InterNACHI

Form your own InterNACHI Chapter (Chartered or Informal)

 
Thinking about starting a InterNACHI Chapter in your area?   Forming your own Chapter is easy and fun.  We will help you.  Besides, being an officer in your own local Chapter of the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors is great for your business.  InterNACHI will reimburse all cost overruns.* 
 
A chapter can be an INFORMAL Chapter and meeting (nothing more than a named InterNACHI meeting where attendees are charged for the cost of the room and food) or it can be a FORMAL CHARTERED Chapter (separate entity)...You decide.  Many Chartered Chapters start off as informal chapter meetings and evolve into fully chartered InterNACHI Chapters later.  You should NOT form a formal Chartered Chapter until you've had at least 4 informal Chapter meetings.
 
INFORMAL CHAPTER and MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:
 
If you wish to have an informal InterNACHI Chapter/meeting here is how to get it up and running:
  2. Email Nick to discuss a name for your new Chapter.  InterNACHI will have a large banner made for you, no charge.
  3. Schedule a time and place for your first meeting.  If you want Nick to come, check http://www.nachi.org/freenick.htm first.  Many other industry speakers are available too.  Hotels that offer a conference room, dinner, drinks and discounted room rates are best.  Typically the hotel will waive the room cost if dinner is part of the meeting.  A microphone is unnecessary if you want Nick to speak.  Do not offer an open bar, only a cash bar.  If the hotel needs money up front, InterNACHI will provide you with the necessary funds. 
  4. Find a speaker from a local business, i.e., water-proofer, HVAC, electrician, civil engineer, CPA, attorney, REALTOR, environmental consultant, chimney sweep, pest exterminator or anyone else who can deliver a short talk during the meeting.  InterNACHI will pay for their dinner.  Nick Gromicko offers a "marketing your home inspection service" talk to all Chapters at no charge.
  5. Create your own chapter website at http://www.nachi.org/chaptersites.htm.*  Click here for examples of online announcements.  InterNACHI Chapter meetings are generally open and free to members of all associations and new inspectors.*  Spouses are also welcome. 
  6. Email fastreply@nachi.org once you have put your annoucement up on your chapter website so that InterNACHI can advertise the event.
  7. Email the invitation to every inspector within 400 miles.  You can use the internet to find email addresses.  This is the most important step.  Just like in any endeavor, advertising is key.  Email nearby states too.  People have traveled long distances to attend a InterNACHI meeting. 
  8. Invite local REALTORs.  The invitation to local REALTORs is a great marketing piece for your business.  Make sure the invitation states that you are the local Chapter head and make sure it includes your home inspection business contact information. 
  9. Post the invitation on various message boards.  If you are a member of another national or regional association, post it on your association message board, chat room, e-forum or website.
  10. Drop off invitations to all the local real estate agents in your area.  It is good for your business and will enhance your position in your local market.
  11. Create a postcard and mail to everyone.  Click here for sample.  InterNACHI will pay for printing and postage.
  12. InterNACHI staff will email a formal announcement to all nearby inspectors on our mailing lists.*  We will post the formal announcement link on several pages of InterNACHI.org.*  We will also inform and remind all nearby InterNACHI members by email.*
  13. Call the local newspapers and ask them to cover the event.  
  14. Send the local newspapers press-releases announcing the event: http://www.nachi.org/documents/daily-inter-lake.pdf  
  15. Try to get some freebies to hand out, i.e., radon kits, inspection software, tool catalogs, discount coupons, literature from your speaker, etc.  Go through all of www.InspectorMALL.com and ask.  Ask and you will receive.  These sponsors will gladly ship you doorprizes to give away.  Contact them directly and have them ship to you ahead of time. 
  16. Contact InterNACHI at fastreply@nachi.org and we will have additional door prizes shipped to you.  We will also help you with other arrangements.
  17. Download and print off these flyers to distribute during the meeting: http://www.nachi.org/flyers.htm
  18. Periodically keep checking in with the hotel and caterer to assure that the room and dinner will be ready.
  19. On the evening of the meeting, hang your banner, provide name tags, get names and addresses of attendees, collect $ for the dinner.  You can collect cash, checks made out to "InterNACHI" or attendees can pay by credit card if you simply take their name, phone number, credit card number, and expiration date... then forward that information to InterNACHI.
  20. Many sponsors will provide you with a certificate (instead of the actual door prize).   
Notes:
  • Invite local REALTORs.  They won't come but receiving an invitation from you is good for your inspection business.  Being the President of your own Chapter of InterNACHI enhances your position in your own local market.
  • InterNACHI Chapter meetings are open to ALL inspectors* so expect to have many more non-InterNACHI members than InterNACHI members in attendance.
  • Attending a Chapter meeting counts as one hour toward continuing education requirements.
  • Most Chapters do not charge dues but charge for the dinner (usually $20-$35).  InterNACHI will cover any unexpected expenses.*
 
* Note:  InterNACHI does NOT cover cost overruns for secret or closed-door meetings.  You are free to hold such meetings without having InterNACHI create and send out a  live-linked, formal announcement but cost overruns for such meetings will not be reimbursed by InterNACHI.  Only open-door meetings in which InterNACHI was given ample opportunity (at least 45 days after the event is posted on a website) to properly advertise, qualify for cost overrun protection.  If you are worried you will come up $hort when it's all over... don't.  Simply get InterNACHI the information below in plenty of time and your cost overruns (if any) will be quickly reimbursed to you.  Most Chapters charge enough at the door to cover all their costs and then some.  Chapters may keep extra money they collect.  Read http://www.nachi.org/rewardwithoutrisk.htm
 

To have your chapter meeting advertised by US Mail and E-mail, contact us with the following details 45 days prior to the meeting date:

  • Your name:
  • Your shipping address:
  • Your phone number:
  • Your email address:
  • The name of your chapter (example: Arizona Beach Chapter):
  • URL (web address) of your chapter.  (http://www.nachi.org/chaptersites.htm)
  • Date of meeting:
  • Day of meeting:
  • Starting time of meeting:
  • Is Nick a speaker? (Check www.freenick.htm):
  • Technical speaker: (example:  John Smith of Smith Heating & Plumbing):
  • Other speakers:
  • Place: (example:  Holiday Inn Ocean View):
  • Address of place:
  • Phone number of place:
  • Website for place (if one exists):
  • Room discount for overnight guests (if you got us one):
  • Dinner menu:
  • Cost (usually $20-$35 per person):
  • Any other instructions to include in the formal announcement.

Review other chapter meeting announcements.

Existing chapters must provide InterNACHI the following information 45 days in advance of their meeting to qualify for cost overrun protection.  See * above.
 
 
 
 
 
Useful links:
Financial loss protection for chapter heads.
Create your own chapter website.
Questions?  Email Nick
 
 
 
 
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