cuso

That definitely requires a long winded answer and it also depends on your situation and how far a long you are in the process right now. I definitely think that one should work for a reputable company and make it your business to learn as much as humanly possible about the home inspection process, learn all the ins and outs of the industry. It's one thing to work for a licensed home inspector and collect a paycheck but it is an entirely other subject altogether to go into it and go about your days with the intent of actually starting up your own business. Learn the ropes. I would suggest keeping a notebook with you on your day-to-day adventures, whenever you see something, learn something or something crosses your mind whether it be about codes or general business related stuff jot it down. I would recommend you think about naming your company and getting a domain name before you even start your home inspection business. For example I went out and registered and got my website registered and built out before I got licensed as a NYS home inspector and officially started doing home inspections on Long Island for myself. I did this purely for motivational purposes and to be ahead of the curve. Every time I would see my website I would be reminded of what I was shooting for. Then about 3 years before I even thought about opening up my own business I set aside a separate fund. I went to my bank and I setup a percentage to come out of my paycheck each and every week from now on. The amount was very small it was only 10% but by the time 3 years had passed boy did that sum grow! I was able to use the money that I set aside in this way to fund my new business entirely. Of course during this time I still had another 10% that was going into a separate account that I never touched at all, which is a personal preference and something I have done since I was 16. I should also note however that I set an official date a year before that i was planning to start my home inspection company. After I set that date, something clicked in my mind and I worked like stink day and night. I started taking on sidejobs landscaping and some carpentry and earning and saving money however I could for the next year. Also, plan on simplifying your life for a couple years and really drilling down deep into your business. You need to actively work in and on your business and keep your eye on ball and stay focused. Lastly and most importantly, develop a marketing strategy. Start to think how you are going to market your business. Whether that might be going door to door to real estate offices and/or scheduling presentations or marketing yourself online. You can choose one or the other or pick what you feel the most comfortable with but this can and will make or break you. I did my due diligence when starting out and found a marketing company that knows the home inspection industry that got me started doing an extra 10-20 home inspections a month and now on some months I do as many as 35 home inspections because of them alone! Don't fool yourself, marketing yourself effectively will be the most important part of your business. Also, if you've been comforting yourself by reading the 4 hour work week, burn it! A. Mancuso www.homeinspectorexperts.com