Let’s face it:  if you are reading this blog, you are likely a real estate appraiser.  If you are a real estate appraiser, then you are likely involved with a small business.  It may be your own business for which you are totally responsible.  You may be working with another appraiser as an employee...

Having an open door policy is something I feel like we hear a lot about in the business world. It has almost become a catchphrase. It may even seem like all the cool and kind bosses have adopted this policy. However, I am of the opinion that having an open door policy will not do you or your employe...

You never know what is going to happen in your appraisal office.  There are just too many variables to be able to cover all of them all the time.  So let’s look at the word triage.  All it means is “the act of dividing into three.” In medicine, it means the decisions of who gets treated now, who get...

I sometimes am criticized for hiring assistants outside of the United States. More specifically, I am criticized for paying my virtual assistants outside the United States 3-6 dollars an hour. I think there is an idea that I am exploiting them and treating them unfairly; when in reality, we are in a...

Many of you are striving towards building and changing your appraisal firm. You are working to grow your business, delegate more, and improve the quality of your services. It can be easy as a business owner to become overly excited about the many incredible possibilities growing your business can br...

The hiring process can be very time consuming and difficult. It is hard to find a qualified individual that will meet your needs and integrate well into your office culture. Interviews can be one of the most time consuming aspects of the hiring process. I have developed a system in my office to help...