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Handyman business

hockeyfan21hockeyfan21 subscriber Posts: 3
edited January 2016 in Selecting a Business
 Looking for some advice on my idea.  I want to start a handyman business but am not a handyman, contractor, etc, other than working on my own home. My idea is to run the business side of things, marketing, accounting, setting appointments, etc. and hire a field coordinator who can do estimates, keep track of contractors on jobs and also do some jobs. I will have around 75k in startup capital and do not want to give half of that to a franchise so I want to start from the ground up. Does anyone have any insight into the feasibility of doing this or is there just too much for one person to do in this line of business? As outdated as it is, I am somewhat concerned about a female being accepted into this type of business but think I would be good at the business side of it.
 
Thanks
 
Toni

Comments

  • KevDevKevDev subscriber Posts: 5 Member
    Toni:
    I think this is something worth pursuing. I`ve known others with the same idea. The problem will be in convincing your prospective partners that you will be able to actually increase their income by allowing them to work more billable hours. You`d think this would be a no-brainer, but it will take some salemanship (or saleswomanship!).
    I`m guessing your being female will not be a significant impediment. Oh, some of the good ol` boys won`t give you the time of day, but seeing as how a lot of male contractors have their wives handle much of their paperwork, I`m guessing you`ll find some will be happy to consider your ideas.
    Let us know what you decide to do. Good luck!
  • HomeBusinessFrontiersHomeBusinessFrontiers subscriber Posts: 0
    Hi Toni,
    You may find our site www.homebusinessfrontiers.com to be helpful in finding a home based handyman business to invest in.
    Best of luck to you,
  • hockeyfan21hockeyfan21 subscriber Posts: 3
    Thanks for the feedback KevDev,
     
    I have a male friend who is a contractor that I am hoping I can bring over. I will gather all my expense numbers and see if I can get it off the ground in the next six months. My focus will be on customer service - friendliness, being on time 95% of the time and contacting the customer right away the other 5%, community service, etc. I have had many handymen come to my home and, as soon as they find out that there is no man living here, their attitude completely changes and all of a sudden I`m an idiot and don`t deserve their respect. It`s usually the "good ol boys" so I will be very particular in my hiring practices. 
     
    Thanks again!
     
     
  • SecurityProfessionalSecurityProfessional subscriber Posts: 2
    Toni,
     
    You may find that being a female is actually an advantage, especially when dealing with homeowners. For example, in a somewhat related field (home alarm systems) one of the most successful salespeople I have ever known was a female. She outsold her male counterparts by about 4:1. One of her major strengths was the ability to explain technical things in a non-technical way to the average homeowner. People just plain trusted her. I think you could do the same thing in the handyman business.
     
    One thing you need to check on right away (if you haven`t already) is the state licensing requirements for a business of your type. In many states, anything other than very minor repair work is considered "contracting" and requires a contractor`s license. This usually entails getting a bond and insurance. Many states also require that the company obtaining a license have a licensed "administrator" on staff. You sometimes need to take a test and/or have a minimum number of years of contracting experience in order to get this credential.
     
    There are lots of legalities and consumer protection laws surrounding the contracting business. You want to be careful that you don`t get stuck in the middle of a transaction where you sold the work and the contractor you hired to perform the job failed to execute. You, who had the contract with the homeowner, would normally be liable in such a case. 
    SecurityProfessional2/11/2008 8:46 PM
  • hockeyfan21hockeyfan21 subscriber Posts: 3
    Thanks for the feedback SecurityProfessional, all good points. Oregon does require a contractor`s license and insurance/bond and I am currently studying for it. My understanding is that any employees I hire could work under my license but contractors would need their own. 
     
    I am hoping that my "way with people" will help in my customer service efforts as I will be focusing on friendliness, being on-time, communication and customer satisfaction. I know I can do it, just trying to get the nerve to pull the trigger, this forum definitely is helping with that.
    I did find a lower-cost franchise, HomeTask that I am investigating, and am meeting with them next weekend in Portland. As much as I really don`t want to pay a franchise fee and royalties it would be nice to have systems in place already rather than having to create new ones, that way I can focus on my second biggest fear, hiring the right people. The franchise fee and other requirements are the lowest of the 6 or 7 I have already investigated and they don`t require you to get an office space, allowing you to work out of your home.
    hockeyfan212/12/2008 9:03 AM
  • HandymanEdgeHandymanEdge subscriber Posts: 0
    I would suggest that you start the business on your own without going through franchising. If you would like tips and tricks and great overall advice and solutions for starting a handyman business please check out http://handymanedge.com
  • jasonburtonjasonburton subscriber Posts: 0 Member
    I am inspired with this site http://caldwells.com/ selling second hand and recylcled doors and other furniture.
  • karrenweizekarrenweize subscriber Posts: 0
    Get to know http://www.javateakoutdoorfurniture.com/ , they started from a simple stuff now become a great supplier of teak wood furniture, they specialized in out door furnishing. Furniture shop is best business to start.
  • KevinFoxKevinFox subscriber Posts: 0
    Toni,

    You can listen to HandyManEdge and disregard franchising. However, over 50% of non-franchise businesses fail within 5 years and franchises have a better record of survival and success. Some people think paying royalties is an issue, but in most cases paying a small royalty actually enhances your profitability by consolidating professional services provided by the franchisor... I have personally owned and sold multiple franchises in my lifetime and actually saved hundreds of thousands of dollars by paying royalties and obtaining franchisor support.

    The decision for business startup should consider the options of non-franchise as well as franchise options... and to completely disregard either option is, in my opinion, negligent.

    Here are links to a couple of my reviews of HandyMan franbchise options:

    Mr. Handyman: http://franchisebusiness.reviews/reside ... se-review/

    Handyman Connection: http://franchisebusiness.reviews/reside ... se-review/

    I wish you the best in your search. May your future be happy and fulfilling

    Give me a call if you have any questions.

    Kevin Fox
    (702)326-0070
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