Credibility is essential to gaining new clients and growing a business. But, this topic is often misunderstood by people new to the home repair business. Pros tend to overvalue certain credibility boosters, like having a contractor’s license or having lots of experience, and undervalue other methods for boosting credibility. This often results in competent people being too scared to start their businesses because they don’t think they can make it work without the proper credentials. Additionally, people often make the mistake of assuming that credibility is some objective truth when, in reali ..read more

It’s officially spring, which means the busy season for home services is about to ramp up. If you’ve been in business for a while, you already know that the peak season for most home services is during the Spring and Summer, peaking around May through September. If you didn’t know, now you do. So, it’s time to get prepared. In this article and podcast episode, I share four simple actions you can take right now, to not only make more money this summer, but to leverage the busy season to build momentum into the winter. Let’s jump right in. Listen to the podcast version of this article, which i ..read more

Every once in a while, I encounter someone who transforms my perspective on what is possible in business. Tommy Mello is one of those people. After reading his book, Elevate, and interviewing him, I find myself waking up early in the morning eager to implement new ideas for my business. If you don’t know Tommy, he is the founder and CEO of A1 Garage Doors, a 200-million-dollar company based in Phoenix, Arizona. A1 Garage Doors is now in 22 states and growing at an insane pace. If you can read Tommy’s books and meet him, you can see why he has succeeded. He works hard, cares for his employees ..read more

You only need to do two things to grow a profitable home repair business. Put in consistent, focused work. Work on the right things. That’s because the handyman business is a PROVEN business model. There are thousands of handymen all over the world already doing this. Simply follow best practices, put in the work, and do that consistently, and as long as your city is big enough to have a hardware store, you will eventually build a thriving business. However, that is MUCH easier said than done. That’s because there are many pitfalls along the way that sap motivation, focus, and time, making ..read more

There are many profitable services to offer as a handyman, and one niche you may not have heard about is Aging-In-Place services. Aging-In-Place services are home modifications and improvements that allow aging adults to live in their homes safely and for longer. Examples include installing grab bars and rails, building ramps, improving lighting, and installing chair lifts. Aging-In-Place services first came on my radar about eight months ago when one of my students mentioned it on a live webinar. Ever since, I’ve seen it pop up all over the place. And that’s why I’m excited to bring you this ..read more

After interviewing Rick McFadden and Bryan Clayton on my podcast – two guys who have scaled their home services businesses, I’ve been thinking a lot about the pros and cons of hiring employees. Is it worth the effort and stress? And since I’m certain I’m not the only one, I decided to write about the topic in-depth. So, in this podcast & article, I’ll dive into the advantages and disadvantages of hiring employees vs running a solo handyman business. I’d love to hear your thoughts as well. Please comment at the bottom of this article to share your opinion. Let’s start with the advantages o ..read more

Hiring employees for your handyman business can be scary, especially if you’ve never managed employees before. That’s why I’m excited to share this interview with Rick McFadden. Rick has managed roughly 300 employees during his corporate career and owns a handyman business in Colorado with nine full-time employees. Rick has a wealth of knowledge about growing a handyman business, but in this episode, we focus primarily on hiring and managing handymen. Here’s a sample of what we discussed… The systems you need before hiring employees for a handyman business. Where to find good employees in th ..read more

In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Bryan Clayton – founder and CEO of GreenPal. I loved this interview because Bryan breaks down some essential skills that all entrepreneurs need – whether you have your sights on growing a massive landscaping business or are happy keeping things small. Here’s a sample of what we discussed… How Bryan went from mowing lawns to growing one of the largest landscaping businesses in Tennessee. What Bryan’s most profitable services were and why (one of my favorite parts). How to maintain motivation while working toward big goals. The difference bet ..read more

As I’ve said before, there are several ways to start a profitable handyman business. And while starting your business from scratch is typically the most profitable route, I’d be doing my readers and listeners a disservice if I didn’t explore the idea of handyman franchises. That’s why when a representative of Ace Handyman Services asked if I’d like to interview Colette Bell – VP of franchise development for Ace Handyman Services, I jumped at the opportunity. I immediately saw it as a chance to dig deeper into the costs, benefits, and profitability of becoming a franchisee. Then, when the inte ..read more

Unexpected challenges and setbacks are unavoidable when growing a business, and if not managed properly, can really fuck up your progress. One day you might feel on top of the world, then BAM, a customer gives you a bad review, you lose a job you quoted, and you find out that your sales are dropping. Or, maybe you are just starting your business, and your enthusiasm gets squashed by realizing there is a LOT more competition than expected. There are endless ways that setbacks can hit, but when these inevitable bad days happen, they can crush your spirit and leave you anxious and stressed. They ..read more