Post here if you want to increase your post count

[that left handed guy]

I've pretty much ignored this thread for a while, imagine my suprise when I found out it's over 400 pages!

[Krackels]

Originally Posted by XDJON

My match this morning was fun. I had someone snap a few pics and posted them in the Shooter's Corner section.

Cool, I'll have to check it out.

[rev-arb]

I have desided that it is more fun to dress and butcher a deer when it your own kill than when it is some one elses. There simply is not adreniline involved, no excitement.

[rev-arb]

isn't it amazing how competitive we are at the # of posts.

[Krackels]

Originally Posted by rev-arb

isn't it amazing how competitive we are at the # of posts.

New member eh? Welcome!

[tec]

Originally Posted by So Flo

...
I want to start a contractor referral service...say you are a homeowner that needs your kitchen renovated or even just your sprinkler system worked on.
You call me and I provide an immediate response contractor (for emergency work) or several contractors to bid on the job if it is larger in scale.

This service is free to the homeowner and I take my override from the work the contractor performs.

Thoughts?

Comments?

Are there any other companies doings this locally/regionally that you know of?
If so, can you contact them and pick their brain?
Are there any franchises offering this service?
Have you heard of http://www.score.org/ ?
Do you have contractors lined up? Have you checked their previous jobs/work?
Have you checked their BBB membership/rating, if they have one?
Would you be a BBB member?
What type of liability do you open your company up to be referring a contractor to a homeowner? Can the homeowner sue you? and have a chance at winning a claim against you and the contractor if the contractor screws the homeowner.
Contact your insurance representative and ask them, AND ask a lawyer. Yea it will cost you, but better to pay1k now then 15k down the road.
Do you have a target market bracket picked out? uber rich, middle class, etc?
If so, what form of media advertising are you going to use? TV, radio, print (weekly/monthly/val-pak, direct mail, etc) (when I advertise my handyman services in a new neighborhood, I have to blanket that area 2-3 times a month for 3-4 months before I start getting some substantial returns)

I think, IMHO, that the idea/concept is great. Most of my customers call Me for referrals to services they know I do not provide, but they trust me and want to know if I can help. I provide names of the CURRENT contractors. I say current because most of them are changing for many different reasons, or one of them has burned me, which, when that happens, the customer generally calls me, and I, to keep the customer for me, have to make it right somehow for the customer, to keep my reputation intact. I may not need to do this, but I do anyway, because it builds more customers when you fix other contractors mistakes.

As I have mentioned, in addition to running my business, I have started working for a insurance restoration company(currently ranked in the top 500 in the nation) to augment the loss of income from my wifes business loosing some of her accounts. We actually do quite a bit of work fixing the mistakes that other contractors make, from the smallest thing to rather large mistakes.

For example, a 20 year old restoration company did a fire loss/water loss job, rebuilt the house from the studs up. They Failed to install returns on the HVAC. Plumbed the toilets with hot water. Failed to INSULATE any walls or ceilings, etc.etc.etc. This was a reputable company, I used to do business with the founders of the company, they were good people. Then they retired and gave the business to their son.....who was a moron and ran the company, and reputation into the ground. But during his reign, he made a lot of enemies and did a lot of bad work for people, including insurance company's, who trusted his reputation based on his company's history.

Moral, keep close ties to your contractors, keep listening to what the general buzz is about their work/ workmanship/ workmen/ and ability to pay their bills.

[chupacabrachus]

Originally Posted by rev-arb

I have desided that it is more fun to dress and butcher a deer when it your own kill than when it is some one elses. There simply is not adreniline involved, no excitement.

The largest thing I've butchered to date has been rabbit, squirrel, and pheasant (all delicious). How long does it take to butcher a deer on average? Any expensive stuff needed? Grinder?

[kevin7]

What the heck? This place gains post way to fast for my taste.

[kevin7]

Wait for it...

[kevin7]

TOTP!!!!
WOOT!!!

Wow, I'm a loser.