Don’t Fall for the Amateur Option

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A number of home business opportunities have sprung up over the years. One of the latest has been to open are home cataloguers. Distinct from professional corporations that charge thousands to catalog your home inventory, these are generally amateurs who decide that they want to start a home based business. So with little more than digital cameras or even just their smart phones for cameras, they show up and offer to conduct a full home inventory and asset cataloguing service for far less than the professionals. The question is do you fall for it?

The Basic Deal

Prices vary based on the individual or business offering the service. Housewives and college students are the ones most inclined to try their hand at this business. Most of the time, it's between $250 and $500. They come in and go through all of your belongings for you, taking pictures on their digital cameras and then cataloguing the information in simple spreadsheets or in notebooks. The process can take anywhere from a few afternoons to a couple weeks.

Risks of an Outside Amateur Home Inventory

Even if you have an extra $500 to spare, you still open yourself up to a great deal of risk when you allow someone to come in and go through all of your possessions and catalog them, particularly if this individual is not a professional. Serving as a home cataloguer and home asset documenter is an ideal job for con artists and criminals who are attempting to case homes. Even if you know the individual who is going to be doing the cataloging and have no concerns about the honesty involved, you still run the risk that the individual going through all of your treasures and belongings will talk to other people about what she saw. This could then lead to giving thieves the information they need about your home and what you have.

The additional issue with these is the time and inconvenience. Having someone in your house and underfoot, going through all of your possessions, can be annoying and agitating at the best of times. There's no real guarantee on the amount of time involved. Plus once the catalog is done, it will have to be updated. Standard spreadsheets and paper files don't lend themselves to updating as easily as online inventory software.

Does It Have to be the Expensive Option Then?

So, you're probably feeling a little discouraged. After all, you want to complete a home inventory so you can protect your assets and prepare for your future, but you don't want to take that kind of risk. Is the only option to go with an expensive professional who will charge per square foot of house?

No, not at all. The great thing about Asset Panda is that you can do it yourself but produce an even better final product than either of the other options would. You can access Asset Panda online to log information about your assets or you can use the Panda app. Asset Panda's inventory software is easy to use. You can take a few minutes every day to start logging your assets and all their relevant information or you can knock it all out in a couple afternoons. Your information is completely private. No one's snooping through your drawers or snickering at the condition of your house. You're also protecting yourself and your family by not exposing them to the possibility of Plus, the online inventory software system that Asset Panda uses allows you to update your assets whenever you like, meaning that your inventory can always be current without costing thousands or even hundreds.
By:

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Krista has developed a passion for operational strategy via KPI management, streamlined processes, implementation of automation systems, and scaling Asset Panda. When she isn't attempting to help take the company to new heights, she enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, playing golf, cooking, and a good glass of wine.

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