How to Find a Mentor for Your Foreclosure Cleanup Business
Best Contracting Allies for Foreclosure Cleanup Businesses
The foreclosure cleanup industry has been around for a long time, but it has been cloaked under more formal labels of larger companies. Familiar titles for this burgeoning, seemingly new, industry are "risk management," "property preservation," "mortgage field services," etc.
While these larger, more formalized companies (such as property preservation companies) tend to handle everything from assisting banks and mortgage companies with the formal foreclosure process, to conveying properties back to HUD after a loan has gone into default, a foreclosure maintenance and cleaning business handles the frontline of property maintenance and cleanup.
A foreclosure maintenance and cleanup business handles everything from debris removal, to yard maintenance, to lock changing and window boarding, to gutter cleaning and pressure washing, cleaning, carpet removal and installation, to minor repairs and painting.
Networking with Like Industries for Growth
Though the phenomena of this business has really been around for a long time as divisions of larger companies, this new term, "foreclosure cleanup," may leave new business owners feeling like there is no outlet for formal networking with businesses like theirs.
And history has proven new businesses need hub-type environments in which they can network comfortably and learn from each other; networking environments with like colleagues, where they won't always feel they have to be "on" and poised to pitch their services to clients in the audience.
Where to Swap Industry Ideas
Formal gatherings like chamber of commerce meetings are ideal for pitching services. But for new foreclosure clean-up businesses / REO trashout businesses, ideal places to swap industry ideas about growth and challenges lie in industry gatherings that house small businesses similar to theirs.
For example, joining a carpet association, or a hauling or landscaping association, can provide a perfect outlet to learn from professionals who are targeting the same client base cleanup businesses are targeting.
Cleaning Associations
Formal organizations like cleaning associations are another such outlet for education and learned networking for cleanup business owners. New business owners should visit organizations like the ISSA Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association or the International Janitorial Cleaning Services Association to check into membership options.
Business owners can join these organizations as associate- or affiliate-type members to take advantage of the meetings, networking, mentoring and business training events.
Virtual Networking
Another virtual networking option is to sign up with industry forums. Forums and chat rooms are places new foreclosure clean-up business / REO trashout business owners can ask pertinent industry questions in an effort to learn how to effectively work with real estate industry clients that existing participants are also likely targeting (larger property preservation companies, realtors, mortgage companies and banks).
Some of the best allies for foreclosure clean-up businesses will be the owners of businesses that already offer some of the services that new foreclosure clean-up businesses offer.
Best Business Allies
Below are some industry organizations and associations new foreclosure cleaning business owners should consider joining in an effort to learn how to successfully navigate their business in the real estate industry -- and to foster valuable industry contacts that will, ironically, eventually refer them business.
--Cleaning and Janitorial Associations
--Painting Contractor Associations
--Builder Associations
--Plumbing Associations
--Lawn Care Organizations
--Winterization Associations
--Pressure Washing & Gutter Cleaning Organizations
--Handyman Associations
--Carpenter Associations
One of the keys to a profitable enterprise is to surround yourself with like businesses in effort to share and learn from challenges and successes alike.
Good luck with your new business!
NOTE: Throughout the internet and in real estate industry literature, you may see the terms or names mortgage field services, property preservation business, foreclosure cleanup, foreclosure cleaning, foreclosure clean-outs, foreclosure clean, clean foreclosures, cleaning foreclosures, REO trashout, REO trashouts, field asset services, property field services, field service, and field services used interchangeable. The main thing to remember is foreclosure cleaning and foreclosure cleanup generally refer to smaller entities; while property preservation generally refers to larger companies.
