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More than 1,500,000 consumers use
Angie's List
to find high quality service companies and health care professionals in
over 400 categories. From plumbers and painters to dentists and
dermatologists, reviews come directly from homeowners in our area.
Find reviews on the services you need at Angie’s List
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Angie's List Compleat - The Inspiring
American Success Story of Angie Hicks and All About Angies
List
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Speaking of Angies List and Angie Hicks... So how does a 22 year female mid-western college graduate go from a net worth or minus $50,000 to more than plus $50 million dollars?
And how do you profit from Angie's example by Clicking Here to Save 25% Off your subscription?
Angies List continues to be an American phenomenon. As one of the leaders in online marketing of Angie's List products I set about to write the definitive article on Angie Hicks and Angie's List...if that is possible, because it is an ever continuing and expanding story of achievement.
Angie
Hicks is not a showman nor is she a corporate shark.
From everything I can gather, she's a down to earth, well
liked person, respected by the public, news organizations,
and most tellingly by the employees of Angies List.
This goes a long way in telling you something about the personality of the whole company and their effort to provide you with good information. Even better, on top of EVERYTHING else going on in her life, which is more than most of us could keep up with, she is a mother of three, and happily married.
Angie is an inspiration to women and somebody who has so many things going on that most men couldn't hope to keep up with her.
Angie's first job was selling popcorn in the Fort Wayne, Indiana Zoo. However, we take up the Angies List story in Columbus, Ohio. She had just graduated college with an economics degree from in Greencastle, Indiana. Angie's List wasn't even a footnote in her diploma.
There, together with a venture capitalist named Bill Oesterle, who was a former boss who she served during a college internship, she founded the Angies List company with a grub stake secured from friends by Oesterle of $50,000.
Oesterle, the money man, had other things to do, so, from the start, Angies List was Angie Hick's to win or lose.
The genesis of the company occurred when Oesterle moved to Columbus, Ohio with his family and bought a vintage home and had trouble finding good contractors to renovate his new digs.
Angie Hicks and Bill Oesterle had a conversation about how hard it was to find good work help for home projects. Together, they lamented that there should be some better way to find good contractors than relying on friends and family. At some point, they decided to start a company dedicated to giving reviews on local companies. They called it, you guessed it... Angie's List.
Angie Hicks moved to Columbus, Ohio, and started her new company. Initially, the reviews were confined to home improvement and lawn care businesses there in Columbus.
In 1995, the Internet, which is the main medium of Angie's List was just a twinkle in Al Gore's eye, and the whole concept was new indeed. Angie Hicks began her company with the mainstay being the telephone.
The design of version one Angies List would have been daunting for a team of experienced entrepreneurs, and one most of us would not even think of attempting. It came in two parts.
First, Angie Hicks began by going door to door, by herself, all over the city of Columbus, Ohio. She would ask each homeowner about their experiences with local home improvement and lawn care professionals. From this Angie began building her database of workmen. This was also the way she began selling her memberships.
Angie Hicks and Oesterle also acquired an existing publishing company in 1995 and renamed it Brownstone Publishing, which is....Angies List. She serves as the Chief Marketing Officer.
Second, with her growing database of contractors, she began taking calls from paying customers and giving them reviews over the telephone. Even though most of the traffic to the current Angies List model takes place over the Internet, you can still call in and speak to a live person for your reviews.
Shy, reserved, quiet, 22 year old Angie Hicks was the sole employee of her start up business for the first year, door knocking, telephone answering and all. Just Angie. Going door to door is without a doubt the hardest type of marketing possible. Still, Angie mastered her fear and went on to found a whole new industry.
In a scene that is all too familiar with anyone who has attempted to cold call the public, particularly with an unproven item, Angie's decision point happened about four months into the business. She met with her mentor and partner, Oesterle at a coffee shop and burst out crying.
At that point Angie was only selling on average a membership an evening, and sitting by the phone during the day. This from a recent college graduate, unschooled in the hard boiled real life world of one-on-one marketing.
Oesterle gave Angie THE pep talk that she needed, and she said to him and herself, "I'm NOT going to quit." It was to be Angies List or bust!
Many a strong man has been in this situation over the years and did...quit. One has to wonder how many folks would have the strength to tackle the Angies model knowing that the payoff would be a top 500 U.S. business. Of course, Angie Hicks had NO idea of even whether her business would work. Many fail.
Angie's List Founder, Angie Hicks says, “I get questions all the time from people who have great ideas about a new business and wonder how to launch it. In those first twelve months, I learned what I was made of, as well as what it takes to succeed. I knew I had a reliable solution to a real problem, and if I could just keep at it, I knew I’d find customers. After that first year, we had 1,000 customers and a reason to keep going in Columbus. Soon after that, we raised some more money, borrowed some, and bought the Indianapolis service (the publishing house) that had inspired us in the first place. We’ve since grown into a nationwide presence in more than 200 cities and more than 1.5 million members.”
Even more important than the “Great Angies List Report Idea,” is the ability to not give up when you hit roadblocks. Whether you really have found the next great big idea or not, you’re going to get rejected. You’re going to have people hang up on you or turn their backs when you ask for help to launch it. There are some great ideas sitting on the scrap heap today that withered because the person who came up with them just couldn’t see them through. Angie’s List easily could have been one of those."
The bit that Oesterle told her that turned the tide was that it wouldn't always be a knocking on doors model, and that better things were coming. And so they did.
You can bet that DePauw University is very proud of one of their most visibly successful students ever. That would be Angies Hicks, Founder of Angie's List.
On a personal level, even with everything else going on in her life, Angie Hicks didn't rest. Even though she's a working mother, she went back to school and graduated from Harvard Business School in 2000 with a Masters in Business Administration. Angie Hicks currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Governor Robert Orr Fellowship Program, which she helped found in 2001. In 2007, DePauw University named her a Distinguished Alumni for Management and Entrepreneurship.
What you will find on Angies List is a long and growing list of local businesses who have been reviewed by folks who have used them. In the last several years, the List that Angie owns has grown in many directions, but some of the most oft checked categories are home improvement companies, contractors, and lately, doctors and dentists.
With a base of users well over 1.5 million Angies List members, there are PLENTY of reviews.
Ed note: Here's something Angies List doesn't publicize... IF your local area happens to be one that doesn't have a good base of reviews, you may get your subscription for free for a year. Why? Because they will look to you and others in your area to help them build their database of local business reviews. This happened to me when I went to have a look around awhile back I was so surprised that I called the home office to find out if I had done something wrong. Nope...Just unadvertised policy.
Now, you might ask..."Why should I use Angies List when I can do my own research, and find free reviews? How does Angies List work?"
The answer is simple. How it works is...Quality. The difference between anonymous FREE and PAID Angies reviews can be the difference in success or failure of your project. Angies List customers typically aren't looking for reviews in low cost items like flashlights and ballpoint pens. They look to Angie when there is real money at stake or a project MUST be done correctly, whether it is a faulty washing machine, hernia operation, or new house.
The
fact is that free product reviews are often worth what
you pay for them. It comes down to the trust you have with
the reviewer. I'm Norm and Angie's List has been a
cornerstone of my affiliate marketing work for years. I know
from experience that for a fact Angie's List folks
are good folks. I'm what you might call an Angies List
fan. Chances are excellent that when you sign on with them
you will be too. You'll see.
(Editors Note: In my defense, as a FREE reviewer, I need to tell you that this article is WELL researched, and you KNOW who I am, as the owner of GetCalhoun.com. I'm not hard to find...or research, for that matter. Angie's List is my TOP affiliate advertiser. The people I work with at AngiesList are FIRST RATE.)
When it comes to free reviews, the review could be written by the company you are researching, which, understandably talks about itself in glowing terms. Or, it could be a revenge review by a really mad customer who could not be helped by the company no matter how hard they tried....or anything in between. You don't have this worry when you use Angie's List.
Angies List Reviews, on the other hand are thoroughly vetted. Says Angie:
them and offer – free of charge -- to continue notifying them to any future reports so they know what's being said about them.
Angie Hicks is, among other things, a first rate writer of consumer hints, tips, and tricks for her Angies List Magazine and other places. A recent piece included information for folks interested in purchasing a new home in this crazy housing market environment we're in these days...
"...As you start to create a list of prospective builders, check consumer reviews on Angie's List and make sure the builder carries the appropriate licenses and insurance. Talk to references, but not just those on the list from your builder, which is sure to contain only happy customers. Go knock on random doors in one of the builder’s subdivisions, and ask how they were treated..."
Angie is not a person who is without humor borne of tears. In the "Toilet Issue" of her magazine, she says, "In the end, everyone has a good toilet story, and in my case, plumbing an old house is a true test of love, which is why I think plumbing is our most requested category year-round. Thirteen percent of you had to hire a plumber to fish out items that fell (or were stuffed) into the toilet, including cell phones, toys and jewelry. One member in Sioux Falls, S.D., tells us he’ll never run into this problem though. “The toilet we put in guarantees you can flush three golf balls at one time!"
Angie Hicks is also a person of surprises... (Study her photo very carefully and tell me you could have seen this one coming.) In an interview in Phoenix, she was asked a question. "Tell us something about you most people don’t know?"
Answered
Angie, "I took an auto racing course in
my 20s, and love to drive sports cars really fast."
In another instance, Angie was asked why anyone should use Angies List...
Replied Angie Hicks, "From a handful of construction trades, we’ve grown to offer consumer reviews in more than 500 categories of service – about 150 of them in health care fields. We were around long before consumers developed their current habit of turning to the Internet to do a search before they hired people or bought something. Over the years, we have remained true to our original roots of providing the most reliable information possible. We’ve never allowed (and won’t) anonymous reports; we hold consumers accountable for truthful reporting; and we encourage service professionals to take part in the process, so you can trust the information you get from Angie’s List.
"In a nutshell, the world needs Angie’s List to find that elusive good help, and to know which service companies and health care providers to avoid. Even better, Angie’s List offers its members exclusive discounts and great savings, so you get great help at a fair price.”
When asked, a leading question, about there being too few women entrepreneurs, Angie, who by any measure is sophisticated, answered in her typical self assured and fair fashion...
“I don’t think this is a gender issue. The secret, which isn’t really so much a secret as it is a really hard thing to do, is to not give up. Our first year was really, really difficult, and there were many days when I wanted to pack up, go find a regular job and leave it all behind. But I knew we had a great idea for which there was real and long-lasting demand. I’d say the second most important thing is to have a good support system.
"My co-founder (Ed Note: Bill Oesterle- a guy) was a rock. He’d listen to me talk about how it didn’t seem like we were getting anywhere and encourage me to keep at it. He celebrated every success and when it came down to it, that emotional support was more important than the financial backing.”
Angie is used to being in the company of powerful people as she sets a positive example for growth in a down economy. Governor's and mayors come calling... News flash...
"Governor Mitch Daniels (Governor Indiana) joined executives from Angie's List and Mayor Greg Ballard (Mayor Indianapolis, Indiana) today to announce the company's plans to expand its Indianapolis headquarters, creating up to 500 new jobs by 2015."
Said Mayor Ballard "Angie's List's commitment to create 500 new jobs and make a major investment in their corporate campus is a game changer for the near east side of Indianapolis," said Ballard.
"Since establishing this campus in 2000, Angie's List has served as a catalyst for change along the East Washington Street corridor. This newest plan will allow them to have an even greater impact in an important and transitional area and on our city as a whole."
The last word from Angie about the past and future of Angies List...
“The differences between Angie’s List 1995 and Angie’s List today are amazing when you think about it. And of course it’s gratifying to see the growth. But there’s always been another challenge and more opportunities to explore. Technological advances will always keep us on our toes. I think we’ll always feel like we’re the little engine that could because we’re always trying to find ways to improve the service.”
The last word from the author of this exclusive GetCalhoun.com Angies List article about the past and future of Angies List...
The last word from the author of this research piece is that even though Angies List is about the transfer of information, aside from the good she has done in Indianapolis, Indiana, she has also provided income to hundreds, perhaps even thousands of Internet entrepreneurs across the nation through their program of affiliate sales of Angies List memberships.
This website is a perfect example. When you search Angies List on Google you are presented with 8,250,000 choices, as of this writing. Many times, my Angies pages are on the first page...and there is a reason. The reason is that like Angie, I also have worked very hard to give you, the consumer, the best presentation of Angies List facts to be found on the Internet.
Since ALL affiliates have access to the SAME Angies List Coupons, my hope is that you choose mine, for that is how I get paid.
The choice is yours. To cast your vote for my presentation of Angies List information, make a note of my coupon, and click one of my links which will take you to Angies List so that you can get the BEST consumer information possible. You can get a monthly Angies List subscription for under $7. You save even more with longer subscriptions. You pay even less with my Angies List 25% off coupon. It's money WELL spent! And that's why you use Angie's List. Remember to grab your Angies List Coupon below!
Use
our new exclusive extra value savings Angies List Coupon Code
“GET25” for 25% off Monthly and Annual
Angie's List Memberships!
A list of typical questions and answers on Angie's List...Angie's List Personal ServicesQ: Can I rate and review a
company/contractor not listed on Angie's List? Angie's List Lawn and GardenQ: Down to earth landscaping company
in Vermont... Angie's List HomeQ: Can we successfully re-tile over
existing porcelain floor tile? Angie's List HealthQ: I have been having problem with my
ovaries I'm in pain a lot I was just wondering what I can do
so I don't hurt Angie's List AutoQ: DO I CANCEL PART OF MY ACCOUNT Angies List Pet CareQ: How do you manage pet hair? What vacuum works best?A: One word: DYSON! :) I do have Bissel's pet hair vacuum and it works pretty well, also (for a FRACTION of the cost of a Dyson) Q: Does Angie's list include Veterinarians in my area ? A: Angie's List does offer ratings and reviews of veterinarians. Visit www.angieslist.com today to search for highly-rated professionals in your area, and don't forget to check out the Angie's List Magazine to read our great pet-related articles. Q: We live in So Ca. close to the beach and we CAN NOT get rid of fleas. We just moved here about 1yr. ago and our poor animals are suffering A: This year has been especially bad for fleas... or good for fleas and bad for everyone and everything else. I had the same problem and paid hundreds to an exterminator plus gave all my dogs Confortis flea meds. The Confortis will kill all fleas on the dog(s) and works great but to get rid of them in the kennel or home, I finally went on line and found Cedarcide. It's a product that is put in a fogger, is not a chemical, and it killed every flea in my house and kennel. It's safe , smells good, and the fleas die!! I had to do it every two weeks , total of three times, and my dogs are finally free of fleas. Look for cedarcide online and ask your vet about Confortis. Q: How do I detect if my cat is spraying in the house? A: It's pretty hard to miss
if your cat is spraying or urinating outside of the
box. It can be a bit more challenging to find the
spot/spots. You can use a black light to find urine
stains - it will illuminate the area. Q: I have a springer spaniel, 18 months old, that cannot stop chewing. She does not chew shoes, but rips though toys and rawhide chews. HELP A: I had the same issue when my dog was a puppy, and our trainer suggested swapping out toys on a regular basis. That way, the dog thinks you are giving her new items to play with and it might help cure the "boredom" often associated with those undesirable behaviors. Q: Hello, I just received your answer but when I search the animal cancer care clinic the no results page doesn't show up. A: I'm really sorry! It looks like we made some site changes I hadn't noticed before and it made things just a little more confusing (for me, too!). We'll have to look into this to make it easier. In the meantime, here's what you do: 1) Look for the Submit a Report
button. It's yellow and on the right-hand side of
the page. Q: Any suggestions for a dog with a stiff joint? A: Try a product named Flex Pet (flexpet.com). After giving it to my dog and recommending it to a lot of my clients (I am a Certified Vet Tech and a Pet Sitter) I am convinced this supplement works much better than any other you can find at the Vet's office or pet store. The improvement is remarkable. Angies List General QuestionsQ: Can I look up businesses in other
cities than my own? If the problem isn't resolved, the original
report remains untouched. We never, ever, ever remove a
negative report for any other reason. Angie's List retains a
respected auditing firm, BPA Worldwide, to check our
practices every year to ensure that no preferential
treatment is given to anyone including advertisers.
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More than 1,500,000 consumers use Angie's List
to find high quality service companies and health care professionals in
over 400 categories. From plumbers and painters to dentists and
dermatologists, reviews come directly from homeowners in our area.
Find reviews on the services you need at Angie’s List
Use
our new exclusive extra value savings Angies List Coupon Code
“GET25” for 25% off Monthly and Annual
Angies List Memberships!
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