Trust

At http://www.checkthetrades.com/ we like to call ourselves the online directory of businesses you can trust.  Which begs the question: why can you trust the businesses we have listed?  There are several reasons:

• We actually go out and meet the business owners or managers and get to know them.  A business cannot be listed by simply filling out an on-line form like many general directories.
• Every listed business has signed our Code of Conduct: http://www.checkthetrades.com/home/code_of_conduct, this is very important to us.  There is a right way and a wrong way to treat people, we want to ensure things are done the right way.
• We collect lots of information from each business which is presented on their listing; they sign off on this information as being true and accurate
• We get references from each one and then call those references to verify them

We take the process of certifying new listings seriously.  Afer all, if we didn't we would be just another directory and not the directory of businesses you can trust.

You can see our full certification process at: http://www.checkthetrades.com/home/certification
and a fuller explanation on how our process works at: http://www.checkthetrades.com/home/how_it_works

The internet is a very busy place!

The internet is a very busy place these days.  We are bombarded with choices and information everytime we do a search, and all in milliseconds.  That is why I think consumers appreciate value added directories like checkthetrades.com.  We provide useful, accurate and independent information about a wide range of businesses.  If a consumer is looking for a particular type of business, say an electrician, they can check out several good ones at checkthetrades.com, saving them the time of selecting multiple different websites.  It really isn't all that helpful to go to a general directory and be presented with only basic contact information for a large number of companies.  Getting quality information like references, qualifications, insurance etc. on a handful of businesses is a much better way to reduce the risk when hiring a new business.

Enhanced Website

We are really pleased at Check the Trades to have our new website launched.  We think it will be even easier to navigate than the old one and does a better job of explaining to consumers how we are different from other directories.  Our tag line "We Check You Choose" says it all.  We do a thorough check of all listed businesses so consumers can be well informed about each listed business and then make a choice on which one they want to use.  Be sure to take a look at the new How it Works, Certification and Code of Conduct pages as well.  If you have any thoughts on the new site; good, bad or otherwise we would love to hear from you so leave a comment.  Thanks!

Mike Holmes new magazine

Mike Holmes has introduced a new magazine and I just picked up a copy of the first edition.  You can see the cover at http://www.holmesmagazine.com/.  It is quite good and has several interesting articles, including "Fresh Air in Your Home", "Geothermal Solutions" and a section for contractors.  Its' worth a look.

Hiring Contractors

There are a lot of great contractors out there but also lots of not so great ones. There is lot's to consider when hiring a contractor. The CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.) has a pretty good (although lengthy) article on this topic. You can find it here: http://www.cmhc.ca/en/co/renoho/refash/refash_009.cfm. Near the start of the article they list key things to look for when you hire a contractor. It is a long list but the good news is checkthetrades.com does many of these steps for you. Here's 5 key ones:
How long have you been in business?
What work are you, or your subcontractors, licensed to do, e.g., electrical, plumbing?
What kind of work do you specialize in?
Have you done a similar job before?
Do you carry workers’ compensation and liability insurance?

Many people just don't like to ask for this type of information or just don't have the time. References are also very important and they take even longer. That's were we come in, hence our slogan: We Check You Choose.

Habitat for Humanity / Restore

We have had the opportunity to get to know the folks at Habitat for Humanity / Restore in Barrie. They are an incredibly dedicated group and work really hard at supporting their cause at the Restore. If you have never been to a Restore you need to check one out, a great resource for all sorts of things.http://www.habitathuronia.com/restore.php. If you are starting a reno give them a call or ask your contractor to call them and they can pay you a visit and identify what can be recycled at the Restore, they can even arrange a pick up and you may be able to get a tax receipt.

Reducing Risk

I had a chat with a homeowner the other day who told me his story of frustration. He had hired a contractor to do some work on his home based on a recomendation from a colleague. The contractor came to his house, provided a quote and requested and was given a 25% deposit. Guess what, he never showed up the next day or the next or the next ...The homeowner realized he only had a cell number, that was never answered, and no address. He has never seen the contractor or his money since. Situations like this can be avoided. All checkthetrades members have to provide full contact information, business information and references to us. We are all about reducing risk for the consumer, the more information they have the lower the risk.