I recommend doing some ride along’s.
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This was my first thought. There are professions such as medical doctors etc that may be top in their field but have little Business experience. But, not anyone can be a doctor. Anyone can be a Home Inspector.
A doctor has a lot of assets (or plenty of credit). What are your assets? Can you get buy through the time it takes for any business to get off the ground? Can you cover accounting, insurance etc with no profit margin for a while?
Doctors do not have to market for every patient they see. HI’s do. They don’t have to talk to people and give proposals. You will never see them advertising on Angie’s List. They don’t price their services below other doctors to get more work. HI’s work for free (after taxes) just to get jobs. They market like Walmart. This is a service business, not a retail business. No discounts, coupons, no two for one sales…
You know what a house is. You have a ton of exposure.
I grew up in a family owned construction corporation. I fell off my first house and knocked myself out when I was 8 yrs old. When I wanted to look for a job to buy a dirt bike, my father told me no. He told me to grab a hammer and show up at the job site. There I watched plumbers, electricians, HVAC contractors do their thing. I knew nothing about building code, but I knew what was inside those walls. Our Plumber took me fishing after work for helping him clean fittings. My first job as an HVAC Service Engineer many years later, was for his company, now operated by his daughter.
You do not need to know all the stuff we discuss here. Your State Home Inspection standard specifically states what you need to observe, test, and report. It also states what you are not required to do. Few Inspectors follow these guidelines however. You only have to take the house for a test drive. Operate everything and see if it responds as intended. Do a good job at it. Know the SOP. Don’t make stuff up as you go along. Don’t try to out do the other guy.
I would imagine you know more people in your past industry experience that could possibly help you such as Real Estate Agents etc. They may not know you, but they may know about you or people you worked for. At least your making a warm call, rather than a cold call to someone who doesn’t have time for you and all the other HI’s knocking on their door for work they don’t have yet.
You seem to be reading and looking things up more than the average poster here. But you say you don’t learn well. Overcome that thought. You will learn a hell of a lot more by looking things up, rather than come here and ask questions from people who can’t see what your looking at.
On that note, one thing we don’t know, is what the Home Inspection and Real Estate Market is within the service area of your choice.
I never worked where I live. I drove 100 miles every day for many years to work in a market that was conducive to the services and fees I desired. This you must figure out for yourself.
Get a website established so you can direct people for your company information. You need this for any type of marketing you peruse.
Never tell anyone your prices when they ask, and don’t put them on your website. Your website is to make your phone ring, to introduce yourself, and allow you to have a conversation about their wants and needs (beyond the cost).
Good luck. No one succeeds without taking risks, or failing a time or two.
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Thanks for all that, great advice