Vendor Selection

If the work to be done is in a professional trade, then it is important to verify the status of the professional license holder and they are properly licensed for the work they are doing.  Often misunderstood, but a business license is not the same as a state professional trade license.  It is easy to check the status of a professional license holder in the State of Georgia by visiting:

https://sos.ga.gov/licensing-division-license-lookup

Although it seems obvious, there are many business doing work even without a basic business license.  Always double 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.

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.  Now, is the insurance is in place and you are planning ahead.  Remember, your own insurance company may audit you each year.  If the vendor you chose did not have their own insurance(s) you may have to cover that cost.

Although your project may just involve the installation of some copper lines, do realize that at any time, an accident 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 to go.  In addition, it is extremely import to re-test any repaired or replaced fiber cables so that any issues can be resolved

Choosing a vendor with many years of experience directly in their trade 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.

Taking experience one step further would be pro-active involvement on training and certifications.  Always 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.  

Do your homework and research.  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 customers.