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INTRODUCTION xv 1 THE HANDYMAN BUSINESS: AN OPPORTUNITY 1 WAITING FOR YOU 1. What a Handyman Does 1 2. Do You Have What It Takes? 2 3. Advantages and Disadvantages 4 4. Part Time or Full Time? 4 4.1 Part time 6 4.2 Full time 6 2 GETTING STARTED 9 1. Your Goals and Expectations 9 2. Sizing Up the Market 10 2.1 Market size 10 CONTENTS 2.2 Market research 11 2.3 Facing the competition 12 3. Developing Your Business Plan 12 4. Business and Legal Requirements 13 4.1 Zoning and licensing 13 4.2 Form of business 16 4.3 Insurance 16 4.4 Naming your business 17 4.5 Hiring employees or contract staff 18 5. Accounting Basics 19 5.1 Bookkeeping 19 5.2 Your balance sheet 19 5.3 Tax requirements 20 6. Getting Professional Help for Your Business 20 3 SETTING UP SHOP 23 1. Getting Organized 23 2. Your Home Headquarters 24 2.1 Keeping records 24 2.2 Communication needs 27 2.3 Your office environment 29 2.4 Tax advantages to the home office 30 2.5 Keeping your home and office separate 31 3. Your Vehicle - An Office Away from Home 32 3.1 Van, truck, or car? 32 3.2 Using trailers and wagons 33 3.3 Vehicle supplies 34 4. Tools - The Handyman's Best Friend 36 4.1 A basic tool kit 36 4.2 The right tools for the job 38 4 MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS 41 1. Letterhead and Business Cards 41 2. Word of Mouth 42 viii Start & run a handyman business 3. Advertising 43 4. Build on Existing Clients 43 5. Networking 46 6. Marketing Tips 52 5 MEETING THE CUSTOMER'S NEEDS 53 1. Estimates, Quotes, and Pricing 53 1.1 Understanding quotes and estimates 54 1.2 What to charge 57 1.3 Invoicing 58 2. Scheduling 59 2.1 Planning for a job 59 3. Organizing the Work Site 62 4. Serving Your Customers Well 64 5. Dealing with Difficult Situations 66 5.1 Not getting paid 66 5.2 Damaged property 67 5.3 Family arguments 68 5.4 Unhappy customers 68 6. When There Is Too Much Work 69 6.1 Saying no to work 69 6.2 Hiring help 70 7. Summary - The Key to Customer Service 71 6 THE HANDYMAN AT WORK: ON-THE-JOB 73 TIPS AND TECHNIQUES 1. Doing the Right Job at the Right Time 73 2. Working on New Homes 75 3. Working on Older Homes 75 4. Painting Like a Pro 76 4.1 Painting preparation 77 4.2 Oil or latex? 77 4.3 How much paint will you need? 78 4.4 Cleanup tips 79 Contents ix 5. Working with Plaster and Drywall 79 6. Plumbing Pointers 82 7. Rules for Roofing 82 8. Yard Work 84 9. Taking on Wildlife 85 9.1 Removing animals 86 9.2 Pest prevention 88 7 KEEPING UP WITH TRENDS - SOME IDEAS 89 FOR TODAY'S MARKET 1. Accessibility and Universal Design 90 2. Home Energy Audits 90 3. Home Checkups 92 4. Home Security 92 5. Keeping on Top of Trends 99 8 BUILDING SAFETY AND QUALITY INTO 101 YOUR DAY 1. Using Safety Equipment 101 2. Assessing the Situation for Safety Concerns 102 3. The Safety of Your Customers 104 4. A Word about Ladders 105 5. Taking Care of Yourself 107 5.1 Staying fit and safe 107 5.2 Taking time off 108 9 LOOKING TO THE FUTURE 111 CHECKLISTS 1 Business Plan Outline 15 2 Home Energy Audit 93 3 Home Checkup 95 ILLUSTRATION 1 Learn to Lift Correctly 109 x Start & run a handyman business SAMPLES 1 Business Plan for Goals and Measurables 14 2 Balance Sheet 21 3 Business Card 42 4 Flyer Sample (1) 44 5 Flyer Sample (2) 44 6 Seasonal Reminder Flyer 45 7 Yellow Pages Advertisement 45 8 Community Newspaper Advertisement 46 9 Customer Contact Form 47 10 Customer Follow-Up Note (1) 48 11 Customer Follow-Up Note (2) 49 12 Network Contact Form 51 13 Estimate Sheet 55 14 Service Invoice 60 15 Job Organization Form 61 16 Weekly Work Schedule 63 TABLES 1 The Handyman Business: Pros and Cons 5 2 What Paint for What Job 78 3 Paint Coverage 80 4 Home Security Solutions 98 5 Safety Equipment and When to Use It 103 6 Ladder Guide 105 WORKSHEETS 1 Is the Handyman Business Right for You? 3 2 Tools and Materials Inventory 26 Contents xi