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Sarah White. Start & Run a Handyman Business
START & RUN A HANDYMAN BUSINESS
Introduction
1. The Handyman Business: An Opportunity Waiting for You
1. What a Handyman Does
2. Do You Have What It Takes?
3. Advantages and Disadvantages
4. Part Time or Full Time?
4.1 Part time
4.2 Full time
2. Getting Started
1. Your Goals and Expectations
2. Sizing Up the Market
2.1 Market size
2.2 Market research
2.3 Facing the competition
3. Developing Your Business Plan
4. Business and Legal Requirements
4.1 Zoning and licensing
4.2 Form of business
4.3 Insurance
4.4 Naming your business
4.5 Hiring employees or contract staff
5. Accounting Basics
5.1 Bookkeeping
5.2 Your balance sheet
5.3 Tax requirements
6. Getting Professional Help for Your Business
3. Setting Up Shop
1. Getting Organized
2. Your Home Headquarters
2.1 Keeping records
2.2 Communication needs
2.3 Your office environment
2.4 Tax advantages to the home office
2.5 Keeping your home and office separate
3. Your Vehicle — An Office Away from Home
3.1 Van, truck, or car?
3.2 Using trailers and wagons
3.3 Vehicle supplies
4. Tools — The Handyman’s Best Friend
4.1 A basic tool kit
4.2 The right tools for the job
4. Marketing Your Business
1. Letterhead and Business Cards
2. Word of Mouth
3. Advertising
4. Build on Existing Clients
5. Networking
6. Marketing Tips
5. Meeting the Customer’s Needs
1. Estimates, Quotes, and Pricing
1.1 Understanding quotes and estimates
1.2 What to charge
1.3 Invoicing
2. Scheduling. 2.1 Planning for a job
3. Organizing the Work Site
4. Serving Your Customers Well
5. Dealing with Difficult Situations
5.1 Not getting paid
5.2 Damaged property
5.3 Family arguments
5.4 Unhappy customers
6. When There Is Too Much Work
6.1 Saying no to work
6.2 Hiring help
7. Summary — The Key to Customer Service
6. The Handyman at Work: On-the-Job Tips and Techniques
1. Doing the Right Job at the Right Time
2. Working on New Homes
3. Working on Older Homes
4. Painting Like a Pro
4.1 Painting preparation
4.2 Oil or latex?
4.3 How much paint will you need?
4.4 Cleanup tips
5. Working with Plaster and Drywall
6. Plumbing Pointers
7. Rules for Roofing
8. Yard Work
9. Taking on Wildlife
9.1 Removing animals
9.2 Pest prevention
7. Keeping Up with Trends — Some Ideas for Today’s Market
1. Accessibility and Universal Design
2. Home Energy Audits
3. Home Checkups
4. Home Security
5. Keeping on Top of Trends
8. Building Safety and Quality into Your Day
1. Using Safety Equipment
2. Assessing the Situation for Safety Concerns
3. The Safety of Your Customers
4. A Word about Ladders
5. Taking Care of Yourself
5.1 Staying fit and safe
5.2 Taking time off
9. Looking to the Future
Acknowledgments
Dedication
About the Author
Other Titles in the Start & Run Series
Notice to Readers
Self-Counsel Press thanks you for purchasing this ebook
Contents
Отрывок из книги
There is no denying that service businesses are needed more than ever today. It seems everyone is busier than ever with extended workdays, multiple family responsibilities, and other demands on their time. Families of all sizes want to enjoy their free time as they see fit, and for many that means choosing leisure time over the stress of the endless household maintenance tasks required to keep a home running smoothly. Yet most people still want order and functionality, and they recognize the need to keep their homes and property in good working order. The answer for many busy people today is to turn to a handyman to get the job done.
This book is written for anyone who would like to take advantage of the growing need for handyman services and turn it into a viable business. It is also written for those who are thinking of working as a handyman part time, perhaps to earn some extra income or simply to enjoy helping others do those things they cannot or do not want to do themselves. The book is premised on you, the reader, having some skills and experience in solving household maintenance problems. By adding a few professional techniques and a business strategy offered in this book, you will be well on your way to starting and running a successful, independent handyman business.
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The wonderful thing about having your own business is how flexible it can be. As the owner of your business you can decide when, where, and on what you will work. You will also decide for whom and for how much money. The key is finding the right balance of working the way you want and making enough money to meet your goals.
Handymen and women are often part-timers. The handyman business is often a great fit for retirees who are too young to stop working entirely, but who don’t want the nine-to-five grind any longer. As a part-time business it also works well for anyone caring for other family members, be they children or elderly parents, and who wants or needs to work part time outside the home.
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