Who You Gonna Call?

If you are a homeowner and your toilet overflows, or your house is invaded by insects, or you need a reliable remodeling contractor, you may wonder, “Who am I gonna call?” to fix these problems? Fortunately, Debra Cohen, owner of Home Remedies of NY, Inc., can come to your rescue. Cohen’s Homeowner Referral Network (HRN) is an organized network of pre-screened contractors representing almost every field of home improvement, maintenance and design.
 
After leaving her position as the vice-president of a Spanish-language aviation magazine to stay home with her children, Cohen began to miss the stimulation of a career—not to mention the income that helped support her family. “My husband and I had just purchased our first home and quickly realized how difficult (and expensive) it was to find reliable home improvement contractors,” she says.

Whenever Cohen found a skilled and dependable professional, she kept the contractor’s name for future reference. “It occurred to me that homeowners in my community could benefit from a service that would pre-screen contractors, and in turn, responsible contractors could benefit from a service that would help promote their businesses.” says Cohen.

Today, Cohen’s HRN represents more than 50 pre-screened, home improvement contractors ranging from painters, plumbers and carpenters to general contractors, architects and decorative painters. Contractors in the network pay a pre-negotiated commission on any work secured, which means that the referral service is free to homeowners. When a customer calls, Cohen arranges an appointment with the appropriate contractor. Once a contractor has been hired, Cohen is available to answer questions, address concerns and to ensure that the job is completed to the homeowner’s satisfaction.

To relieve her workload of balancing her business with motherhood, Cohen documented her system and established additional HRNs on Long Island to help handle the demand. From there, she developed HRN Business Packages for other entrepreneurs who want to launch similar businesses in their communities. Packages include a copy of her HRN business plan manual, The Complete Guide To Owning And Operating A Successful Homeowner Referral Network, along with business forms, a website, customized management software, promotional items, a graphics CD, a customized HRN newsletter and one-on-one consultation. Cohen now divides her time between operating her HRN and guiding others to get started in this type of business. To date there are more than 400 HRNs operating nationwide.

Cohen finds a “balance” between her family and work by delineating blocks of time each day for different tasks like returning phone calls, handling paperwork or driving carpool. “I strive to keep my priorities in order,” says Cohen. “ My family is the reason that I wanted to work from home in the first place, so I try not to let my business interfere too much with being there for my children.”  

Referral services like Cohen’s are saving busy homeowners time and energy while offering them an added sense of confidence in whom they decide to hire to work in their home.

Cohen advises, “If you’re interested in working from home, find a business that will allow you to capitalize on your strengths and do something that you love.  When you enjoy your work, the financial rewards are an added bonus.”