The National Inventory Certification Association (NICA) has designated April as National Home Inventory Month (NHIM).
Many homeowners, renters, and small business owners are unaware of the benefits of having
NICA’s mission is “To provide awareness and education.” Establishing April as the awareness month to focus on the need for a home inventory supports this initiative. Though many personal property inventory professionals inform others about this industry on a regular basis, a concerted effort by the association, its members, its associate members, and other inventory professionals will raise awareness of the many life events that require or benefit from having this information prepared and kept up to date.
What is a home inventory? A home inventory is a record of one’s personal property, normally consisting of an itemized report with supporting videos and/or photographs. “Home” inventory also includes small businesses.
What life events are served by a home inventory? Though disaster preparedness and loss recovery from natural disasters and theft are the most commonly known reason for a personal property inventory, there are many other life events that call for this prepared information. They include estate and financial planning, estate settlement, divorce/separation of assets, pre-nuptials, moving/relocating, placing items in
For the small business owners, an asset inventory assists with disaster preparedness and loss recovery, verifying sufficient insurance coverage, tracking assets, assisting with the annual budgets, eliminating unnecessary purchases, and assisting with buy/sell/mergers/acquisitions.
How Home Inventory Professionals Can Participate
There are a variety of ways each home inventory professional can participate and provide education about National Home Inventory Month during the months of March and April.
Choose from the suggestions below to help educate others about your inventory services and to promote National Home Inventory Month during the month of April. Include the many referral sources, fellow networkers, local media, and potential clients that you have access to.
In addition to your home inventory services, be sure to also include the other services you provide, such as small business asset inventories, collections inventories, estate inventories, loss inventories, and appraisal examiner services, etc.
Tips for a successful NHIM campaign:
- Visit the NICA Member Directory to find other members. Follow and share their information.
- Post information on social media, including the hashtags #NHIM, #HomeInventory and #NationalHomeInventoryMonth.
- Offer a “Home Inventory Month Discount” on inventory services.
- Promote NHIM to past clients to inquire if they need an update.
- Contact insurance agents who are on social media and ask them to share your social media posts.
- Submit a press release to local media (TV and radio stations, newspapers, magazines, etc.) about National Home Inventory Month and your residential services.
- Include an article or articles about your services and how you are participating in National Home Inventory Month in your newsletter or blog.
- Add “April is National Home Inventory Month” to your email signature line and include a Call to Action.
- Include the link to this web page in all social media posts, press releases, blogs, newsletter articles, email signature lines, and other promotional efforts.
- Host an informational seminar or presentation.
- Promote NHIM when participating in trade shows and/or vendor fairs in March and April.
- Schedule speaking engagements with a focus on National Home Inventory Month
- Contact past speaking engagement organizers for a return presentation or the possibility of reaching out to members for a reminder, focusing on NHIM.
- When networking, add NHIM to your elevator pitch in March and April.
- Promote NHIM via email to insurance agents, estate and family law attorneys, financial planners, banks that provide wealth management services, and networking groups and other organizations related to our industry.