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It all starts here.  Often misunderstood, but a business license is not the same as a state professional trade license.  If the work to be done is in a professional trade, then it is essential to verify the active status of the professional license holder to make sure they are properly licensed for the work they are doing.    It is easy to check the status of a professional license holder in the State of Georgia by going to the Secretary of State website. 

Although it seems obvious, there are many business doing work even without a basic business license.  Always check to make sure the vendor is holding an active business license in the city or county of their business location.  It is always best practice to call the city or county and verify before the quote is submitted.  

Business Insurance comes in many different types.  Most of the time there are (3) major types of insurances required:

1.  General Liability

2.  Workman's Compensation

3.  Commercial Auto

Having your vendor provide a copy of these prior to agreeing on work is the best method.  Remember, your own insurance company may audit you each year.  If the vendor you chose did not have their own insurance(s) at the time of the work being done then you may have to cover that cost.

Do your homework and research.  Ask for photos of previous jobs.  Check the Google Listing.  Check the reviews.  Ask for names and phone numbers of past jobs.  Call them up and ask them directly how they feel about the level of commitment and overall quality of the job.  Lastly, although it is not a requirement, being accredited by a professional organization such as the Better Business Bureau shows long term commitment to the business itself and also commitment to the community and customers. 

FIBER!  Although your project may just involve  copper cable work, do realize that at any time, an incident could happen with the Fiber Optics at your facility.  The disruption of a fiber line will cause major downtime for all resources that are using it.  It is essential that the proper fiber optic equipment for repairs and terminations are on hand and ready for use.  In addition, it is extremely import to re-test any repaired or replaced fiber cables prior to use. 

Training and Certifications is taking experience one step further.  Research to find out if the vendor has some additional formal training and certifications on specific hardware and equipment relevant to the scope of work at hand.  

Choosing a vendor with many years of experience directly in their trade and other trades is a huge benefit.  They should be able to discuss the work ahead with great detail and knowledge having to deal with very like scenarios.  A good vendor will also look at the project or task with a plan for the future, not just today. 

Your project is not complete just because it looks done and you have an invoice in your hand.  Where are the deliverables?  What are deliverables?  Cable Test Results, Before and After Photos, Print Markups, a strong warranty, just to name a few.  Think of it this way.  If you wanted to hire a different vendor in the future you would have your deliverables to assist at the tip of your fingers.  Otherwise, you may have to pursue them post-facto and that typically is not complete or accurate. 

Make sure to see the warranty on the contract and make sure it at a minimum matches the industry standard.  We are not car lots!  We can tailor a real effective warranty for you.  Just ask. 

 Many Low-Voltage Contractors are well versed in multiple trades.  There is value and consistency when a trusted contractor can take care of many projects and service calls.  The efficiency comes into play and time saved is extra cost avoided.  You don't have to put all your eggs in the same basket but some of this work is the same cable type!  Consider that, every time.