Open a handyman business and become your own boss.
A handyman can work either on interior repairs or on exterior chores and landscaping. Professional training or certification are not required to complete home repair or improvement tasks, but may make a handyman gain more customers.
Business Planning
When planning to start a new business, you need to determine the types of services or jobs you will provide. You could focus the offerings of the business on just one aspect of repair or construction purposes or offer an array of services for potential customers. A price list should be created to let customers know what you will charge per job or per hour. A handyman business really does not require an office, but working as an independent contractor will require record keeping. Being self-employed means you will have to keep track or your income and report your earnings with a 1099 form for tax purposes. When preparing to open the business, you should also purchase business cards and compile a list of references or testimonials from former customers to share upon request when offering estimates for new customers.
Landscaping Handyman Business
A landscaping handyman business focuses on outdoor jobs such as clearing brush, mowing lawns, planting trees, bushes and flower gardens. A landscaper may also offer services such as creating water features and backyard decorative ponds for customers. Landscaping jobs may range from simply running a weed-eater to installing solar or electrically powered outdoor lighting and sprinkler systems. To generate customers during cold weather months a landscaping business could also include snow removal, salt spreading on pavement and setting-up holiday displays. If you live in a rural area, you could hire yourself out to do the chopping and delivering of fire wood for residential customers
Repair and Small Construction Handyman Business
Repair and small construction handyman businesses offer services such as remodeling of kitchens and bathrooms. Common duties could include installing new countertops, hanging cabinet doors and replacing water faucets and commodes. General interior handyman projects include painting both interior and exterior of homes, building a porch or deck and skilled utility repairs. Electrical and plumbing tasks might require certification from a city or county agency and code inspections. You should check with local building code or permit offices when establishing a handyman business to avoid possible fines or "stop work" orders from being issued to the customer.
Small Business Promotion
After solidifying the ideas for the type of handyman business and completing the basic steps to offer services, you need to let potential customers know you exist. Advertisements take money, something small business typically do not have a lot of at start-up. Local newspapers are one way to reach potential customers, but not necessarily the best or only way. Take advantage of free online resources to reach a broad base. You can create accounts on social networking websites to promote your business. Make sure to include photos of completed projects and all necessary contact information. Reach out to the community on a more personal level by making a YouTube video to introduce yourself or make a virtual tour of completed projects.
