My reputation and proven successes did help.

Confirm that the provider has a pristine reputation (e.g.

Not always, as some very experienced and reputable CPAs continue to offer these intro consultations. 

This will significantly impact your success and peace of mind.Reach out to other investors, especially those on BiggerPockets, to get recommendations for reputable property management companies in the areas you’re interested in.Fear of Making Mistakes:It’s natural to feel nervous, especially when your family is involved.

If you cannot dedicate the time needed to run the investments, hire a reputable property manager. 

The best place to find local labor is at the local suppliers.

I live in a very rural area in the northeast and most of the markets within an hour of me are primarily class C and D neighborhoods with reputations for drug and crime problems (as well as my own hometown unfortunately) so I will probably look to long-distance investing as I get started.

They have made it clear to me that they refer to me because they are comfortable/confident that I will take good care of the client which reflects better back on them, keeping their reputation strong and earning them real estate referrals from the client if they end up happy with the whole experience (which is much more valuable to them than a few hundred bucks from me). 

The supplier pays me a commission % for the dollar amount of goods I sell to restaurants. 

-no reputable contractor is going to be willing to put a penalty in a contract with a brand new investor working on their first project.