A great way to offer convenience and save the small business owner money at the same time.
Are you looking for another way to take payment from your Home Inspection clients but are hoping to avoid the high costs associated with accepting credit cards? Email money transfer may be the solution you are looking for. If you and your client are both set up for online banking, you can transfer money via email. It's safe and neither party needs to share any of their banking information.
It's super convenient! May inspectors and their clients carry smartphones now which means you have instant access to log in to your online banking right at the inspection. Client forget their cheque? No problem. If you both have smart phones, the client just logs into their online banking service, selects the option "send money by email" and then enters the email address they wish to send the money to (this would be the inspectors email address) and the amount they wish to transfer. They select the account they wish the money to be transferred out of and enter a security question that you (the receiver) will need to answer to receive the money. This could be as simple as the contract number or the street the inspection was done on. Then hit send.
Within minutes, you will receive an email notifying you that someone has sent you money. In the email, there will be a link that will open up a window allowing you to select the bank you bank with. From there, you will be able to log into your own online banking account. You will then be asked what the answer is to the the sender's security question. If you correctly answer this question, you will be asked which account you would like the money deposited to. Then, bam! - the money is now in your account.
If you know the client or you don't carry a smart phone with Internet access you could even have the client pre-pay so this transfer is complete ahead of your arrival at the home inspection.
So easy! So convenient! The cost of the service varies and is based on the sender's bank's rate for the service, but at most major banks, the cost ranges between $1.00-$1.50 per transfer. This is paid by the sender.
So, save hundreds on credit card merchant fees and, instead of accepting credit cards, suggest all your clients pay you by email money transfer!
I hope this article was helpful. I wish you continued success in the home inspection business.
Happy Inspecting,
Sharon Purtill
Canspec Home Publishing
Showing posts with label Home Inspection Business Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home Inspection Business Tips. Show all posts
Friday, April 8, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Home Inspection Marketing, Get Linkedin!
Network Marketing is a great FREE way for anyone to grow their business! For today, I'd like to discuss Linkedin. Linkedin is used by many business professionals to promote and advertise their businesses. It is also used to post job postings and actively search for potential employees and business associates. So, how can this help home inspectors?
There are over 35 million people using Linkedin, not all in your service area granted, but nevertheless, that's an awful lot of people you can promote your business name to without paying a penny! There are already many home inspectors on Linkedin, so if your competitors are using it, don't you think you should be, too? There are tons of Realtors using Linkedin, and are they not one of the target audiences you try to reach with your home inspection marketing efforts?
There really is not a single downside that I can think of as to why a home inspector, or home inspection company, would not want to be part of this free networking community!
Setting up your profile is easy. The setup is a step by step, very straight forward process. By ensuring you use key phases like "home inspection", "building inspecting", "property inspector" and "home inspector" in your profile, and past places of work, you will improve how you rank in the searches.
You'll have an opportunity to draft a summary of what it is that makes your company or services special. Here's where you'll want to focus on the value you offer. Talk about what you do differently from your competitors.
You will benefit by being able to put a direct link back to your website in your profile as well as a link to other network marketing sites you may use (facebook, twitter). There will even be a place to tell other users how they can get in touch with you i.e. phone or email.
Then, to add even more marketing value to your new Linkedin account, you can do a search to see if some of your former clients are on Linkedin and, if they are, ask them to provide a Linkedin recommendation about your services. This is like collecting testimonials for others that view your profile to see.
You can build your own list of connections, like Realtors or Mortgage Brokers or even potential future home buyers themselves that are currently on Linkedin.
When you first go to set up the account, you'll even have an option to have Linkedin reference your current email database to search and see if anyone you have in your email contact list is on Linkedin and then automatically suggest the connection to you.
So, if you haven't already "Linkedin", I suggest you get going. You just never know where your next lead will come from!
To connect with us on Linkedin, just follow the provided link near the top right of this blog. Once viewing our Linkedin profile you'll see a "join today" icon at the top right of the page.
Here's a direct link: http://www.linkedin.com/
Happy Inspecting!
Sharon Purtill, Canspec Home Publishing
There are over 35 million people using Linkedin, not all in your service area granted, but nevertheless, that's an awful lot of people you can promote your business name to without paying a penny! There are already many home inspectors on Linkedin, so if your competitors are using it, don't you think you should be, too? There are tons of Realtors using Linkedin, and are they not one of the target audiences you try to reach with your home inspection marketing efforts?
There really is not a single downside that I can think of as to why a home inspector, or home inspection company, would not want to be part of this free networking community!
Setting up your profile is easy. The setup is a step by step, very straight forward process. By ensuring you use key phases like "home inspection", "building inspecting", "property inspector" and "home inspector" in your profile, and past places of work, you will improve how you rank in the searches.
You'll have an opportunity to draft a summary of what it is that makes your company or services special. Here's where you'll want to focus on the value you offer. Talk about what you do differently from your competitors.
You will benefit by being able to put a direct link back to your website in your profile as well as a link to other network marketing sites you may use (facebook, twitter). There will even be a place to tell other users how they can get in touch with you i.e. phone or email.
Then, to add even more marketing value to your new Linkedin account, you can do a search to see if some of your former clients are on Linkedin and, if they are, ask them to provide a Linkedin recommendation about your services. This is like collecting testimonials for others that view your profile to see.
You can build your own list of connections, like Realtors or Mortgage Brokers or even potential future home buyers themselves that are currently on Linkedin.
When you first go to set up the account, you'll even have an option to have Linkedin reference your current email database to search and see if anyone you have in your email contact list is on Linkedin and then automatically suggest the connection to you.
So, if you haven't already "Linkedin", I suggest you get going. You just never know where your next lead will come from!
To connect with us on Linkedin, just follow the provided link near the top right of this blog. Once viewing our Linkedin profile you'll see a "join today" icon at the top right of the page.
Here's a direct link: http://www.linkedin.com/
Happy Inspecting!
Sharon Purtill, Canspec Home Publishing
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Realtors have used this idea for years....
Let's talk about putting a twist on a marketing idea that Realtors have used for years. I'm sure at one time or another you've recieved a "Just Sold" or "Just Listed" postcard at your door. Well, here's a way to put a twist on this old idea and make it very effective for your home inspection business!
First, you'll want to pick postcards that say "Just Inspected", include your logo and other important information about your company and the specialized services or extra value you offer. The cards should be generic. What I mean by this is there will be no actual street address of the home "Just Inspected". Instead, the cards will say something like "We've just inspected a home in your neighbourhood".
Keep your "Just Inspected" postcards in your vehicle at all times. Now, every time you are leaving an inspection and pass a home for sale on your way out of the immediate area - stop, pull into the driveway of the home for sale and go up to the door and leave your "Just Inspected" postcard there for the vendor to find.
The great thing about "Just Inspected" postcards is it is absolutely targeted marketing. I think you'll agree most people that have their house for sale will be in need of another home. This means your postcard is targeting those that are most likely going to be in the market for your services. Realtors don't get this kind of target results with their postcards. This is because they usually blanket an area in the hopes that a percentage of the homes receiving their cards may be thinking of buying or selling. When you only drop your cards to homes already listed for sale, you should expect to see far greater results for your very targeted marketing efforts! No postage required, only a few minutes of your time to stop and deliver as you drive through neigbourhoods where you do, or perhaps would like to do, business.
Now, here's a link to one marketing/printing company that is already doing these cards for inspectors. This will give you an idea of the design ideas for your cards. You can disregard the cost because this is based on mailing your cards for you. While this is an option, mailing your "Just Inspected" postcards wont get you the targeted results you will get if you hand deliver them only to homes already listed for sale.
Here's the link http://www.colourtech.com/generalstore/postcards-homeinspect.php
Something else to consider is a door hanger with your "Just Inspected" message instead of a postcard. This option allows for a perforated business card at the bottom which the home owner can easily remove. This product is also available from the company at the link above.
I hope you find this idea interesting and I wish you much success in your home inspection business!
Sharon Purtill,
Canspec Home Publishing
First, you'll want to pick postcards that say "Just Inspected", include your logo and other important information about your company and the specialized services or extra value you offer. The cards should be generic. What I mean by this is there will be no actual street address of the home "Just Inspected". Instead, the cards will say something like "We've just inspected a home in your neighbourhood".
Keep your "Just Inspected" postcards in your vehicle at all times. Now, every time you are leaving an inspection and pass a home for sale on your way out of the immediate area - stop, pull into the driveway of the home for sale and go up to the door and leave your "Just Inspected" postcard there for the vendor to find.
The great thing about "Just Inspected" postcards is it is absolutely targeted marketing. I think you'll agree most people that have their house for sale will be in need of another home. This means your postcard is targeting those that are most likely going to be in the market for your services. Realtors don't get this kind of target results with their postcards. This is because they usually blanket an area in the hopes that a percentage of the homes receiving their cards may be thinking of buying or selling. When you only drop your cards to homes already listed for sale, you should expect to see far greater results for your very targeted marketing efforts! No postage required, only a few minutes of your time to stop and deliver as you drive through neigbourhoods where you do, or perhaps would like to do, business.
Now, here's a link to one marketing/printing company that is already doing these cards for inspectors. This will give you an idea of the design ideas for your cards. You can disregard the cost because this is based on mailing your cards for you. While this is an option, mailing your "Just Inspected" postcards wont get you the targeted results you will get if you hand deliver them only to homes already listed for sale.
Here's the link http://www.colourtech.com/generalstore/postcards-homeinspect.php
Something else to consider is a door hanger with your "Just Inspected" message instead of a postcard. This option allows for a perforated business card at the bottom which the home owner can easily remove. This product is also available from the company at the link above.
I hope you find this idea interesting and I wish you much success in your home inspection business!
Sharon Purtill,
Canspec Home Publishing
Monday, February 28, 2011
The Right Business Name For Your Inspection Company
Your home inspection company name is so important and deserves some serious thought. First, you'll want to pick an inspection name that is easy, short and memorable. A simple name is always best because others are more likely to remember it and be able to easily recall your name when in a position to refer your services to others.
You'll want to think about growth and even exit strategy when naming your business. I know it may seem strange to be thinking about exiting the business with a name when you may be just starting out or feel you'd like to continue inspecting for many years to come. However, your business name can become one of your biggest assets when it does come time for you to exit the business and will greatly impact the value others will place on your business at that time. You will want to have a name that can be "branded". A name that you can market throughout your home inspection career. This is why I strongly discourage inspectors from naming their company after themselves personally! While this may seem like a good idea originally, it will dramatically reduce the branding effect you can achieve with another more generic name and will reduce the value your company will have down the road.
If your name is Bill Denison, for example, and you call your company Bill Denison Inspection Services Ltd., those using your services will know you as Bill Dension. While it is true that it's not a difficult name to remember when your company and your own name are the same, think about 5, 10, 15 years down the road when you decide to exit the business. You have spent years branding Bill Denison and once you are gone, what do you think Bill Dension Inspection Services Ltd. is really worth without Bill Denison? The answer is: not much! Sure, you may be able to sell your phone number to another inspection company for a few dollars so they can try to capture the calls that may still come in, but how is it going to go when the caller wants Bill Dension? After all, it's always been about Bill Denison.
If you had named your company with a generic, easy to remember name, lets just use "ABC Inspections" as an example, you could have spend those 5, 10, 15 years branding ABC Inspections. If your company has a good reputation, volume of calls and your printed material and website etc. all promote ABC Inspections, the ability to retain clients after Bill leaves the company is greater. The reason retaining clients is easier is because it's always been about ABC Inspection and what ABC Inspections can do for the client. When branding an inspection company under a name that can grow or continue to grow even after the founding inspector leaves, that inspector can leave with some serious financial reward for the company he has built.
We did this very successfully with our former inspection company and, under an easy simple company name, took a single inspector firm performing 3 inspections in his first week to a multi inspector firm performing over 1000 inspections a year in a very short time. When the business was sold over a decade after it began, it was a very profitable sale and the new owner benefited greatly from the name branding we had done during the time we owned it. The new owner stepped in and was able to enjoy continued success. This would have been much more difficult for the new owner if the company was originally named after the founding inspector.
Another way using a name that was not that of our founding inspector helped us was that when it became time to add other inspectors into the mix, we didn't experience the same resistance we would have if all our marketing had been branding an individual inspector. Customers did not think of only one inspector's name because our marketing (both print and online) marketed a company, not an individual.
Branding a company successfully for growth means looking at everything from your business cards, brochures, mailings, website etc. to ensure the emphasis is on the company "we" "us" "our" rather than "I" and "my". While the inspector should personally have a business card with his or her own name on it, there should also be generic cards (as soon as you become a multi-inspector firm) that promote the company without the name of any particular inspector listed. These generic company cards are the ones you should use to brand your company through your marketing. It is these cards (without the inspectors name) that should be used in mailings or left in places like real estate offices, mortgage brokers or anywhere you have a brochure/card stand.
If you send out a personal letter to someone, of course insert your personal card, but if you are including other cards for them to pass out to potential customers, it really is effective for a company interested in branding their name to use cards without a specific inspector's name or where the branding places higher emphasis on the company name than the inspector's name. This is very important as soon as you have even one more inspector in the mix. This is extremely important when you really become a multi-inspector firm and/or are looking at an exit strategy.
Lets say, for a minute, that this all sounds great if you were just starting out, but maybe you have already named your company after yourself, what then? I would recommend changing it and starting to immediately market the new name. For the first while, note "formerly known as Bill Dension Inspections" on your marketing material. If it is not feasible for you to change the name of your corporation, then I recommend developing a tag line or acronym that you can use on all marketing material in place of your own name. You can still show your legal name somewhere in smaller text on your material but the heading and emphasis should be on the tag line or acronym.
Here's what I mean....Bill Denison Inspection Services Ltd. could market as "BD Inspection Services". With a tag line of "Best Delivered Home Inspections" BD Inspection Services is short, easy to remember, especially with the tag line BEST DELIVERED utilizing the BD. If this company was built up and branded well at the time Bill Denison decided to exit the business, the new owner would be paying for the BD Inspection Services, Best Delivered Inspections name and would definitely value that higher from a financial standpoint.
So, give some serious thought to a company name. Once you have one you're comfortable with, brand it well and when you are ready, it will be there to serve you well as you grow and expand your business. Then, when the day comes for you to move on, you can enjoy the added financial benefit a well branded inspection company can provide.
Happy Inspecting!
Sharon Purtill,
Canspec Home Publishing
You'll want to think about growth and even exit strategy when naming your business. I know it may seem strange to be thinking about exiting the business with a name when you may be just starting out or feel you'd like to continue inspecting for many years to come. However, your business name can become one of your biggest assets when it does come time for you to exit the business and will greatly impact the value others will place on your business at that time. You will want to have a name that can be "branded". A name that you can market throughout your home inspection career. This is why I strongly discourage inspectors from naming their company after themselves personally! While this may seem like a good idea originally, it will dramatically reduce the branding effect you can achieve with another more generic name and will reduce the value your company will have down the road.
If your name is Bill Denison, for example, and you call your company Bill Denison Inspection Services Ltd., those using your services will know you as Bill Dension. While it is true that it's not a difficult name to remember when your company and your own name are the same, think about 5, 10, 15 years down the road when you decide to exit the business. You have spent years branding Bill Denison and once you are gone, what do you think Bill Dension Inspection Services Ltd. is really worth without Bill Denison? The answer is: not much! Sure, you may be able to sell your phone number to another inspection company for a few dollars so they can try to capture the calls that may still come in, but how is it going to go when the caller wants Bill Dension? After all, it's always been about Bill Denison.
If you had named your company with a generic, easy to remember name, lets just use "ABC Inspections" as an example, you could have spend those 5, 10, 15 years branding ABC Inspections. If your company has a good reputation, volume of calls and your printed material and website etc. all promote ABC Inspections, the ability to retain clients after Bill leaves the company is greater. The reason retaining clients is easier is because it's always been about ABC Inspection and what ABC Inspections can do for the client. When branding an inspection company under a name that can grow or continue to grow even after the founding inspector leaves, that inspector can leave with some serious financial reward for the company he has built.
We did this very successfully with our former inspection company and, under an easy simple company name, took a single inspector firm performing 3 inspections in his first week to a multi inspector firm performing over 1000 inspections a year in a very short time. When the business was sold over a decade after it began, it was a very profitable sale and the new owner benefited greatly from the name branding we had done during the time we owned it. The new owner stepped in and was able to enjoy continued success. This would have been much more difficult for the new owner if the company was originally named after the founding inspector.
Another way using a name that was not that of our founding inspector helped us was that when it became time to add other inspectors into the mix, we didn't experience the same resistance we would have if all our marketing had been branding an individual inspector. Customers did not think of only one inspector's name because our marketing (both print and online) marketed a company, not an individual.
Branding a company successfully for growth means looking at everything from your business cards, brochures, mailings, website etc. to ensure the emphasis is on the company "we" "us" "our" rather than "I" and "my". While the inspector should personally have a business card with his or her own name on it, there should also be generic cards (as soon as you become a multi-inspector firm) that promote the company without the name of any particular inspector listed. These generic company cards are the ones you should use to brand your company through your marketing. It is these cards (without the inspectors name) that should be used in mailings or left in places like real estate offices, mortgage brokers or anywhere you have a brochure/card stand.
If you send out a personal letter to someone, of course insert your personal card, but if you are including other cards for them to pass out to potential customers, it really is effective for a company interested in branding their name to use cards without a specific inspector's name or where the branding places higher emphasis on the company name than the inspector's name. This is very important as soon as you have even one more inspector in the mix. This is extremely important when you really become a multi-inspector firm and/or are looking at an exit strategy.
Lets say, for a minute, that this all sounds great if you were just starting out, but maybe you have already named your company after yourself, what then? I would recommend changing it and starting to immediately market the new name. For the first while, note "formerly known as Bill Dension Inspections" on your marketing material. If it is not feasible for you to change the name of your corporation, then I recommend developing a tag line or acronym that you can use on all marketing material in place of your own name. You can still show your legal name somewhere in smaller text on your material but the heading and emphasis should be on the tag line or acronym.
Here's what I mean....Bill Denison Inspection Services Ltd. could market as "BD Inspection Services". With a tag line of "Best Delivered Home Inspections" BD Inspection Services is short, easy to remember, especially with the tag line BEST DELIVERED utilizing the BD. If this company was built up and branded well at the time Bill Denison decided to exit the business, the new owner would be paying for the BD Inspection Services, Best Delivered Inspections name and would definitely value that higher from a financial standpoint.
So, give some serious thought to a company name. Once you have one you're comfortable with, brand it well and when you are ready, it will be there to serve you well as you grow and expand your business. Then, when the day comes for you to move on, you can enjoy the added financial benefit a well branded inspection company can provide.
Happy Inspecting!
Sharon Purtill,
Canspec Home Publishing
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