This Couple was in Debt Until They Found Their Dream Business Paul and Heidi Ferguson
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aul Ferguson, owner of Pillar To Post Home Inspectors of North Central Ohio, has been in business since 1999. Serving North Central Ohio, he provides home inspection services, which include inspections for mold, radon, wood-destroying insects as well as septic assessments. Backed by North America’s largest home inspection franchise, Paul is enjoying a level of success that at one time in his life seemed impossible to reach.
Paul has worked with homes for the majority of his adult life. From the age of 18-24, he worked as a mason; purchased and resold homes. “I thought I was going to be a rich landlord and make millions buying and selling homes in Akron,” says Paul. “I was very wrong. I quit my construction job and dove into the landlord, houseflipping business. But all I was doing was getting in more and more debt; I was clueless as to how to run a business. Eventually I had so many properties that I needed to fix in a short amount of time that I couldn’t keep up and had to start selling them for whatever I could get. My wife Heidi and I were broke and we wanted out.”
Paul says a family member tipped him off to the idea of becoming a home inspector based on his own success in the field. Given Paul’s background, the career seemed like a good fit, for Paul and Heidi. “Using the last few dollars we had, and some financial help from family we purchased a Pillar To Post Home Inspection franchise. During that transition, we had to leave our home and move into my sister-in-law’s basement. But by taking advantage of Pillar To Post’s franchisee support system, we were back on our feet, out of the basement and back to truly living in a matter of months.”
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oday, business is a far cry from those days of financial turmoil. But Paul refuses to remain content with the success he’s received after almost two decades with Pillar To Post. “In 2014, we hit a milestone in sales and we are tremendously proud of what we’ve achieved. But we’re not even close to stopping our growth. I’m just thankful to be part of a business that not only gives me that opportunity to strive for more, but the kind of backing that makes the ambition attainable.”
About Pillar To Post Home Inspectors Founded in 1994, Pillar To Post Home Inspectors is the largest home inspection company in North America with 450 franchisees, located in 48 states and eight Canadian provinces. Long-term plans include adding 500-600 new franchisees over the next five years. Pillar To Post has been ranked the No. 1 home i nspection franchise in North America by Entrepreneur Magazine.
For more information, please visit: www.pillartopost.com For franchise opportunities, please contact: Brian Wieters at franchise@pillartopost.com or 877.963.3129