SOFI Blog

Make Money ... Save Money ... Information Is Power

Information is power. Success or failure can depend on information.

I needed some button batteries for some electronics. Radio Shack and CVS Pharmacy charge about $6 plus sales tax for a single 357 button battery. I purchased 20 of these $6 button batteries online for a total price of $4 ... free shipping and no sales tax. WOW! It was a much better deal and it points out that INFORMATION IS POWER ... and information SAVES YOU MONEY.

If you are looking to grow your field services business, you can perform a Google search and find some field services firms. Google does not rate or filter the firms, so you will get a list that contains some check bouncers, no-pays, slow-pays, low-pays game players and the like. You will get some really bad and ugly firms in your Google search.

Check out the National Field Service Directory at www.sofistore.com. The Directory is focused on the higher quality firms in the industry that pay the higher fees. Sure, this information will cost you $84, but you are getting better information. INFORMATION IS POWER. One deadbeat field services firm can cost you some big bucks when you don't get paid. Pick up some of those great jobs on Craig's List that pay $3 and then find out after you have performed 300 of these low-fee inspections that the person that hired you never intended to pay you. They WIN and you LOSE.

ALL SOFI products come with a SATISFACTION GUARANTEE.

Make Money ... Save Money ... Information Is Power

About Those Background Check Fees

About 99% of all field service firms do NOT require you to pay any fee for a background check. In almost all cases, there is NO CHARGE for a background check.

I would PASS on any firm asking you to pay for a background check.

CLICK HERE to read what the Better Business Bureau is saying about one firm. This firm is NOT in the SOFI database or National Field Service Directory.

READ MORE

 

It's All About Advertising

In business, when you do nothing ... you get nothing. If you are self-employed and you don't understand marketing, you are screwed. Your business will not grow. Your competitors will beat you up ... they love it when you are don't spend any of your time or money advertising your field services business. Your competitors WIN and you LOSE.

SOFI is a great place to advertise your field services. SOFI is the largest networking organization. Look around the Internet - do some internet searches and convince yourself that SOFI is the best place to advertise your field services business.

SOFI will design and place your banner ad at www.fieldinspector.BIZ and www.sofi.us for a full year for $150. You can post your resume at www.fieldinspector.BIZ for a full year for $25, or $35 for a yellow highlighted ad. That's about 7-10 cents a day.

Food Stamps ... Largest Growing Government Program

Field inspectors are performing food stamp inspections at retail stores supporting the program. This program is the fastest growing Government program. Inspectors are paid about $20 an hour to perform simple inspections of stores that want to accept food stamps. Inspectors are also paid for their travel time.

Food stamp inspections is only one of many commercial inspections. Check out the National Field Service Directory at www.sofistore.com. Pick up some commercial inspections and make some extra part-time money ... make a car payment each month or pay some bills with the extra money.

The economy is in the toilet. The unemployment rate is ticking up. The Government continues with deficit-spending and they are pouring buckets of money into Government programs such as the food stamp program.

Many of the unemployed are using field services to make some extra money to pay bills.

Crime Insurance

The mortgage segment of the field services industry is the home of very low fees and about 99% of all of the problems in the field services industry.

Most firms require liability insurance for property preservation. Many firms also require E&O insurance. I talked to a property preservation specialist this week that says that Bank of America requires "crime insurance" to cover thefts from foreclosure homes. The price ... about $2,200 from an east coast insurance agent. If you can avoid "crime insurance" you can use the money to take a nice vacation each year.

Insurance Field Services Firms Bully Inspectors

Now some of the national insurance field service firms are expanding into the $3 mortgage inspections. That's okay on it face, but the worst part is that they are bullying their inspectors.

If the insurance inspectors refuse the $3 mortgage inspections, they will get NONE of the higher paying insurance inspections.

RUN away from bullies. RUN away from insurance field service firms that try to force you to perform the low-fee mortgage inspections.

Get the word out ... post your outrage at Yahoo Groups and forums.

Don't be bullied. Say NO to the low-fee mortgage inspections.

Firms Don't See What You Offer

Okay, so you don't advertise your field services business. So, how are hiring firms going to find you? How will they discover you? Maybe, they won't discover you.

Gary Doering advertises at www.fieldinspector.BIZ. He sent me an email today that said:

 

I just renewed my advertising for another year. ... I have received several calls and enough business from your website to make it well worthwhile.

Get your head out of the ground. Advertise your business. Order your advertising today at the link below:

http://www.sofi.us/catalog/item/4579100/4626177.htm

Wisdom Is Knowing The Meaning Of Words

"You will get paid when we get paid."

The meaning of this is that the firm has no money ... no capital. There is no money in the bank and they have an unstable cash flow. They always get their cut of the pie first and the field service representatives will be paid if there is any money left over. If a client does not pay them, they will not pay the field service representatives. There is a very good chance that you will not get paid.

It's best NOT to work for anyone that has no money in the bank and must depend on their cashflow to pay field service representatives. Many of these firms are very disorganized and self-centered.

Here Is A New One On Me!

In my 20 years in the field services industry, I have never heard a story like this before.

An inspector is working for a national field services firm. The inspector quits the firm and starts their own firm. Okay so far ... this happens.

The inspector named the new firm started with the name of the national field service firm where she previously worked as an independent contractor inspector and quit.

Isn't that like an independent beverage distributor working for Coke (beverages firm) leaving Coke, starting a new bottling firm and naming it Coke ... and selling beverages in direct competition with Coke.

The world of field services seems to be changing in unusual ways. It would be confusing if we had five Safeguards, two LPS's and three Five Brothers? How do you identify the original one? One of each is plenty ... please inspectors ... create no more. Create original firm names when you start your new firm.

Kill Your Business - BLOCK Your Caller ID

I don't answer my telephone when the word "BLOCKED" shows up as the caller ID of the party calling me. Usually a "BLOCKED" caller ID is from a telemarketer. We all hate telemarketers. They just like to waste our time.

So BLOCK your caller ID and kill your business.