Now open in Raleigh, a new handyman and home improvement service, Nest Home Improvement.  Nest is a one-stop shop for any home improvement need and offers homeowner software tool to each of its clients.  The tool allows homeowners to organize and manage all their repair, maintenance and home improvement needs.  Like having an online homeowners user manual.

Learn more at  www.NestHomeImprovement.com

It’s pretty simple, mail your receipts to ShoeBoxed.com and they scan the receipts for you and provide you with both the image of the receipt and the data.  This data can be uploaded into your QuickBooks or other accounting software with a few mouse clicks.  Think of all the time and energy you would save if you didn’t have to manually enter in all your receipts each week.  Try it out for free at www.Shoeboxed.com.

I am heading to this years Remodeling Show in Baltimore next month.  Learn more at  www.remodelingshow.com.  This is the largest annual show of its kind specific to the residential remodeler.  The event starts October 9th and runs through the 12th.

This tool has a premium version that can be branded to your particular home improvement business (for Free trial go to www.homespotpro.com).

There are two industries that are in need of qualified construction and trades professionals all around the country.  These industries are facilities management and construction inspection.  First, let’s explore facilities management companies.

Facilities management companies help larger corporations with multiple facility locations to maintain their facilities.  The Apple computer store at your local mall doesn’t search the Yellow Pages when their drain is backed-up.  The store manager contacts their facility management company (or FMC), who in turn dispatches a plumber/drain clearing company to handle the job.  These FMC’s sub-contract this work out to local professionals.  Both retail and office properties may need a number of different professionals including:  carpenters, handyman, locksmith, security alarms, HVAC, flooring, doors, glass, electricians, general contractors, exterminators, office cleaners, painters and plumbers.  Each FMC needs  to call on these service professionals when a need from their client arises.  Apple has over 250 US locations, that means that Apple’s FMC needs to have at least 250 handyman, HVAC, electricians, and plumbers near these locations to handle service calls.

Sample List of Facility & Property Management Companies:

·Pioneer Properties – www.pioneerpropertiesinc.com – clients include:  Ann Taylor, Aeropstale
·A Anthony Corp- www.aanthonycorp.com – clients include:  Marshall’s, CVS, Nordstroms, Whole Foods, US Postal Service, Starbucks
·Major Renovations – www.majorrenovations.com clients include:  Shoe Carnival
·Resicom – www.resicomonline.com – clients include:  restaurants, retailers, hospitality industry
·Buyers Access – www.buyersaccess.com – clients include:  apartments
·Maintenance Plus -  www.mplusllc.com – clients include: Starbucks, Panera Bread, Union Bank, Chick-fil-A, and AT&T.
·ServiceCom USA – www.servicecomusa.com – clients include:  GAP, Banana Republic, Old Navy.
·Nationwide Security & Building Services – www.nsbs.net – clients include:  Apple Computer, Ross Dress For Less, Blockbuster, AT&T
·Empire Facility Maintenance – www.esgfm.com – clients include: New York & Company, Sprint PCS, Guess.
·1st Choice Facilities – www.1stchoicecorp.com – clients include Blockbuster, Advance Autoparts, Home Depot, Foot Locker, West Marine, Dennie’s
·N G &G – www.nggservices.com – clients include:  Saks 5th Avenue
·Retail Maintenance Inc. – www.eretailmaintenance.com – clients include:  retail chains, malls
·Maintenance Retail Services – www.maintenanceretailservices.com – clients include:  Kohl’s, AutoZone, Kangaroo Gas Stations, Sportsman’s Warehouse, Regions.
·Retail Maintenance Management – www.retailmaintenancemanagement.com – clients include:  Footlocker
· Cyprexx  – www.cyprexx.com – clients include:  retail chains, malls, office buildings

What to do?  Contact each of these companies and inquire about becoming a service vendor.  They typically have an application to fill out that includes contact info, services provided, General Liability and Workers Comp Insurance if required.  Along with the geographic area you are willing to service.  You want to become an approved vendor so the next time Apple has a problem, you will get a call to come fix it.

The second group of companies are known as construction inspection or property inspection companies.  They are involved with mortgage lending for new construction and remodeling activities.  The mortgage lending industry uses companies to help verify progress made during new construction and remodeling activity for the loans they write.  These are sometimes called draw inspections.  The qualifications for becoming a draw inspection are typically knowledge of building and construction and possess a digital camera and computer.  These typically pay around $50 per draw inspection.

Sample List of Construction and Property Inspection:

Granite Construction Inspections – www.gcinspects.com
Clear Capital – www.ClearCapital.com
Trinity Inspection Services – www.trinityonline.com
Northwest Loan Monitoring – www.nwmonitoring.com (only serves western US)
Commercial Assessments – www.usinspect.com
Property Diagnostics – www.propertydiagnostics.com

Additional Resources:
National Association Mortgage Field Services (NAMFS) – www.namfs.org
Society of Field Inspectors (SOFI) – www.sofi.us
Society of Independent Representatives (S.I.R.s) – www.sirs4quality.org

Seeking established residential remodeling contractors to participate in a survey for a new project I am working on. The survey maybe done anonymously and takes less than 10 minutes to complete.

Click here to Take Survey

The purpose of the survey is to help me research a business model I am developing. This model is specific to remodelers, small home builders and residential general contractors. The survey is a first step in helping me prove (or not) my theory.

The next steps will include more in-depth surveys/interviews with remodelers and selecting a small number of remodelers to actually test the model in the field. Then final testing in the field will be with a larger group.

I am looking for favorable results at each stage to decide whether to continue or not to the next stage. My hope is that if the research and testing go well, I will publish the results and remodelers can decide if they want to adapt the model with their own business.

Click here to Take Survey

Thank you for your input and please forward this to other quality remodelers you know.

Update: September 2, 2011 –  I was interviewed and quoted in the August 2011 issue of Remodeling Magazine, an industry leading journal published by Hanley Wood.  The article highlights pro’s and con’s of accepting credit cards as a form of payment for remodelers and home improvement contractors and ties well with the article I wrote below.   Read the full article.

My quote.

Chuck Solomon, president of Remodel & Repair Solutions, in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., gives his customers the option to use credit cards but only via PayPal.com or Google Checkout. “I let the customer know that I add the 2.9% processing fee that I have to pay onto their bill for that convenience,” he says. “These are both very easy to set up and there is no monthly fee involved.”

Solomon points out that he only offers this as a convenience for the relatively few customers who ask to pay by credit card.

Contractors Can Accept Credit Cards Without Breaking the Bank!

There are a few options that allow a small business to accept credit card payments from customers without having to purchase costly equipment or pay a recurring month fee.It is ideal for a business that maybe gets the occasional request from a customer to pay via credit card.

These services typically charge you 2-3% of the total as a fee.They do not charge monthly fees or require you to purchase any equipment.You may absorb the processing fee, or add 2-3% to all of your invoices

Check out the following services:

www.paypal.com and www.google.com/checkout — Both allow ability to email an invoice and customer pays on secure website online.

Also try Squareup www.squareup.com and GoPayments www.payments.intuit.com offer a free credit scanner that attaches to a mobile phone.This small device allows you the ability to swipe a customers credit card for payment on the spot.

>>>

A recent WSJ article delves into the topic of how to squeeze your small business into your house.  Read full article here.

>>>

Vertical Response offers small businesses an affordable and easy to use online program to create, send and track email newsletters. VR offers a free trial and during the month of February 2011, they are offering up to 1000  Buy One Get One FREE Email Credits by using promo code MCB10.  One thing that is great about VR is you can try the service without having to enter your credit card information!

>>>