Handyman Profit 2023

By A. William Benitez

When the economy crashed in 2008, millions lost jobs, many struggled for years and things got bad again in 2020 during this pandemic and many are still struggling to catch up either without jobs or with low-paying jobs. Unemployment figures are much improved now, but that's deceiving because many are still working two or more jobs to make ends meet. Some companies are still struggling while others are trying to reduce cost and increase profit by replacing jobs with technology. And, once the job is gone, the money stops. Unlike jobs, the handyman business is here to stay. As long as there are homes, apartments, offices, and other buildings, repairs will be needed, and you can do them with limited skills and tools.

 

I faced having dwindling savings and no time to find a job. I didn't own a truck, but I purchased and outfitted a small trailer with all the handyman tools I needed, most of which I had from working on our home, and started strongly. After just a few inexpensive ads, I was working every day and making a decent living. At first, most of the jobs were small and could have easily been handled by someone with limited experience, and that was good because money flowed promptly. As time passed, I started taking larger jobs and gradually moved from just handyman work to small remodeling jobs. Finally, I purchased a pickup, rented a small shop, and progressed to larger woodworking projects, which I continued for over twenty-five years.

 

My book, Handyman Profit 2023, contains complete details and instructions for starting and successfully operating your handyman business. Based entirely on first-hand experience, so you avoid costly mistakes. Get your copy now.

 

Like losing a good job, a business failure can be traumatic and impose a serious financial hardship, but with a few handyman skills, anyone can quickly start making money. I know that firsthand and my book e Handyman's Guide To Profit: Using Your Skills To Make Money In Any Economy, 2017 Revised Edition, can help you do the same on a full time or part-time basis.

 

If you are in an unsatisfying employment situation, my book, Handyman Profit 2023, can help you start immediately making money with your home repair skills. Based on over 30 years of personal, first-hand, self-employment experience in home repair and woodworking, it's a complete course on succeeding in the home repair business. I cover every step from getting started to the day-to-day operation of the business, using methods that worked for me for many years.

This is not pie in the sky romancing about self-employment. It takes good home repair and business skills to operate a business successfully and now you can learn exactly how to use your present skills to succeed financially in the handyman business.

 

Being raised in the construction business, I had pretty good carpentry skills in the home building and remodeling business. It didn't take long to realize that the home repair business was simpler and because the jobs were smaller; they were finished quickly and improved my profit. Despite the initial success, my limited business skills caused me to make costly mistakes getting started. Over time, I refined my skills and learned profitable business techniques. Despite those early mistakes, I made my entire living from self-employment for over 30 years.

 

If there had been someone to guide me during those early times, I could have avoided most of those mistakes. The good thing is that I learned from them. Now you can learn how to avoid all the mistakes I made and start strongly with my new book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bill Benitez
• Release date: Mar 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9781951776909

A. William Benitez

From age twelve I spent my summers and weekends working with my dad, a general contractor, building homes and buildings. I contracted my first home at age nineteen and built my own home by age twenty. I’ve operated one-person businesses for more than 30 years. Twelve years of my life were spent working for local government managing federally-funded housing programs. I started as an inspector with a three month assignment and left as Director of Community Improvement with 78 employees twelve years later to do writing and consulting. Writing, Publishing and Consulting I established Rehab Notes Library, a publishing company that published a monthly newsletter (Rehab Notes) with subscribers in all 50 states, Canada and England and nine books on housing related topics. I also did consulting and public speaking on housing related topics for agencies and organizations in cities across the country. After 1980 when most federal funding was pulled from housing activities, I took advantage of my construction and business experience and started a handyman and woodworking business. Over Twenty-Five Years of Woodworking For over twenty-five years, first in Tampa, Florida and then in Austin, Texas, I built hundreds of small and large cabinet and furniture projects for individuals, companies and government agencies. During these years I began writing books about my experiences. Positive Publishing My company, Positive Imaging, LLC at http://positive-imaging.com, does what I call positive publishing for my books and the books of other authors. To date I've published over a hundred print and ebooks and presently have several books in various levels of completion.   

Book preview

Handyman Profit

2023

How To Use Skills You Already

Have To Make Money Now

A. William Benitez

Handyman Profit

2023

How To Use Skills You Already

Have To Make Money Now

A. William Benitez

Cover by A. William Benitez

Cover Photo by Barbara Frances

All Rights Reserved

––––––––

Positive Imaging, LLC

http://positive-imaging.com

[e-mail]

––––––––

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted or downloaded in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including copying, photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

Copyright  2023  A. William Benitez

ISBN 9781951776909

Contents

Introduction

Tools and Work Vehicle

Licensing, Accounting, and Taxes

Getting Started

Using Your Computer and The Internet

How Much to Charge

Contracting Jobs

Getting Help

Your Skills

Safety

Final Notes

1

Is The Handyman Business For You?

Self-Employment?

2

Inventory of Your Skills

Learning and Training

Your Strongest Skill

Study To Keep Learning

What Size Jobs Should You Take?

Inventory of Your Tools

What Tools Do You Need To Start?

Basic Hand Tools To Get Started

Power Tools

Purchasing Power Tools

Carbide-Tipped Blades and Bits

4

Home Repair Vehicle and Space

A Better Setup

Your Own Garage Space

5

Licensing, Accounting, and Taxes

The Internal Revenue Service

Keep Track of All Deductions

Part Time Businesses Can Use Checking Account for Accounting

Keep Clear and Concise Records

Save For Your Income Taxes

Pay Your Taxes On Time

6

Getting Started

Look Professional

Contact Everyone!

Advertise Carefully to Avoid Wasting Money

Use the Internet

Give Everyone a Business Card

Keeping Customers

7

Using Your Computer and The Internet

Business Accounting and Income Tax Preparation

Photo Album and Web Site Creation

Smartphones

Keeping In Touch with Prospects and Customers

Backup Your Computer

8

How Much To Charge and Why

How Much Do You Want to Make?

The Hourly Figure

Buying and Maintaining Your Tools

Work Vehicle

Maintaining and Fueling Your Vehicle

The High Cost of Insurance

Remember All Your Taxes

Pay Yourself for All Your Work

Don't Forget the Profit

How Much To Charge Chart

Sample Job One

There is Always Some Waste

Sample Job Two

Don’t Forget the Backlog

A Final Check of Your Pricing

The Grief Factor

The Rule of Supply and Demand

NOTES ON PERCEIVED VALUE AND SUPPLY AND DEMAND

9

Contracting Jobs

The Steps of Contracting for Work

The Deposit

Dealing With General Contractors

Sometimes You Don't Need a Contract or Deposit

Forms You Can Use

10

Getting Help

What Is a Subcontractor?

Day Laborers

Safety

POWER TOOLS ARE INHERENTLY DANGEROUS!

Final Notes

Become An Expert

Develop Your Communication Skills

Never Stop Learning

Visualize and Share Your Vision with Customers

Use Drive Time to Learn

Always Go the Extra Mile

Remember the Golden Rule

Stay Positive

Special Note from Bill

Disclaimer

Glossary

About Bill

Twelve Years with government programs

Writing, Publishing and Consulting

Over Twenty Years of Woodworking

Computer Experience

Other Books

Introduction

When I wrote the first version of this book in 2009, the economy was in trouble and thousands of jobs in various industries were being lost every day. Unemployment across the country had surpassed nine percent and, in some communities, it had passed twelve percent.

Unemployment compensation programs were overwhelmed with applicants for help and many people had reached the end of their eligibility and still didn't have a job.

Many took significant pay cuts but were glad to have something to pay their bills and avoid going under. Even some with jobs were losing their homes because their mortgage payments were no longer affordable. For many Americans, it was a bleak picture.

Many of these individuals had home repair (handyman) skills they could use to increase their income promptly and with little investment. Home repair and improvement was and still is a multi-billion-dollar business. The profusion of Home Depot, Lowes, and other home improvement stores across the country reflects the popularity of home repair.

Even though things have improved since then, people are still wisely choosing to stay in their homes instead of purchasing new and larger homes. This opens up a large market for anyone who has home repair and home improvement skills. Some of that work involves major remodeling and is most often handled by professional home improvement contractors. But much of it involves small jobs that could form the basis of a profitable business for those with basic home repair skills.

At that time, a report on CNN News indicated the average hourly income for a handyman was more than $17.00 per hour. Even though wages are still flat, home repair is paying more now and by developing additional skills, this amount can be much higher.

Homeowners everywhere are regularly making repairs and improvements to their home. Most of them will need some help. Purchasing this book reflects your interest in helping these thousands of home and business owners across the country to get these repair jobs done well and at a reasonable cost.

In this book, home repair business and handyman business are interchangeable. This business is often referred to by either name and both mean the same thing. The term handyman refers to a person who performs various repair jobs on a home or office. This could be a man or a woman. Anyone with basic home repair skills can use this book to make money and establish a financially successful small business.

If you have already been making repairs to your own home or helping friends and family to get their home repairs done, you have the basic skills needed for this business. This book will help you expand those skills and make the best possible use of them by developing them into a profitable business.

The handyman business shows so much financial potential that there are already franchise opportunities available. Just Google handyman and check it out for yourself. Joining a franchise is certainly one way to get started, but you can do your own thing and keep much more of the profit by using the information in this book. This also allows you to control your own activities and maintain pricing at a more competitive level. Chapter One discusses the first step, which is to determine if the business is for you.

Once you determine that running a part time or full-time home repair business is for you, an in-depth inventory of your skills is critical. Obviously, different people have various skills and even various levels of those skills. To do the best possible work and insure a profit for yourself and the satisfaction of your customers, you need to recognize the things you do best and the