Smart Choices – Hiring Guidelines for Beginners

It’s your first ever project and you have your budget set as well as your timeline. Now all that’s left is to start looking for companies or tradies to do specific work. So you start placing ads and asking around, you get several calls and proposals, more than you can handle.   Now, you start looking at prices and trimming down your choices. You decide to throw out the ones offering higher rates. Now that is not a smart move. Your choices should not be driven by profit or savings alone, people put a premium on good work, integrity and honesty. Verify before you hire - consider the following :

·         Verify phone numbers and addresses – make calls and visit the address given.  It’s a good idea to hire local businesses so a visit should not be a problem. The office or workplace also tells you what kind of people you will be working with.  And if they have been there for quite some time, it would mean that they have been doing a good job.

·         Ask for their ABN – Legitimate businesses are issued an Australian Business Number ABN) when they register, they use this number to transact with government agencies which means they are legitimate and in good standing.  The ABN is also used for the ABN Look Up website. An ABN with a current status means the business is active, a cancelled status means the business is no longer in operation.

·         Make sure you are dealing with licensed traders.  Licenses are issued per State so make sure that the trader has a license to work in your specific State.

·         Inquire about their Public Liability and Workers Compensation insurance – this protects you as their client from liabilities while the project is ongoing.

·         Follow your instincts, if the trader or business is in a hurry to get you to part with your money, chances are, they not the real deal.  Legitimate businesses let you take your time to study contracts and proposals. Making sure everything is amenable to you also ensures them you understand the scope of their work.

·         If you still are not sure how to verify insurances, licenses and business registrations, consider getting these properly checked by Business Checker, an independent entity that verifies the legitimacy of businesses. 

·         Ask for samples of their work and client recommendations. Take the time to ask around about the trader or business.

Once you have trimmed down your list, now is the time to consider rates and negotiate.  Understand that it is well within your rights to inquire, negotiate and to take your time to make smart choices.