Six handyman business models that really work
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An handyman – or handy person – business is a simple, easy to start business idea which you can easily start full time or part time. It’s also a business that you can start with almost no money and relatively limited expertise.
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What business models are there within the niche of handyman services? In order to pick the right choice for your company, one has to fully understand:
When it comes down to business and handyman companies, property maintenance and repairs are an extremely broad yet specialized niche. If you’re the average tradesman and you are ready to provide handyman services on you own, you have to make an aware choice for the best business approach suitable for what you have at hand.
Without the shadow of a doubt, the ultimate handyman should handle a wide variety of simple jobs such as painting, decorating, small carpentry, electrician assistance and so forth. Bear in mind that at the same time, a highly specialized tradesman will focus in workmanship. This means there is a big gap between low-end and high-end services in terms of capability, quality and, of course, risk.
To be a person able to perform occasional domestic (or office) repairs, minor fixes and renovations, up to full property refurbishment and rewiring, is often too vast for a single tradesman to handle. You have to be clear if you want to be a one-man operation or if you want start a professional team.
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Many regular, less-skilled homeowners think that a handyman suits most odd jobs, but in reality, there are a few types of tradesmen out there. Different types of craftsmen roles come with different business approaches.
We sum up the evident:
So what are the different takes tradesmen have on handyman services?
Your do-it-all tradesman
This type of handymen usually carries most of the average or below qualifications, dealing with property maintenance and repairs such as simple doorbell repairs, door hanging, minor carpentry, etc.
Instead of tight in-depth specialization, the jack of all trades would rather handle many simple jobs. He is competent with many skills but none in particular. The most ubiquitous inquiries for handyman services have the highest demand rate.
The do-it-all craftsman will aim at a wide range of simple workmanship, such as basic plumbing, off-grid electrician repairs, interior painting, furniture assembly, TV installation, etc. To be a person employed to perform occasional domestic (or office) repairs, minor fixes, or renovations—up to full property refurbishment and rewiring—is often too much for a single tradesman to handle. That’s where risk lies both for clients and providers.
To be the jack-of-all-trades type of tradesman comes with all the benefits of sturdy customer interactions and therefore relations. Mums and dads would rather delegate property maintenance and repairs to a single person for handyman services, rather than a company with different employees. It’s a fact that the amount of minor home repairs is far greater in number than demand for highly specific home refurbishment and renovation jobs. Ubiquitous repairs such as lighting fixes pop up way more often than full bathroom refurbishments, for instance.
Another crucial factor for handymen to walk the jack-of-all-trades path are legal restrictions.
Tradesmen licensing and permits don’t come easy. To work as a certified handyman, you might have to be accredited. Certification varies upon the level of qualification.
Different types of workmanship require different certificates. The average jack-of-all-trades type of handyman pursues quantity over depth of quality.
Your list of chores and repairs
This is one of the handiest and homeowner-friendly models of running handyman company. No matter if a landlord, tenant or owner, most people hire handyman services when a good amount of work is at hand. The technician charges upon the completion of the whole domestic to-do list rather than per job. Surprising or not, it’s a fact that people tend to be more interested with this business model on both tradesmen’s and clients’ end.
The business model behind this workmanship approach targets landlords, tenants and owners, who for some reason the lack time, will or funds to do occasional home maintenance and repairs on a regular basis. Such customers for handyman services would rather build up a pile of chores and delegate it as a to-do list to a professional tradesman.
The schedule of the to-do-list handyman runs on a day-to-day basis quite often. In terms of certificates and permits, handling piles of chores does not exceed the qualification of a “jack-of-all-trades” as a type of tradesman. To-do lists apparently take more time to complete, but they also come with a higher degree in obligation, commitment and responsibility to your client.
Maintenance and repair from a reputable tradesman.
In the general occasion, certified handymen offer in-depth specialization and a specific set of skills. Most such target jobs require mandatory certification. Electricians are a great example for standards within the handyman industry. The simple off-grid repairs may not obligate technicians to apply for accreditation, but complex and risky projects do.
The certified tradesmen business model comes with a set of pros:
It’s a fact that most craftsmen prefer to stick to a certain type of workmanship and risk. Some choose electrician jobs, others 100 percent carpentry, still others emergency plumbers and so forth.
Some handymen pick the job
Cherry-pickers are famous for the way they deliver handyman services. Such handymen would not hesitate to decline or simply forward a certain job in case it does not fit their personal standards. Picky tradesmen estimate which maintenance and repair inquiries to handle, based upon profit, cost efficiency, type of work and, of course, in some rare occasions, their personal crafty moods. This business model of segregation is, however, generally more suitable for larger companies with many employees.
The main benefit for clients is trustworthiness. People would rather hire a handyman who is up to the task rather than the “keep-them-coming” type of repairman. Companies like The Fantastic Handyman Services have built their own app in order to distribute inquiries to whomever is up to the task, thus boosting efficiency, schedule organization and, of course, profit.
☞ How does one become a cherry-picker handyman? In the marketing world there is a three-letter word that explains how it is made possible. This word describes the key reason why customers will choose you over anyone else for a specific job. This word is USP. Want to learn more about it? Check out these sources:
Franchises ease the tradesman’s job
The franchise business model enables handymen to focus on commercial activities. Based on a franchise core, tradesmen follow rules, policy and guidelines via contract and benefit all amassed by the franchising company. It is incoming inquiries, advertisement, brand reputation and management that you buy.
• A good handyman franchise can offer and grow fantastic income for handymen.• It will cost you to invest in the franchise, which is a reasonable downside to this approach.• To hop along, a fully developed brand flow of business does not happen in a snap.
Nevertheless, besides initial capital, to buy a handyman franchise is a business model worthy of consideration. A fantastic franchise provides up-to-standards technology, updates, know-how, support, customer care and solid brand reputation for you to rely upon. To be a handyman without the hassle and nerves of acquiring new clientele is a HUGE advantage.
Clients, on their side, benefit from solid brand responsibility. Client-to-company feedback thrives, especially in the modern age of social media. Nowadays big players guarantee customer satisfaction and if you turn out a neglectful handyman, things won’t work out for the good.
This handyman approach does hold certain risk to it, but once you get a grip with an already built business system, you might never think of building your own.
☞ Here are some resources to help you make a decision on buying a handyman franchise:
How much available working time do you have?
Clearly, the ultimate handyman benefit is the choice between full and part-time. Consider it a variation of cherry-pickers. Sunday and Saturday are yours to dominate. Availability is an advantage most handyman companies don’t offer—or it often comes at an extra rate.
Most would rather take the weekend off, which means you won’t have to tackle much competition. The downside here is qualification. A disadvantage to clients is the typical medium to low-level of handyman skills and know-how. On the other side, this is an incredible advantage to all licensed technicians with weekend availability.
☞ Thinking about starting a handyman business as a weekend side hustle? Check these time management resources to keep your work-life balance in check:
There are quite a few ways to handle handyman services from a business point of view. No matter if a repairman or client, now you know how professional tradesmen see and manage workmanship in terms of a business model and relations. And while it’s a relatively simple service, it’s still a business. So to be successful you should learn the basics of starting and running a business.
☞ Learn the basic steps to starting a business here →
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
Written by Team ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness has helped people start, run, and grow over 700,000 dream companies. The editorial team at ZenBusiness has over 20 years of collective small business publishing experience and is composed of business formation experts who are dedicated to empowering and educating entrepreneurs about owning a company.
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