Whose support are you seeking? Raising the Barr Weekly Memo: Issue 290

Every day real life experiences never cease to provide fodder for my weekly newsletter thoughts. Our daughter and son-in-law have been fortunate to have found employment nearby in Columbus and arrived this week to begin unpacking and also discovering all the unexpected problems, small and large, that come along with owning an older home. The job of finding a reputable, reliable and competent tradespeople is now the challenge.

A highly recommended handyman who reportedly can do “anything”, shows up late, takes an early lunch and works at a snail’s pace. A superbly nice guy, very experienced but certainly not what they had expected. The promised 5 day to completion has entered its third week with no end in sight.

How does one find a reliable expert? Certainly reviews are helpful. But word of mouth, references, referrals from your trusted clients and testimonials are a good approach. Someone else’s positive experience is one of the best keys to hiring a trustworthy expert.

Ultimately, buyer beware in all aspects of business; there are few true guarantees but get one in writing if you can.

Do your due diligence on all projects and areas of need. Speak with your experts, ask questions to clarify what you don’t fully understand and move on to another expert if the work isn’t as expected.

Get your copy of my latest new books available now on my Amazon’s author page.