Starting a Handyman Business

Handyman businesses are an old concept which has become more and more sought after in today’s busy times. As a new business venture, starting a handyman business has its advantages. Firstly, handyman businesses are a mobile. With no office, factory or warehouse to purchase, handymen are able to store their tools in their vehicle and drive to jobs in locations of their choice.

They provide independence for those who prefer to control their working day and flexibility for those with families or other important commitments.

While it may seem less complex than other business types, starting a handyman business does involve a number of key steps.

Finances & Insurance

 

Are you financially ready to start up your own business? Do you have the required funds or do you need to seek finance? A lender will most likely request to see a business plan which leaves no stone unturned.

Insurance is a key area which is often overlooked. What if your actions were to cause property damage or serious injury to a third party? Most commercial entities require that you have public liability insurance to protect themselves from any potential errors on your behalf. Other important insurance policies include tool insurance and vehicle insurance.

Branding

 

Then you’ll need to come up with a name and a logo. There is more to this than most people realise! For your own protection it’s important to do your research and check that your ideal handyman business name isn’t already in use or protected. Unless you or someone you know has sufficient design skills, it’s best to hire a designer to produce a logo which represents your business in a professional manner.

Gaining Leads

 

Another key step to plan out early is your marketing strategy. How will you receive jobs? In the past, handymen would use an outbound strategy and approach property owners, however nowadays inbound strategies are more successful. Most handymen gain clients online using various strategies to draw relevant clients to their website and request quotes in online forms.

It takes time to implement an online strategy. The first step is to create a website. Like creating a logo, unless you are fortunate to have connections in this industry, it’s best to hire a professional to build this. Your website is a reflection of your entire business; a poor website is less likely to gain leads.

Your website won’t receive first page Google rankings straight away, so you may wish to invest in pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. This is mostly conducted through Google AdWords and Facebook. When a PPC campaign is correctly set up, it will provide you with a solid return on your investment, however a poorly implemented ad campaign will take your money and provide nothing in return. This is another area where experience is essential.

Quoting and Managing Your Money

 

Now that you’re ready to receive clients, you’ll need to plan your quoting strategy. A common error is to offer the lowest rates to lure in clients. However this makes it difficult to cover your costs and is hardly sustainable in the long-term. It places you in a position where you’re no better off than when you were a wage-earner!

It’s important to have a realistic idea of how much you need to charge to cover your costs and receive a level of profit which you can be satisfied with long term, while also providing value for clients.

Quoting clients is also a skill in itself. Most people shop around and receive quotes from numerous handymen. How are you going to stand out from those? You don’t want to be judged solely on your price, it’s important to demonstrate the value and professionalism your quote offers.

It’s easy to think about handyman work as arriving at a client’s property, performing the requested task and then leaving. However, there’s more to it than this. There is also an element of financial organisation and bookkeeping which requires regular attention. Bookkeeping is a skill in itself which takes time to learn, but will make it easier to recover key information at a later date. It’s also critical to monitor your client invoices, ensuring payments have been made and following up on any which are overdue.

Tools of the Trade

 

Now you have clients, you’ll need the right equipment and tools to perform your handyman services. Handymen are genuine problem-solvers who perform a broad range of tasks. You’ll be restricted by how many tools you can fit into your vehicle, as well as your budget, so ensure you can cover a wide range of tasks with what you’ve got.

Making it Happen

 

As you can see, it takes skills and knowledge from a multitude of facets to implement and operate a successful handyman business. It’s rare for one person to already possess all the above skills, most possess excellent on-the-job fixing skills yet lack the necessary business skills, or they come from a white-collar background where they have gained valuable business skills, yet lack the hands-on repairing and constructing skills.

At Triple O Property Maintenance, we take onboard individuals who find themselves in the above situation, but are driven to learn and to succeed. We identify your strengths and weaknesses and ensure you’re well trained in all aspects you need to successfully run your handyman business. When you succeed, we succeed, so there’s no chance of us leaving you unprepared!

As part of the Triple O Property Maintenance handyman franchise, you don’t need to worry about many of the aforementioned aspects of starting, growing and maintaining your handyman business. Business name, logo, website, marketing, leads – these are all taken care of for you. We’ll show you what tools and inventory you need, teach you practical on-the-job skills, how to win quotes and invoice clients, how to stay on top of your bookkeeping, and ensure you’re insured and compliant.

Our franchisees find that becoming part of Triple O Property Maintence, it actually saves them money, particularly when starting their business. Avoiding the costs of website construction, marketing and by doing things right the first time, franchisees are making profits faster.

Triple O Property Maintenance has successful franchisees operating in their own exclusive territories in Melbourne’s South and Eastern suburbs, and Mornington Peninsula, and has further opportunities throughout Melbourne.

To find out more, Enquire today and we will contact you for a friendly chat!