PRINTED IN THE NORTH SHORE BUSINESS PROFILES/ PIONEER PRESS

Palatine, IL, JULY 17, 2003 - When searching for a babysitter, parents will go to no end to find someone they can trust with their children. The same steps should be taken when working on a family's biggest investment, a house.

So many people have hectic schedules and there isn't always time to go through the phonebook calling various contractors that you know nothing about.

That's where Homeowners Connection Inc. comes in. From major remodeling to general home improvement, the company can help find a contractor for any project.

Homeowners Connections provides consumers with local, pre-screened contractors who will meet with you to provide free estimates. Immediately after the company receives a project request, Homeowners Connections contacts up to three contractors who will call you after accepting your project.

Homeowners Connections Member Contractors are pre-screened to ensure that they are properly licensed and carry liability insurance. The company also contacts references, including suppliers, homeowners, and fellow contractors. In other words, Homeowners Connections does all the background screening free of charge.

The process is simple. Anyone looking to get some work done around the house submit an estimate request. The consultants ask the homeowner 10 to 15 questions about the prospective project. Homeowners Connections then sends out a job scope to their contractors, three of which will pick your project and contact you within a week's time.

Homeowners Connections also follows up the homeowners within one week to ensure three contractors contacted them. Two weeks later the company calls to see which contractor the consumer decided to hire. Finally, six weeks later the consumer is contacted to give feedback on the contractor that handled their project.

The streamlined process also benefits contractors because they only accept the projects that fit their criteria. "We've taken all the legwork of talking to the homeowner, qualifying the homeowner, making sure the homeowner understands what the project involves," said Matthew Jonas, the owner of Homeowners Connections Inc.

Prior to starting his own company; Jonas helped launch a nationwide contractor referral service. Since opening Homeowners Connections Jonas, along with director of operations Jeff Schramm, has built a family of 200 member contractors.

Homeowners Connection has been bridging the gap between homeowners and contractors for three years. Their thorough process has helped to complete more than 5,000 projects.

"We now have homeowner projects being completed faster then ever and I can recruit and bring in the best contractors because they only come in under those premises," Jonas said. "So they can target market their type of jobs in the towns they want to work in and pick the work they are passionate about."