What did we do last year or the year before that made a difference in our business?
Simply put, I stopped trying to run a business all by myself. In July 2018, I got a phone call from a past client. His name was Luke and he had purchesed the home I inspected for him back in 2016 and for the next 2 years, he had spent many hours reading and studying all about home inspections. He determined that he did not want to be an owner of a company, rather he was wanting to be able to do inspections, then have time to spend with his young sons. Marketing and taxes and recordkeeping and payroll and scheduling and everything else that comes with owning a company were just not what he was looking for. He had zero interest in starting his own company. That was perfect for me, and as it turned out, for him as well.
My company had started in 2007, just before the market crashed. I had a full time job but it was changing and a new owner took over. There were instant signs on the wall that it was not going to be a good match between myself and the new company. I started looking for a Plan B, and home inspection was the best option I looked at. After a very slow start, while still working 70-80 hours a week for the new company, I finally got to the point where they fired me on the last work day of 2010. On nNew Years Eve, 2010, I walked into all the local realtor offices announcing I was no longer part time.
Through the years, and including a death defying heart attack in December 2012, my business grew to over 500+ inspections a year and I had to do something to lighten the load. It was just too much and my family and personal life were all consumed by the shear amount of inspections, mainly in the summer. I had to make a change. Luke came along at the exact right time. Last year, he completed approximately 375 inspections, compared to my 168. That allowed me to attend seminars without blacking out my calender, spend time with my family, enjoy my new grandson who was born in September, and so many other great things I can't even list them all.
Richard Branson has a great quote and I tried to make sure I followed it to a T.
“Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don't want to.” Richard Branson.
That's just how I hope Luke feels and he is with the SLS team for many more years.
Check out our latest video about our new $100,000 structural warranty.
Gamechangers 100K video
Would you like a FREE CPE certification? What is CPE?
It's called Client Protection Expert How can It Help YOU?
Click this link for the course...
Watch the video below and then take the short 10-15 minute test and you will receive several free items that will benefit you and your clients as well as a certificate that you can use for your marketing.
Click this link for the video.
Click this link for the course...http://www.cpecertification.com/
Here is the link for the Simple Home Warranty. If SLS Home Inspections does the inspection, your buyers have 18 months of protection, starting the day of close.
12 month warranty is available if inspected by any other inspector. Same great conditions apply...no 30 day waiting period, choose your own contractor, no appliance prorating, no pre-existing conditions.
All these bonuses are FREE with every home inspection.
Scott Seaton-The Home Inspector With A Heart
SLS Home Inspections @815-644-6271
Inspecting homes like yours in the Kankakee, Bourbonnais, Bradley, Illinois area since 2007.
Real Estate inspections with same day report delivery.
Mold and air quality testing.
FREE 90 day Homeowners Warranty. Included with every inspection.
FREE Sewergard protection for the first 90 days. covers up to $4000 of sewer or water main repairs.
FREE Recallchek appliance recall service. Included with every inspection.
FREE Moldsafe coverage on every inspection.
FREE Platinum Roof Protection Plan with 5 year leak repair coverage.
FREE $100,000 One Year NXT Structural warranty
Visit my website at www.illinois-home-inspector.us or
like me on facebook at
Scott L Seaton
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