HappyLifestyleJournal
Have you dealt with government agencies in the past? Do you have experience filling out applications and possess decent organizational skills? If so, then Permit Running can be an excellent source of income for you. This article provides information about what a Permit Runner is, and why they are an asset to construction companies.
Running permits requires very little (if any) start-up capitol, and doesn’t require a college degree or construction experience. This enhances your ability to begin running permits in a very short period of time.
Permit Running is a service-oriented business that is a good fit for those looking to pick up some extra income – seeking part-time earnings – or those interested in starting their own business and growing it into a career. A Permit Runner can expect to earn between 35-450 dollars per project. In addition, the potential earnings are predetermined and based on: the type of permit, the degree of difficulty and the distance traveled to pull the permit.
Running permits is an ideal situation for the contractor because the Permit Runner relieves the contractor from dealing with traffic, parking and busy building departments. In addition, Permit Runners are not tied to the confines of an office. They are on-the-go while acting as the agent (liaison) between the contractors’ trades and the personnel within the various building departments.
Additionally, opportunity exists because the great majority of contractors do not relish the time consuming task of dealing with local or state government agencies; the law requires building permits to protect the end user with safe conditions; insures that those performing the construction are qualified.
The permit runner pulls permits and receives payment from the contractor, while the contractor goes about their business doing what they do best; building, scheduling or seeking their next client.
The successful permit runner continually seeks to grow their customer base. The methods they use to gain new customers may vary. Searching the phone book or local construction businesses online is the most direct method in which to find future clients. There are many pages or websites of potential trades to choose from. Additionally, many construction companies place their business names, logos and contact numbers on their vehicles, and jotting down that information for future contact purposes could lead you to a new customer.
To move forward, a visit to your local building department to gather permitting information from a clerk will help you become acquainted with the intricacies and mechanics of permitting. While meeting with the permit clerk, you’ll want to inquire about the many types of permits you can pull, and the degree of difficulty involved with each type.
Typically, electrical and plumbing permits are the easiest to pull and a good starting point for those in the beginning stages. So, familiarizing yourself with the permit process ahead of time, will further prepare you for your next goal; obtaining your first client.
Though many people feel uncomfortable with the idea of selling themselves, (especially door to door) it is much easier to approach the market by “offering” your quality permit services, as opposed to “selling” your quality permit services. This train of thought can lower the anxiety level while you are canvassing any location to obtain new clients.
Finally, you should have some business cards or fliers created to use as an informational hand-out for all your potential customers. This works especially well when the contact person is not available to meet you. However, a face-to-face greeting along with your information is ideal and always leaves a better impression than a phone call. Obviously, the more construction businesses you contact and offer your services to, (numbers game) the greater chance you’ll have of landing enough business that can launch you into a full time career as a Permit Runner.
