Handyman Startup

Last spring I took a camping trip to Yosemite National Park, which was probably the coolest place I’ve ever been.

While hiking to the top of Yosemite Falls, I came across a guy who owned a window installation company in Washington State. Let’s call him Cliff for the sake of this story.

I always try to learn from other contractors so I took this opportunity to ask Cliff some questions about his business.

I was immediately hooked. Here was somebody I could learn from.  He had thirty years of window contracting experience with fifteen years as the business owner.

I was drawn to Cliff’s confidence as well as his level of experience. You could tell he had stuff figured out. The fact that he was in Yosemite with his family gave him points in my book. Plus he was a beast hiking up the trail.

At the time, I was struggling with pricing my services and always questioning whether I was too cheap or too expensive. So as I followed him up the steep mountain trail, I asked him how he determined his pricing. [continue reading…]

As a handyman and writer of this blog, I’m always on the lookout for new ways of getting customers. More specifically, I’m always looking for low maintenance ways of getting customers.

Personally, I don’t like to spend a lot of time marketing my handyman business. Instead, I like to put in focused effort on the 20% of marketing methods that generate 80% of my new leads. This allows me to make a full time living as a handyman while only working 3 days a week.

A few weeks ago while shopping for supplies at a local Lowe’s, I saw an ad at the end of the isle (as shown in the image to the right) and was instantly intrigued. Lowe’s now had it’s own directory for recommending professionals.

Just as Home Depot has done with RedBeacon, Lowe’s was now working on a way to connect their customers with qualified home service pros.

I don’t know about where you live, but a lot of people in my city shop a Lowe’s. But more importantly, a lot of non-contractor’s shop at Lowe’s.

This could be a game changer for many handymen.

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2020: Porch has evolved over time and some of it’s features have changed since I wrote this post back in 2014. While I still believe it has potential, I can’t necessarily recommend it like I used to. As always, make a decision to try it based on your unique situation and if it doesn’t get results, stop using it.

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Time for another episode of the Handyman Startup Podcast!  In this session, I sit down with social media expert, Rick Mulready.

We’ve all been hearing the buzz about social media over the last couple years, and there is no doubt it can be a powerful marketing strategy for businesses of all sizes.  Just take a look at Dollar Shave Club, who built a business based on social media marketing almost exclusively.

Social sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, and the like are reshaping how we think about promoting our businesses and as far as I can tell, they aren’t going away any time soon.

That’s why I asked Rick Mulready of the Inside Social Media Podcast to join me to discuss how us handymen and other home service providers can take advantage of social media to get more customers.

Rick  has over 12 years of corporate internet marketing experience gained from working for companies like AOL, Yahoo!, and Funny or Die. [continue reading…]

In this episode of The Handyman Startup Podcast, I discuss a fundamental part of any good marketing strategy – Your story.

You may be thinking, “who cares about my story, I’m just a regular dude starting a handyman business.”

That’s what I thought when I first started my handyman business, too.  I thought customers just wanted to have an experienced handyman fix what they needed fixed and to leave when they were done.

Man was I wrong.

Customers do care about your story.  In fact, it can significantly impact their hiring decisions.  If you can craft a decent story that includes at least one of five key elements, you will not only attract more customers, but you’ll attract more loyal customers.  I’m talking about customers that recommend you to their friends, give you online reviews, and hire you over and over, without you even asking them too.

My story has certainly helped me with my business, as it has with Christy Webber, Nick May, and Chris Maxwell-Gaines.  So, I spent some time researching and breaking down what makes a good story and why a good sales story is so effective.  I’ve recorded this podcast to share what I’ve learned with hopes that it will help your business.

Enjoy!

Here’s what I discuss in this episode:

• The 5 critical components of a good sales story.
• Examples of good sales stories.
• How to use your story to generate more leads and build loyalty.
• What a sales story is NOT.

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I didn’t even want the job, yet there I was again, driving my truck down the highway on a hot summer day on my way to give a free quote for a gutter repair.

I was new and didn’t know any better. I thought all handymen gave free quotes.

So there I was, taking precious time out of my day for a job I didn’t even want.

After my long drive, I got out my 65 pound ladder, dragged it and positioned it beneath the gutters, climbed it, and immediately noticed that I needed a special bracket to repair them. I didn’t know where to get the brackets.

So, I turned down the job.

An hour and a half of my time gone with nothing to show for it.

During the drive back I was annoyed and frustrated about wasting so much time and gas. Even if I would have been able to do the job, it wouldn’t have been worth the extra trip for a quote.

Yet, I did this same thing dozens of times. It was one of the many ways I wasted money as a handyman.

Does this situation sound familiar to you? Do you feel like you’re wasting time with free quotes?

I think we’ve all done it.

However, I’ve since learned my lesson, and giving free quotes is no longer something I waste my time with.

Here’s why…
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In this episode of the Handyman Startup Podcast, I sit down with Ed Padilla, founder of ACHP (Association of Certified Handyman Professionals).

Ed has a really interesting story.  After being trapped in the corporate rat race for several years, he realized that he wanted something else.  So, he quit his job and capitalized on the demand he could see present for home repairs.

In 2006 he started Padilla Home Inspection and Handyman Services.  Soon after getting started, he noticed that handymen had a terrible reputation in the eyes of homeowners.  Tired of getting the stink-eye every time he entered a home, he had the urge to change this perspective.

Three years later, he took action and created ACHP, a non-profit, member based organization  to help handymen all over the country appear more reputable to homeowners.  Now, ACHP is growing and offering benefits to it’s members such as great insurance rates.

I’m honored to have Ed on the podcast.  He’s doing great things for the handyman industry and by listening to him you get the sense that he really cares about our industry.

Here’s what we cover in this episode: [continue reading…]

Leaving your 9-5 and starting your first business can be a scary thought.  I know I was scared when I first decided to quit my job and go out on my own in 2011.

I was working at a desk job I absolutely hated and desperately wanted to start my own business.  I wanted to do anything but work at that life draining job.  But, I couldn’t even decide on a business to start, let alone create a plan that made me feel secure.

I’d read business books in an attempt to learn more, but they all made it sound so complicated and challenging.  Business was so foreign to me and it seemed like I needed to have a unique idea to be successful.  I had no idea where to start.

After struggling for over a year to create an escape plan, I finally decided to just get started.  For me, that meant quitting my job even though I didn’t know the next step.

It was the best decision I’ve ever made and led me to start a business that I love.

However, it still wasn’t easy to choose a business.  I had to find something that I knew I could make work and with little startup capital.  I didn’t have the option to fail, and I’m sure you don’t either.  Maybe that’s why you haven’t made the jump yet.

Since leaving my job, I’ve learned a lot about business and what it means to take the risk of setting out on your own.  One thing that I’ve realized is that it isn’t as risky as most people think.  In fact, I believe it’s less risky than putting all of your eggs in the 9-5 basket.

So, if your dream is to own your own business and simply can’t afford to fail, here are 5 steps to ensure your success.  My hope is that they motivate you to get started. [continue reading…]

In this episode of the Handyman Startup Podcast I’ve got a special guest – Chuck Solomon.  Chuck is a former handyman business owner, an author of multiple books, and a business consultant.

He’s literally written the book on how to start and grow a handyman business.  (See resources below for a link.)  He’s also just an all around nice guy who’s looking to help tradesmen like you grow your business.

Just like most handymen, Chuck kind of fell into the business and before he knew it had a list of customers asking him to do all kinds of work.  He capitalized on the opportunity, offered excellent service, and soon enough he was running a successful biz.

After 10 years, Chuck decided to hang his hat and sell his business and became a consultant.  He’s now using the valuable knowledge he gained during his own journey to help others.

Back in episode #10, Jim Copenhaver talks about the importance of mentors.  Chuck was one of the mentor’s he was speaking of who helped him build his business.

Talking to Chuck in this episode is very humbling as it makes me realize that there is still a lot I can learn about this business.

Here are a few things we cover in this episode: [continue reading…]

Online reviews have a significant impact on both the amount and quality of leads you get online.

If you are looking to grow your business, increase your rates, or reach a higher quality clientele, then online review sites certainly deserve some attention.

However, if you’re anything like me or most handymen, you probably have a hundred other things to worry about and don’t give them the attention they deserve.  That’s a shame because the ROI can be massive.

In this article I’m going to demonstrate importance of online reviews and provide five tips I’ve learned along the way that  have helped me maintain mostly positive reviews with minimal effort. [continue reading…]