Although you really do enjoy the challenge of completing household projects, isn't it time that you get more than a handshake and a smile for those efforts? It does feel good to know that they appreciate all your help, but wouldn't it feel even better to get handed a check so you can pay your bills? Your labor is definitely worth more than just gas money for a job well done!
Getting Started as a Professional Handy Man
Obviously, this has been on your mind or you wouldn't be reading this. Now, what steps are required to begin your handy man business? You have already invested in your business's biggest expense?tools! Since you have been doing repairs for people, you probably have enough tools to get your business started.
Advertise Yourself for Free!
If you already have a pick-up truck, you may want to have a sign with your company logo and number on the side. This is like a free ad, seen by thousands as you drive around. You can have that painted on your truck. Another idea is to have a sign made that can be put on and removed when you use a different vehicle.
Make It Official
What next? Before you start professionally advertising your services, you need a slogan. Hopefully, the name you have chosen is memorable and will catch the attention of potential customers. Register for a D.B.A. (doing business as); this will secure that company name as your own?and will allow you to receive checks under that name.
Contact the Small Business Association for any regulations that you will have to abide by when advertising your qualifications for doing any particular service. This is an important step. Without that knowledge, you could get have legal problems. For instance, you can't advertise that you do electrical repairs if you are not licensed as an electrician.
Here are a few other things to consider:
* How will customers contact you: Business line, cell, or home phone?
* Will you open a separate bank account to deposit company checks?
* How will you go about filing your business taxes?
* Do you have to be bonded and insured?
* How much will you charge for a service call?
* Will you be accepting credit cards as well as checks or cash?
If you are planning to accept credit cards, you will have to do some research about that. That will add an additional business expense.
Assuming that you will be getting a cell phone to use for your business calls, this is another cost that you will have to consider. One positive thing is that business expenses can be deducted when you file your taxes.
Don't Give Up Too Soon!
New businesses are not expected to be completely profitable for the first 5 years that they are in operation. Be patient!
You are beginning an awesome adventure! When all those friends and family call you to fix something, keep this in mind. Although you may want to give them a discount, don't give your talented work away for free anymore! Tactfully remind people that you are now a professional, operating your own handy man business. They will respect you more for that.
Every business has tasks that need to be taken care of on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. These tasks keep the business afloat and running like a well oiled machine. A one man business adds another level of complexity to this balancing act. A one man business must minimize any wasteful activities and resources.
Let’s take a look at what a one man business should accomplish on a weekly basis. Complete these business tasks on a weekly basis and you are putting yourself in the best position possible. Your business will be more likely to succeed and bring in money.
Let’s start with Monday. Monday is a critical day. The tasks you achieve on Monday set the whole tone of you week. Therefore, you want to be productive right out of the starting gate. On Monday morning write a “To-Do" list for the entire week. Don’t just think of the “To-Do", but actually write it down. The To-Do list can be modified as the need arises, but this will give you a flight plan for the week.
Not sure what to put on your To-Do list? Think of the end product that you want to achieve. For example, your end product may be generating lead. Keep this end product in mind when writing your tasks for the week. What tasks do you need to finish to result in an end product?
Lead Generation and Profit Generation should be the major focus every day. You should create a campaign that revolves around selling. Therefore, on a weekly basis you should strive to send out two emails per week. You should write one article per day and submit one article per day. Articles and emails help you to build your list. Building your list is a major component of lead generation.
Implementing a task management plan can take time. As a one man business you might not enough hours in the day to accomplish outsourcing. Therefore, you should seriously consider outsourcing some of your tasks. For example, if writing an article takes you an extensive amount of time then you can outsource to a freelance writer. A great resource for outsourcing talent is at www.elance.com. Outsourcing enables you to focus on Lead Generation and Profit Generation.
Both Gabriel Adams & Matt Bacak are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Matt Bacak has sinced written about articles on various topics from Writing, Web Development and Advertising Guide. Matt Bacak became "#1 Best Selling Author" in just a few short hours. Recent Entrepreneur Magazine’s e-Biz radio show host is turning Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success Stories. Discover The Secrets To Unleash The Powerful Promo. Matt Bacak's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.