After buying their first home, Debra Cohen and her husband faced the unenviable chore of finding reliable home improvement contractor. Fed up with blindly picking names from the Yellow Pages and waiting for entrepreneurs who did not show up, it occurred to Cohen that if she and her husband had found problems, contractors, other homeowners have in their community faced a similar situation. This bleak reality sparked the creation of a unique service, which has since become a profitable cottage industry to expand in the U.S. and internationally.

After extensive conversations with lawyers, consultants, contractors and insurance agents began, Cohen, 38, Hewlett, New York-based Home Remedies of NY Inc. from her home in February 1997. The Stay-at-home mom used a $ 5,000 loan, a computer and a fax machine refurbished to start their part-time business. Immediately, the response from homeowners was tremendous, and after three months in business, they repay their loans. Her gross earnings in the first year were almost $ 30,000.
Today Home Remedies a contractor referral service that matches homeowners with reliable home-repair workers. The appeal is to customers that the company is at the time-consuming task of locating and screening qualified contractors, check to ensure that they are adequately insured and licensed and serves as a liaison between the contractor and the homeowner in the course of a job. Home Remedies is a win-win situation for both parties provides: Services are free, the homeowner provided and contractors represented by Home Remedies only pay a commission for any work to secure it.

First, Cohen worked approximately 15 hours to 20 hours per week, she now works about 30 hours per week. Last year, sales for Home Remedies $ 100,000. Cohen earns additional income by selling manuals and packages, how to get started in the referral business.