Handyman Startup

Branding your work vehicle is an easy form of advertising that works.

Not only can throwing some vinyl graphics on your work truck gain you a few leads here and there, but it also helps to build authority and trust with your customers – two things that should be at the heart of your marketing strategy.

But just like anything else, it will only be effective if executed properly.

In this article, I discuss the many benefits of branding your vehicle and what to consider before you do. I’ll then discuss available options and offer insights that I have gained through the experience of branding my handyman truck. [continue reading…]

As a home service professional, developing new skills to keep up with the competition is necessary.  For handymen, learning new skills is basically our job description.

Not only is learning new skills important, but learning how to learn new skills efficiently is getting ever more important.  We are now in what is commonly known as the information age.  That means it is easier than ever to get starting with your business, but it also means that more people have access to quality information.  That means more competition.

This tells me that in order to get ahead and pull away from the pack, developing a system for learning rapidly could mean the difference between success and failure.

In this podcast, I discuss: [continue reading…]

The way I see it, there are three types of handymen out there.  The ones that make a great income doing something they enjoy, the ones that barely get by, and the ones scattered in the middle.

What is it that separates these really successful handymen from the ones that only bring in $20/hour?  Is it their home repair knowledge?  Is it how many years of experience they have?  Is it their ability to build trust with customers?

The answer is….Yes.

However, even if you are knowledgeable, experienced, trustworthy, professional, and answer your phone on time, you may still find yourself eating Ramen noodles for dinner.  Now I don’t know about you, but I prefer steak.

Do you like steak?  If so, you’ll want to avoid these common handyman business pitfalls… [continue reading…]

Welcome to my June 2013 monthly income report!

This marks the end of my 19th month in business as a handyman and also my 19th report.

Just in case you’re a Handyman Startup first timer, I write these reports each month discussing my business in detail.  I share how much money I made, what marketing methods brought me that money, my expenses, and other useful insight for all you handymen who want to go pro and dominate the home service industry.

If you want to make more money while only working for customers you like, these reports are for you.  If you don’t enjoy your current 9-5 job and desperately want to quit, these reports are for you, too.

Here’s what I’ll discuss in this month’s report:

• Record Profits for my Handyman Business and an awesome hourly rate.
• How my truck graphics paid for themselves twice over this month.
• Another reason to treat your existing customers like gold.
• Why I failed at my goal and what I plan to do about it. [continue reading…]

I’m taking the entire week off from my handyman services to celebrate Independence Day, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity.

This excitement about the ability to control my schedule and take time off at will has my brain turning with all of the benefits of owning a small business, specifically, a handyman business.
[continue reading…]

Welcome to my May 2013 monthly income report!  I’ve been writing these reports each month since I started my business and this marks my 18th month in business as a handyman.  1.5 years baby!

For those of you that enjoy my podcast, good news!  This month, you can listen to my monthly report as I’ve featured it on the Handyman Startup Podcast.  You can find it in the itunes store or listen to it directly from this page (bottom of page).  Enjoy, and don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!

In these reports I share my income for each month, how I made that money, how much it cost to make that money, and anything interesting that happened along the way.  I also share tips to help you dominate the home service industry.

If you are first time reader of the blog, I’m not rich (yet :)).  In fact, this is my first business and I still have a lot to learn.  However, I’ve successfully created an income stream that supports my lifestyle doing something that I enjoy and have complete freedom over.    I used to work as a mechanical engineer and absolutely hated what I did.  Somehow, I mustered up the courage to quit and start something on my own.  It was the best career decision I’ve ever made.  Now, I’d like to help you create the same level of freedom that I’ve created.  [continue reading…]

Are you thinking about starting a part-time handyman business, but aren’t sure if it’s worth the effort?

If you like to work with your hands and enjoy being in control of your own time, then being a handyman is pretty awesome.  Not only can you make good money doing it, but if set up properly, it can actually be fun.  Additionally, you get to do things your own way – something I especially enjoy.

These positive aspects of the business draw a lot of people in and that’s why some of my readers, despite having jobs they enjoy, want to start a part-time handyman business on the side.  A few have asked for my thoughts on part-time handyman business.  Well, here they are.

In this post, I’m going to dive into the pros and cons of starting a part-time handyman business to help you determine if it’s worth your time and effort. [continue reading…]

It’s no secret that internet marketing is where it’s at these days whether you are selling a product online or trying to generate new leads for your handyman business.  Other marketing methods such as direct mail and flyers are also effective, but they cost more and are (in my opinion) more difficult to execute properly.

In this episode of the Handyman Startup podcast, I share my most powerful online marketing strategy for my handyman business – blogging for business.

The blog posts I have created for my handyman business website have driven customers my way starting as early as my third month in business.  Not only  that, but blog posts I wrote over a year ago are still bringing me high quality customers every week.  The beautiful thing is that each blog post I write only takes a couple of hours maximum.  Talk about ROI!

These blog posts have allowed me to turn off all other forms of advertising and still have more than enough business to keep me satisfied. [continue reading…]

Welcome to my April 2013 monthly report!  I write these reports at the end of each month and this one marks my 17th month in business as a handyman.

In these reports, I share how much money I made in the last month, how I made that money and anything interesting that happened in the process.  I also share quality tips to help you either start or grow your own handyman business.  I’ve been writing these reports since my second month in business so you can really get an idea of what it’s like.

If you are new to the blog, I’m not a millionaire marketing guru (far from it).  In fact, this is my first business and I still have a lot to learn.  However, I have created a solid income for myself as a handyman and I actually enjoy what I do (something not many people can say).  I do things my way and on my terms – an ability I hold in very high regard.  I would like to help you do the same and enjoy the same level of freedom that I’ve created.  (If you’re interested)  I’m not going to lie to you and tell you it’s easy to do, but it is definitely worth the effort!

April was an absolutely amazing month.  I worked for some really great new customers while strengthening relationships with other customers (of course, only the ones that I want to work with).  I was even fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take a trip to Chicago for a week.  I also made some changes to the way I schedule my customers which has drastically improved my working experience.  I think you’ll like this one. [continue reading…]