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On Discipline When Business is Slow

I was opening an old electrical panel and my electric drill didn't have the power to turn the screws, so I reached in my bag for my manual screw driver. It wasn't there. I had to improvise, basically using my electric drill as a manual screw driver. No big deal right?

Well I got to thinking about why my screw driver was not in the bag. As I turned that scrutiny on myself which I use in inspections, I didn't like what I saw. I had been sloppy. I had used the screw driver in an inspection two days before and put it in my pocket. That night I had emptied my pockets on my bedroom dresser. That's where the screw driver was.

When I am doing two and three inspections a day every day, I get into a rhythm. I do the same things every inspection. In this case it includes emptying my pockets of tools and putting them back in place at the end of each inspection. It also includes putting all my rechargeables back in their respective chargers. I keep my self ready to go at a moment's notice.

When I am doing one inspection a day I recognized that I started doing things differently. Knowing I had 24 hours before the next inspection I started getting ready for inspections just before rather than immediately after the previous one.

This lack of discipline had carried over into other things. I've found myself on several occasions remembering something I needed for and inspection after starting to the site, only to turn around to go back and retrieve it. Wasted time and motion, and basically, lack of discipline. During my busy times, this just doesn't happen.

I don't think this is just me, or just home inspectors. Recently the agent for one of my inspection clients found that he had forgotten to bring a contract addendum form to the inspection. He improvised by hand writing a form, but I'll bet that a couple of years ago when he was busy, he would have had a stack of forms at all times.

My best shot at compensating for the tendency to become stale during slow periods is to force myself to maintain the exact same regimen when I am not busy as when I am fighting for every spare second. Every tool is put back in my bag immediately, no exceptions. I've added check lists so that, in a similar fashion as a pilot prepares for flying, I prepare for an inspection. I can't tell you how many times this has saved me from embarrasment.

I am open to any other suggestions as to how to stay sharp during slow periods.

Sincerely,

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Home Status Inspection

Posted by Bill Duncan on 10/13/2007 03:14 PM

Comments (31)

home inspection, home status, home inspection dos and donts, discipline in home inspection

31 Comments on On Discipline When Business is Slow

OCT

2007

Bill,

Nice post! Rest assured it's not you. When the market changes as it has it throws all of us 'off balance'! Keep that screw driver at the ready:^) Thanks, Fran

Fran, I want to know what others are doing to combat staleness. When you look at some baseball teams that excell during the regular season and clinch the title and home field early. Then they go to getting their butts kicked in post season. How do you stay sharp when you are idle?

Bill,

The key is to not stay idle. I have always made 'a good living' from the title business. Not a 'lot of money' but sufficient enough to live a happy middle class existence by working 45 to 50 hours per week.

For the last year or so I have been working much longer hours, multiplying the area I normally cover and trying to find new ways of obtaining business. You've got to do this in the lean times! And trust yourself! Thanks, Fran

OCT

2007

Howdy Bill

I can tell you that I have done things like that myself.

Fran is right the key is not let yourself stay idle. And to trust yourself at all times.

I think back to when I was in the Military and what my team and I did during down time. We always trained for our next mission to come up. We never knew what or where it would be.

Have a good one

Dale

OCT

2007

Dale and Fran,

Thanks for the excellent advice! I guess I am doing something like training for my next mission. I'm working on switching from manual to electronic reporting. This is a daunting task and frankly worried that I'll be shot down by mechanical and electronic failures on site. In our market place it is not good enough to do the insection and go home to finish it. You need to give the summary on site. I'm stumbling along with this, and have not yet done a live test.

On the other hand from this, I guess I get nervous when I haven't done a crawl space in a month, or encountered aluminum wiring in three months. When my HVAC skills haven't really been tested for weeks. What's the old saying. What's used develops what is not used wastes away?

No matter what area we practice in, it sure is easy to let something slide by. For me, I try to put together a list each evening of what needs to get accomplished the next day. Then I priortize the list and put a time frame into effect. When I do it religoiusly, it works great. Of course, I have a wonderful assistant at the office who keeps me in line too.

Diane, You are soo right!

In your world you can never be too organized. I try to follow a similar routine and have grown to accept and even welcome the inspection that is inserted at the last moment and blows up the schedule.

Thanks for reminding me.

My next booked inspection had a time change and I need to send another confirmation E-Mail.

When it is slower we procrastinate.

OCT

2007

Bill, you have certainly hit on some important things here. I think the biggest aspect of this is momentum. Even during a slow time, momentum can continue if you keep it there in your head, your preparation, and your work.

Stephen, Thanks for the comment. I agree with you about momentum. I've been fortunate that my business hasn't dropped off to less than 1 a day, although there are stretches where I have none for two or three days...then two a day for a couple of days. It's sort of the momentum of a roller coaster.

OCT

2007

Hey Bill I know what you are talking about. During the busy time of the year, I do get into a rhythym. However, when winter comes around, and the inspections are fewer, it is easy to fall out of sync with the normal routine.

My biggest problem use to be loosing tools. I would use a screwdriver to remove the furnace panel, or electrical deadfront, and after putting it all back together, I might lay the driver down and forget about it.

Well finally I had to fix that by getting a tool belt. I found a perfect utility belt that I could store my multi bit driver, flashlight, IR thermometer, camera, tick tracer, electrical circuit tester, and my Leatherman multi tool. Now most of my tool arsenal is directly attached at my hip, saving me trips out to the truck for individual tools as needed.

Good post Bill

Harold, thanks for your comment. Steve Ramos on the home inspection TV show has this big belt he uses . I tried it and found that 1), I had to take it off to go into crawl spaces and usually into attics. 2), when I took it off my pants fell down, so I had to wear two belts, and 3), I felt like a Southern Bell with one of those hoop skirts, having to give wide clearance so I didn't knock things off tables. So after about three inspections I went back to my carry bag.

Another symptom of this slow period is the number of flashlights I have. When ever I buy a second flashlight for back up, which I like to have all the time, I end up leaving it behind. Those times when I have only one flashlight, I never lose it. Go figure.

Howdy Bill

Have you ever called your local Fire Dep. to see if there where going to be doing a controled fire of a house ? I have done that in the pass before and ask if I could use the house to do a little training to stay on top of my inspection training. You don't get to do it all. But you can look over the building and general structure, basement foundation or the crawl space. Looking over places like that does help to keep you on top of your knowledge. Just something for you to think about.

Have a good one

Dale

Dale. thats a great idea and I've got connections. Back when I was active in the department we didn't do controlled burns but once in a blue moon, but with all the new development around us, there have got to be some condemned homes. I also like the idea because you'll see some pretty different things in those old houses. Thanks,

OCT

2007

Howdy Bill

You are very welcome.

Have a good one

Dale

Now Dale, you've got to use more words. Use 25 words you get 25 points...use 24 you get zero! Any way, have a nice day. (Thats 26)

Bill, being disciplined with continuing education always helps. Sharpen the axe when you are not chopping down the trees.

Harold,

By the way, what's a tick tracer?

Gary, The axe is sharp sharp sharp...just looking for trees.

Hey Bill you are not alone, we all experience this situation from time to time. I look fwd. to a little slow time, it gives me time to work on paperwork, clean up my office and read and organize articles. It may not be actually doing an inspection but this is "necessary" to keep our business going and stay current. I am the world's worst at misplacing my thermometers. I just blame it on a senior moment and go on. If you really want to stay busy inspect your own home or family member home; you would be surprised.

Bill.. a tic tracer is also a voltage sniffer.

The one with the beep beep as you get near a hot.Some guys call it that.

OCT

2007

Carl, I'm sick of cleaning my office and am up to this week on my expense software. Paid my Federal taxes, all my bills. I don't know if you've noticed it, but there are way more real estate agents than usual out asking for advertising money on projects. I turn them all down, but they ask anyway as though being on their flyer is going to make me rich.

Thanks Bob...I was thinking that's what you were talking about but I had never heard that term.

Bill

You asked what is a tick tracer, you might call it soemthing else. Here is a link; http://www.professionalequipment.com/fluke-volt-alert-ac-non-contact-voltage-tester-fluke-1ac-a1-ii/voltage-testers/

If you don't have one they do come in handy. They detect voltage without direct contact to the conductor.

Checking to see if the knob and tube is really abandoned in the attic, veryfing power at the dryer outlet (when no dryer is present), and checking old two prong outlets for power. I find uses for it all the time.

Yes, I have one. I call it a non-contact voltage tester. I like tick tracer better.

Hey, but "non contact voltage tester" is better when you are trying to meet your minimum of twenty five words on blog comments. Tick tracer is just easier for me to remember. :)

Howdy Bill

I had made that comment affter my 10 comments for the day.

To get the 25 poins for commenting all you need is 10 words, not 25.

Have a good one

Dale

DEC

2007

Bill,

A late reply...

I appreciated your comments as I find its way too easy to get slack in slack times. I also have found that I visit the tool section at Home Depot too frequently when I have extra time on my hands.

Good thoughts!

Tom Sinclair

DEC

2007

Bill, our habits form the way we work. Lack of discipline in this case snowballed on you. I have this problem with organization some time. You just have to commit to do what you need to do, and don't cut yourself any slack in slow or busy times. Just focus. We all deserve a lazy day now and then, so don't be too hard on yourself.

DEC

2007

From time to time we all fall off our track. Just a little discipline gets us back on track and away we go again.

If you ain't inspecting, you should be marketing. Have at it!

DEC

2007

Bill, I keep extra tools in my pickup in a tool bag that I never take out of the truck so if I loose a screwdriver in an attic or it breaks or whatever I have a backup of that tool. Extra batteries as well and also I carry a couple of extra AA batteries for that certain thermostat in a vacant home that won't work because the batteries are dead, I pop my AA's in and do my thing and then remove them and put them back in my tool bag. Of course carrying extra shoes and coveralls for those dirty places and gloves and even an extra shirt in case I plop something on my shirt.

DEC

2007

Tom, Thanks for stopping by.

Gary, The more I think about it is more routine than discipline. If your habits are based on working 10 hours a day and suddenly you are averaging 3 per day with some days nothing, it's easy to develop bad habits. I agree with you, you have to commit to keeping your good habits even when business is slack.

Erby, More and better marketing is another discipline which we need to build in slow times. Grammer could use some work too.

Frank, An extra bag with back up tools...great idea. I also carry extra batteries, but haven't yet encountered a case of dead thermostat batteries, great idea. Thanks,

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