In this episode of the Handyman Startup Podcast I share 7 of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned in the last 3 years in business. These are lessons that have changed my mindset and the way I view business, people, and the world in general.
Today marks exactly three years since I quit my engineering job and decided to venture out on my own in an attempt to control my own destiny and design a better life for myself.
Deciding to quit on that day was the best (and hardest) decision I’ve ever made for myself. Because of that decision I was able to start a successful handyman business, create this website, and enjoy the entire experience (well, most of it).
That’s pretty cool considering that while working as an engineer I was depressed, out of shape, and really unhappy. Things have pretty much made a 180 degree turn for the better.
While quitting my job was a great decision, it wasn’t always easy. There were a lot of struggles over the last three years and many times where I wanted to give up and just go get another job. There’s a steep learning curve as a beginning entrepreneur. But, with the support of my readers, friends, and family I was able to stick it out.
Through those struggles I learned a LOT, often times things that I didn’t even know I needed to learn. That’s what this latest podcast is all about – those major lessons I’ve learned along the way.
I’m excited to share these with you today because they are things I think about all the time. It’s great to share my story with the hope that it may help you along your journey to dominate life and start a successful handyman business.
Here is a sneak peak of what you can expect in this episode:
- Why you shouldn’t care if a customers say your too expensive.
- Why saying no is such a valuable skill.
- Why you shouldn’t even worry about your competition.
- How to learn what you don’t know you don’t know.
- My best tips and secrets on how to enjoy this business to the fullest and design it exactly how you want.
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One of the best things about running a handyman business is the incredible demand for your services. There are hundreds of services you can offer and a huge variety of customers to offer them to.
This is great because you can pretty much run your business however you want. If you don’t like working with certain customers, you don’t have to. If you don’t like certain services, you don’t have to do them.
That’s pretty awesome.
However, this is only possible if you’re marketing is dialed in. I believe that you’re ability to enjoy your business and craft it into something that works for you is directly tied to your marketing strategy.
If your marketing strategy sucks, you’ll have to design your lifestyle around your business. Not fun. If you can successfully target the right customers for the right services, you can have a business that is designed around your lifestyle.
In this article, I discuss three ways you can target your customers to have a more effective marketing strategy (and more fun). [continue reading…]
In this episode of the Handyman Startup Podcast, I’ve got something special for all you landscaping contractors out there.
I bring on Christy Webber of Christy Webber Landscapes in Chicago, IL and uncover her story and how she went from a small town lady mowing lawns, to running one of the largest Landscaping companies in Chicago.
I know this isn’t the typical type of guest I bring on the show and Christy isn’t a handyman, but the lessons she shares are applicable to all trades.
Christy’s story is incredible, especially considering that she didn’t graduate with a business degree. In fact, her education was in physical education. She knew nothing about operating a business and just got started mowing lawns. And that’s the key to her success, she just got started.
Her determined attitude and love for her job helped her build a business that currently employs roughly 400 people! Listen in to find out how.
Here’s what we cover in this episode: [continue reading…]
Looking for an easy way to increase your profitability? Consider limiting your service area. That’s what Michael Rodriguez (a.k.a MROD) of BelleCreak Handyman & Remodeling did.
In fact, he built his business while focusing primarily on a single subdivision. Listen in to this episode of the Handyman Startup Podcast to learn all about it.
I’m fascinated with what Michael and his partner Alex were able to achieve. It really goes to show how in demand a good handyman service can be.
Now, I understand that is may sound counterintuitive that limiting your service area can actually be more profitable, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Here are some of the benefits of limiting your service area. [continue reading…]
Last weekend, there was a severe windstorm in my city. I’m talking about wind that shakes the whole house, knocks over trees, and throws patio furniture.
I remember sitting in my living room with my fiancee and we could feel the whole house shaking.
As you can imagine, the wind damaged a lot of properties in my city. I mean, this wasn’t like a tornado or anything like that. But wind gusts were estimated to push 80mph. It was intense. My patio furniture was completely demolished and it even knocked over and destroyed my propane grill.
The aftermath of the windstorm left fences knocked over, roof shingles scattered throughout the streets, and basically just a whole lot of home repairs.
The morning after the storm, my phone was ringing off the hook. People needed their homes fixed. But, where did they look for repairmen and women?
They didn’t open their phone book. They didn’t look in the weekend newspaper (ok, maybe some of them did). They went where they knew they could find somebody to help them – the internet.
The handymen, plumbers, electricians, landscapers, and contractors that positioned themselves with a good online presence are now booked out several weeks with profitable jobs.
And here’s the deal – Those aren’t the only high-quality leads you can generate online. Here are 4 more examples of why good online marketing generates the best leads. [continue reading…]
Welcome to my December 2013 monthly income report!
2013 is over and I’m now entering my third year in business. (which is kind of mind blowing)
It’s been an interesting and exciting ride with plenty of ups and downs and I’ve certainly upped my handyman business skills since I started.
If you are new to the blog, I write these income reports each month to share my story with the hope to inspire others. I believe that if you want it bad enough you can make a great living doing something you love and still have time left to enjoy life.
My goal is to not only achieve that for myself, but help others to as well.
In each report, I share anything interesting that happened during the month, marketing tips, and a profitable featured service that you can start offering in your business. I also share my income and expenses. [continue reading…]
Is your website generating a consistent flow of new customers?
If not, it’s time to figure out why.
At this point, you probably know the importance of having a professional website and what it can do for your business.
However, if you’re like most handymen out there, you aren’t getting very much business from it.
If that sounds like you, your website isn’t working for one of two reasons (maybe even both):
- You aren’t getting any traffic or….
- You aren’t converting your traffic into leads.
Not to worry. In this post I’m going to give you the steps you need in order to turn your website into a lead generation machine. [continue reading…]
You’ve probably heard that word of mouth is the best way to get new customers and grow your business. In fact, you’ve probably heard handymen or other contractor’s claim that they’ve built their business on word of mouth (WOM) alone.
I have no doubt that is true….for a select few.
Unfortunately, these stories leave new handymen with the idea that if they simply “do good work” and treat the customer right, their business will explode with new referrals leaving them picking and choosing between highly profitable and enjoyable jobs.
From my experience that is just not the case and I have a feeling I’m not alone.
Here’s the deal.
Relying on word of mouth alone will significantly limit your business success. It may even cause you to fail.
Here’s why. [continue reading…]
Hire artists for contracting?
That’s what Nick May, founder of Walls By Design, did.
He’s a successful interior painting contractor with over 14 years of experience and get this, he only hires artists! Surprised? Be sure to listen to this episode to find out why.
Here are some other topics we cover in this interview:
- Why targeting high end customers actually brings in a wide variety of customers and gets your phone to ring.
- A unique way that Nick builds relationships with industry partners in order to get into those million dollar homes.
- How hiring employees makes you better at what you do.
- How to hire your first employee (more specifically, how I should hire my first employee.) Where to look, who to hire, and when. [continue reading…]
Welcome to my 24th monthly income report. That means I’ve officially been a handyman business owner for 2 years!
It’s crazy how fast the time has gone and also how much my mindset has changed since I started. I mean, I went from charging $25/hour to demanding a minimum of $60/hour. I had no idea that was possible and I’m so thankful that I was able to achieve this success.
If you are new to the blog, I write these reports each month to detail my successes and failures. Not only that, I also share how much money I made, how much I spent, and what marketing methods brought me my new customers.
Basically, I’m giving you the roadmap to create a successful home service business for yourself.
If you’re tired of working for a boss you hate, or not being in control of your schedule, this content is for you. Or, if you are already operating a home service business and want to gain the edge over your competition, this is for you, too. [continue reading…]
