SIRs Represents Independent Contractors.

A few years ago, a group of field service and inspection personnel decided that too often, work in the field wasn't being done properly.

So they decided to do something about it amely, they formed a group to help represent and educate field service professionals.

Mimi Norris, one of the four founders of the group and currently its vice president for membership, said the Society of Independent Representatives was formed in the aftermath of turmoil in the field services marketplace, with some firms going bankrupt or closing their doors and leaving contractors unpaid. Some field service contractors took big hits as a result.

Many field service inspectors and maintenance contractors began communicating with each other via chat rooms about common problems they encountered. Because many work in different geographic areas, they often are not in direct competition with each other and can benefit from sharing information.

The SIRs also intends to secure vendor discounts to increase profitability, raise awareness throughout the industry, offer training and business consulting, and define ethics and standards where standard guidelines may be ambiguous, the group said.

Its mission is to identify field service representatives who perform quality work and promote ethics and standards within the industry. The group also hopes to identify potential problems and find solutions as well as assist in the creation of cooperative efforts between members who work in geographic proximity to each other.

In the end, the group hopes its efforts will help members increase their profitability.