Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Keith Malin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Keith, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Any thoughts about whether to ask friends and family to support your business. What’s okay in your view?
I will always be in favor of supporting small businesses. As a small business owner, I understand what it takes to start and run your own company. I also know there is more value to be had in the services I provide as opposed to a larger corporation. I believe friends and family should want to support your business, my business. I don’t believe its appropriate to ask for discounts simply because they are a friend or family member. That is not how you support a small business. That is not to be confused with being offered a discount. If you aren’t asking Michael Jordan for a discount on his shoes, why would you ask for a discount from someone you know?
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Keith Malin and I am a licensed home inspector and mold assessor. As a licensed inspector, I provide a general overview of the home identifying what is functional and what isn’t during the home buying process. By providing a thorough detailed home inspection report, my goal is to help buyers understand all issues the home has and what kind of budget is needed before moving forward with their home purchase. Buying a home can be like buying a used car without the carfax, which makes it very important to have your home inspected so you avoid buying a lemon.
My friend/mentor introduced me to this business through a friend who had been doing home inspections for 20+ years and holds. He offered me a chance to shadow him during a few home inspections which opened my eyes to an opportunity to become a business owner while helping home buyers protect themselves from buying a home that isn’t right for them. After about a year of unpaid shadowing and living off my savings, I decided to start my own company.
As a small business owner, when you call my office, you’re calling me directly and I perform the home inspection and complete the report, etc, which is more valuable than calling a big company with hundreds of inspectors who are being outsourced to perform the inspection. I take pride in my work and nothing is more important to me than the feedback from by clients.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
When I first started, I went door to door to different real estate offices and insurance companies. Today, most of my business comes from word of mouth be it from clients, real estate or insurance agents, and Google.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
Compared to other businesses, start up costs are relatively low for home inspectors – license, insurance, and a bag of tools, all of which are one time or annual fees. However, like any business that is just starting out, if you don’t have other sources of income, you need to have money set aside to live off of until your business gets going. I had savings that I put aside years prior.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malin_property_inspections/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/malinpropertyinspections/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/malin-property-inspections-boynton-beach
- Other: Google (my main source): https://www.google.com/search?q=malin+property+inspections%2C+inc.&sca_esv=fb7fc0ea9f9cc686&sca_upv=1&rlz=1C1VDKB_enUS1050US1051&sxsrf=AM9HkKn1eI7Tds9e_BaPO9B52EEQieqmqg%3A1703707541206&ei=lYOMZZiVDKyMwbkPrea-0AY&ved=0ahUKEwjYs62WtbCDAxUsRjABHS2zD2oQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=malin+property+inspections%2C+inc.&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiIG1hbGluIHByb3BlcnR5IGluc3BlY3Rpb25zLCBpbmMuMgQQIxgnMgQQIxgnMgQQIxgnMgYQABgWGB4yAhAmSK4KUIsFWOQIcAJ4AJABAJgBdqABrgKqAQMxLjK4AQPIAQD4AQHiAwQYASBBiAYB&sclient=gws-wiz-serp