Today we’d like to introduce you to Forest Ivey.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Before I started my own home inspection business, I worked a myriad of other jobs. I taught English in Japan, I did electrical work, woodwork, welding, and I did marketing for vacation clubs. The latter earned me enough money to start investing in real estate. As I started gathering rent houses, I realized which home inspectors I liked and why. In the back of my mind, I fantasized about having my own home inspection business one day.
Originally, my passion was languages. I lived in Germany and Japan in order to learn the languages, and I planned on teaching those languages to American students as a career. In order to pay my way through grad school, I got a job doing sales and marketing for Silverleaf Resorts. A side job, one that earned enough to pay for school, eventually turned into a career once I had graduated. I went on for eight years as a marketing manager for Silverleaf, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, and then Global Exchange Vacation Club. The work was plentiful, as was the pay, so I started investing in real estate.
Once my wife had our twin children, I started to plan my exit from the corporate lifestyle. How could I do something I love, make great money, and still have time to spend with my family? I had to start a business. I knew it would be very hard at first, but if you want something you’ve never had, then you have to do something you’ve never done. I had to take a step backwards before I could take the next couple steps forward.
Despite working long hours and being a dad, I pursued my licensing as a Professional Home Inspector. I got all my ducks in a row to launch the business, and I saved enough to support my family for at least six months without any income whatsoever. Also, as proof to myself of the skills I gained in my previous career, I wrote a book on sales entitled “How Deals Are Done” which can be purchased on Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com.
I was risking more than just a career, so my choices were to succeed or to succeed. Once I started my business, The Smart Inspector, all of my time went into either marketing or inspecting. Becoming a great home inspector was simple since I had hired many great inspectors over the years. I really love the work as well! Not only is there the physical job of performing home inspections, but there’s also the work of marketing your own business. The alteration of duties made for an involved, yet fun, new career! If there were any days without inspections booked, then I spent all of that time pushing the brand. I made a lot of costly mistakes that come with owning your own business during its startup, but the mistakes came with lessons and I kept pushing.
Now that I have grown The Smart Inspector to what it is today, I’m ready to grown it some more. I’ve made many new friends along the way, and I have learned many new things from them. I’m very grateful to everyone who has supported The Smart Inspector. That includes my wife, networking friends, other home inspectors, realtors, and even baby sitters! The Smart Inspector wouldn’t be where it is today without you.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Mistakes were definitely made as far as marketing goes. I paid way too much for multiple services to promote the business. There’s no way for me to know what avenues will work best unless I go down them, so I went down many costly roads. To compensate for the losses, I contemplated getting a side job multiple times, but I just didn’t want to take any momentum away from growing the business. I’m glad I didn’t make that mistake!
The Smart Inspector – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The Smart Inspector does high-quality home inspections. If you’re purchasing a home, then you want to get your money’s worth. The only way to know for sure is to get the property inspected before you close. In other words, I educate home buyers on the state and safety of their potential home. If there are any hidden surprises, I discover them before you own them. It’s not uncommon that clients save thousands off their potential properties.
I pride myself on being extremely thorough and communicative. I invite clients to join me during the inspection as well; there’s no better way to understand the property and the inspection process. Many of my standard home inspection practices go beyond the minimum requirements for a Texas Home Inspection. All reports are produced immediately after the inspection is complete. Also, all clients receive a complimentary home maintenance manual at the end of their inspection.
What’s really fun is that anyone who submits a “fun fact” when booking a home inspection receives a $25 discount. Needless to say, I’ve amassed quite a number of fun facts!
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The moment when you realize that all your work is finally paying off. When I finally started making more than I was spending, it felt fantastic. When supporting your family and growing a business finally coincide!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.TheSmartInspector.com
- Phone: (850)637-7725
- Email: forest@thesmartinspector.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesmartinspector
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