Handyman Startup

Learn how to start or grow a handyman business
Tommy Mello Interview

Every once in a while, I encounter someone who transforms my perspective on what is possible in business.

Tommy Mello is one of those people.

After reading his book, Elevate, and interviewing him, I find myself waking up early in the morning eager to implement new ideas for my business.

If you don’t know Tommy, he is the founder and CEO of A1 Garage Doors, a 200-million-dollar company based in Phoenix, Arizona. A1 Garage Doors is now in 22 states and growing at an insane pace. [continue reading…]

Why competence is not enough

You only need to do two things to grow a profitable home repair business.

  1. Put in consistent, focused work.
  2. Work on the right things.

That’s because the handyman business is a PROVEN business model. There are thousands of handymen all over the world already doing this.

Simply follow best practices, put in the work, and do that consistently, and as long as your city is big enough to have a hardware store, you will eventually build a thriving business.

However, that is MUCH easier said than done. [continue reading…]

Aging In Place Business Opportunities

There are many profitable services to offer as a handyman, and one niche you may not have heard about is Aging-In-Place services.

Aging-In-Place services are home modifications and improvements that allow aging adults to live in their homes safely and for longer.

Examples include installing grab bars and rails, building ramps, improving lighting, and installing chair lifts.

Aging-In-Place services first came on my radar about eight months ago when one of my students mentioned it on a live webinar. Ever since, I’ve seen it pop up all over the place.

And that’s why I’m excited to bring you this interview with Pat Lund. As the executive director of Age Well At Home, he’s an expert in this field and happily shares how to capitalize on this growing business opportunity. [continue reading…]

Stay solo or hire employees?

Stay Solo or Hire Employees? Here’s How to Decide

After interviewing Rick McFadden and Bryan Clayton on my podcast – two guys who have scaled their home services businesses, I’ve been thinking a lot about the pros and cons of hiring employees.

Is it worth the effort and stress?

And since I’m certain I’m not the only one, I decided to write about the topic in-depth.

So, in this podcast & article, I’ll dive into the advantages and disadvantages of hiring employees vs running a solo handyman business. [continue reading…]

Hiring employees for a handyman business

Hiring employees for your handyman business can be scary, especially if you’ve never managed employees before.

That’s why I’m excited to share this interview with Rick McFadden.

Rick has managed roughly 300 employees during his corporate career and owns a handyman business in Colorado with nine full-time employees. [continue reading…]

How to grow a landscaping business

In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Bryan Clayton – founder and CEO of GreenPal.

I loved this interview because Bryan breaks down some essential skills that all entrepreneurs need – whether you have your sights on growing a massive landscaping business or are happy keeping things small. [continue reading…]

Handyman Estimates

After ten years of estimating handyman jobs, I’ve learned a few tricks. And in this article, I will share everything you need to know to estimate jobs quickly and accurately. [continue reading…]

Ace Handyman Services Franchise Interview

As I’ve said before, there are several ways to start a profitable handyman business.

And while starting your business from scratch is typically the most profitable route, I’d be doing my readers and listeners a disservice if I didn’t explore the idea of handyman franchises.

That’s why when a representative of Ace Handyman Services asked if I’d like to interview Colette Bell – VP of franchise development for Ace Handyman Services, I jumped at the opportunity. [continue reading…]

Overcoming Setbacks

Unexpected challenges and setbacks are unavoidable when growing a business, and if not managed properly, can really fuck up your progress.

One day you might feel on top of the world, then BAM, a customer gives you a bad review, you lose a job you quoted, and you find out that your sales are dropping.

Or, maybe you are just starting your business, and your enthusiasm gets squashed by realizing there is a LOT more competition than expected. [continue reading…]

Handyman Pricing Pitfalls

Few business mistakes are worse (or more common) than consistently undercharging.

You’ve done all of the work to get the customer, they hired you, and then you did more work to complete the project for them. The only problem is that you don’t make enough money to justify the time and effort if you undercharge.

You waste your time, and you don’t get that time back. [continue reading…]