit their goals and adapt their strategies as needed. Traditional Business Plan: This comprehensive document dives deep into each facet of the proposed business. While requiring more effort, the detailed information and commitment to crafting it instill confidence in investors and provides clear direction for the entrepreneur. Notably, the information

National Property Inspections, Inc. is Now Part of the Co-operators Family

February 20, 2024

We at National Property Inspections, Inc. are proud to announce our organization, along with Carson Dunlop, have been acquired by Co-operators Group Limited. With aligned goals of serving homeowners and communities, NPI is excited for this expanded reach throughout North America and the opportunity to further innovate the property inspection industry. “In Co-operators, we have found an ideal partner that brings a wealth of experience, relationships, and resources to drive growth and long-term value for our stakeholders. Our core values are in sync, and Co-operators’ long-term vision uniquely positions us to effectively scale our network and help us live our purpose: to better the lives of homeowners.” – Craig Rowsell, CEO of Carson Dunlop and National Property Inspections, Inc. Co-operators was originally founded to provide coverage for farmers who couldn’t find protection elsewhere. Today, the organization has grown to become one of Canada’s leading financial services cooperatives, with a focus on multi-line insurance, wealth management, and brokerage operations. With Co-operators, National Property Inspections, Inc. and Carson Dunlop are looking forward to continuing our mission in serving homeowners and investors throughout their post-purchase story, with Honesty, Integrity, and Professionalism. Combining our commitment to keeping homeowners informed with Co-operators’ assistance to families

Boosting Conversions and Improving ROI with Call Tracking

February 13, 2024

By Sydney Bailey, NPI, Inc.’s Marketing Director As small businesses grow, marketing often becomes a more complex endeavor with leads flowing in from many different campaigns and platforms. To find out whether a marketing campaign is cost effective, it’s crucial to track the cost for each lead and each conversion—but how is this tracking accomplished? For digital marketing, tracking a lead is fairly straightforward. Thanks to cookies and analytics, businesses can know which marketing campaign a lead interacted with to land on their website. But other lead generation avenues aren’t so simple. Many customers still prefer to call service-based businesses to gather more information before making their final decision. Learning how to convert a lead over the phone is an art in itself, but it can be difficult to quantify a lead’s analytics from a phone call. For entrepreneurs that receive a lot of their business through inbound phone calls, capturing valuable information about which marketing campaigns are pulling their weight—and which ones aren’t—can be tough, but it’s essential when it comes to optimizing an advertising budget. Today, let’s discuss the best solution to this issue: call tracking. What is Call Tracking, and How Does It Work?Call tracking helps determine

Franchise Financing: Starting a Small Business with an SBA Loan

February 6, 2024

By Sammi Marcellus, NPI, Inc.’s Recruitment Coordinator Every great journey starts with the right tools, and for most entrepreneurs, that key tool is financing. While self-starting hustle and innovation are essential, even the best business plan can stall without capital. This is where SBA loans come in. Acquiring a loan through the SBA can be a great option for small business owners looking for that initial capital needed to franchise or otherwise start their business venture. To better understand if an SBA loan is right for you, let’s discuss some of the essentials. What is an SBA loan?An SBA loan is a specialized loan provided by partners of the US Small Business Administration. For entrepreneurs that have exhausted other options, an SBA loan can be the answer they’ve been looking for to cover the early costs needed to start a new business or expand their business. SBA loans are a great option for many because of their lower rates and the option of long repayment periods, but not all SBA loans are the same. It’s also not a guarantee that everyone gets approved for their desired loan. SBA loans vary from person to person in part because the SBA doesn’t