Starting a handyman business

Probably the single best thing about starting a handyman business is there's almost no limit to what you can do. With a base set of carpentry, mechanical and electrician skills you can diversify a handyman business like no other. If you don't have the skills, you can still start a handyman business. Just locate other handyman businesses in your area and create sub-contract relationships with them. You market and sell your services and have someone else do the work.

If you have some of the skills you can always outsource the ones you don't have. If you're a handyman specializing in interior carpentry and painting, you may find some of your customers also need lawn care. Create a relationship with a lawn care business and mark up their services ten or twenty percent.

You can also sharpen your skills and ad more services as your handyman business grows. You'd be surprised at how many things you can learn by just using Google. When you have down time use the internet to learn things. Just go to Google and type in things like, How to install replacement windows, how to do basic plumbing, how to wire a light switch. You'll be amazed at the amount of information out there, and it's all free. Under newest resources below you can find some marketing tips for your handyman business.

The quickest way to get business for your handyman company?
Go to places like home depot, Lowes and other home furnishing companies and get on the subcontractor list.

Before going to far.
Realize that starting a business is hard work. It can be frustrating initially and competition is often fierce. If you are a budding entrepreneur and you currently have a job start your handyman business on weekends and after normal working hours. Test yourself to see if you have the sales skills necessary to succeed. Make sure if you're walking out the door of your job that you have at least enough money set aside to give yourself an honest chance at success. Even if you have a few jobs or customers lined up the pay may not come as quickly as planned.

Get the operations part figured out.
Up front planning is another essential ingredient. You'll need to have a plan for paying bills, paying employees, sending invoices to customers, paying your taxes and all of the other office functions associated with running a business. You'll also need to arrange parts and materials suppliers.

What if you get sick?
In any small service business where one person does all or most of the work you'll need a contingency plan if you become incapacitated. This is something you can take your time on and get it done right. If you don't know another handyman you can trust you'll have to look around and get some references.

Use tools to increase efficiency.
A software program like quickbooks or Microsoft money can drastically reduce the amount of time it takes to perform your daily and weekly office tasks. Once you buy the program make sure you go through the training modules. The time you spend will return the investment many times over. I'd also highly recommend using a project management program like Microsoft Project. Organization is not one of the defining characteristics of small businessman any more than it is for people who like to work with their hands. We need all the help we can get. You don't need the latest greatest computer to run these programs effectively. Something for five or six hundred dollars along with a decent quality laser printer will make a world of difference in starting your business on the right foot.

Mr. Handyman franchise
If you have the funds a handyman franchise may be a better approach. This is especially true if you don't have the necessary skills as this franchise offers support and helps you to hire the right people to do the work. You function more as a business owner and operations manager. They'll help you with the entire hiring process to staff your handyman business. This is a very rapidly growing market. As more baby boomers retire and begin to age they are going to be less likely to peform minor repairs around the house and will increasingly look to a handyman to do these things for them.

Handyman marketing tips We'll give you some sound advice to help you get those first customers quickly.