When hiring a “professional” to do any work in your home or business there are a few things you must ask and look for! Especially if the professional is self employed… or even if the pro is full time employed, but does work on the side…

1. Do you have a valid license?
This isn’t a drivers license, this is a license to do what you’ve hired them to do.

2. Do you have experience?
Just because someone may have a license does not mean they have experience. Book smarts and hands on smarts are two very different things!

3. Do you own your own tools?

4. How can I pay you, how will I be invoiced?

5. Is there any warranty?

6. Do you have insurance?
This is huge. Many home owners as well as business owners do not know that even if they hire a “professional”, if this person does not have insurance (which is classed as self employed business insurance and WSIB) anything that may happen on the job site to this person is 100% the responsibility of the home or business owner.

Scary right… You the owner of the home or business could be liable should anything happen, and we all know that unfortunately bad things do happen!

Any reputable business or self employed professional should have no problem providing you with a current insurance policy as well as a WSIB Clearance Certificate. Also remember just because a professional works for a business, if they do work on the side there is no coverage unless they have their own!

Do your research before you hire anyone to do your work!