“I was looking for a company that I could develop and grow the way I wanted to.”
David and Jackie Riley, award-winning franchise owners with National Property Inspections, the home inspection franchise company, love being their own bosses.
With a background in business management, David Riley worked as a service manager for a corporation when he decided he wanted to go into business for himself. He did a lot of research to find the opportunity that best suited his skills and background. Property inspection seemed like a good fit.
“I knew an average amount about home construction and mechanics from my father and father-in-law, and I felt that with the right training I could be successful in property inspection,” David said. “I was looking for a company that I could develop and grow the way I wanted to.”
David’s father was a carpenter and David helped him lay foundations and install roofs, in addition to learning woodworking skills. David’s father-in-law was an electrician and David assisted him on various projects. With that background, property inspection seemed like a good opportunity for David.
Choosing the right franchise system
The Rileys didn’t consider starting their inspection business independently; they knew a franchise was the best way to go. “The franchise model takes so much of the guesswork out of the starting your own business,” said Jackie Riley, David’s wife. Furthermore, David had owned a franchise business in the past, so the Rileys understood the value of a franchise system.
“Our first favorable impression of National Property Inspections was from the brochures we received,” Jackie said. “They were more professional looking than similar brochures from other franchises.”
“Once I narrowed my search to home inspection franchises,” David said, “I did my due diligence on several different companies. I was very impressed with NPI’s staff in Omaha. NPI seemed to be the most professional company and appeared to offer the most support. I had a good feeling from the beginning that they were invested in my success and would help me with marketing and training.”
In July 2006, the Rileys signed with NPI to start their own franchise in Savannah, Georgia.
Franchising the NPI way
David attended the NPI training academy in Omaha, Nebraska, to get the training he’d need to start his franchise.
“The technical training was excellent,” he said. “They also gave us training on how to get started with marketing and hit the ground running.”
David said that his greatest challenge in starting the business was balancing inspections, scheduling, marketing and bookkeeping.
“I was able to grow the business quickly, though,” he said. “Jackie came in with me after 18 months, our son Patrick joined the business in 2011 and we have added an inspector helper.”
Since Jackie, whose background is in insurance compliance and sales, has taken over the marketing responsibilities she has the time to develop relationships and become active in the local board of realtors.
The Rileys said that another key to their marketing success is the fact that they have diligently followed NPI’s marketing plans and have gravitated toward those that work best for their business.
The Rileys said that they remain impressed with the dedication of the NPI home office team in Omaha. “Kenn [Garder] and Randy [Yates] are always available for technical questions,” David said.
“Kim [Stevens] was great with marketing tips when I was getting started. Nancy [Resset] has bailed me and Jackie out of some software quandaries several times.”
Success with NPI
The Rileys have won multiple NPI awards, including the NPI Pacesetter Award in 2009, the NPI Pinnacle Award in 2010, the NPI President’s Award in 2011 and the NPI Platinum Award in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
These awards are given to top-performing franchises.
“We enjoy the freedom and successes of owning our own business and being able to grow it as a family business,” David said.
“I have gained a lot of satisfaction out of growing a successful business from the ground up. I have always been competitive and don’t like to fail, and that’s what makes me strive to succeed. Our experiences with NPI have been extremely positive. With the help and support of NPI, we love the business we have.”
Founded in 1987, National Property Inspections, Inc., is one of the oldest and most respected names in the home and commercial inspection business.
The company operates as National Property Inspections in the United States and as Global Property Inspections in Canada.
NPI provides services to a wide variety of clients, including home buyers and sellers; commercial property investors, owners and tenants; real estate agents and attorneys; employee relocation companies; banks; and field service companies. No matter what type of inspection a client is looking for, NPI offers the services its clients need through its highly trained and experienced home inspectors and commercial building inspectors.
NPI also offers franchise opportunities throughout the United States and Canada to become a home and commercial building inspector.