The Handyman Startup Podcast

Specializing is one of the best strategic moves you can make as a pro handyman if your goal is to make more money in less time. In this episode, I dive into how to choose the right services to specialize in. There are three criteria you want your specialty service to meet to eliminate unnecessary headwinds. This is especially important if you want to scale your business, but it's also valuable eve...

One of the biggest time wasters for handymen is giving free estimates. The only problem is that free estimates have some pretty awesome benefits. In this article, I discuss how to give free estimates without wasting your time.

In this episode, I sit down with Will Lingard of Surry Hills Handyman, a pro handyman with over nine years of handyman business experience. We discuss how he runs multiple businesses by subcontracting work, how he hired his first help, what's important to affluent customers, why being a good person is more important than your skills, and more. Will is a great guy with loads of wisdom to share to h...

Stress is a silent killer. It kills joy and is unhealthy. The more I dive into this topic, the more I realize that high expectations are at the core of dissatisfaction in the modern world. It's the ultimate first-world problem. In this episode, I share several practical tips you can apply today to re-align your expectations with reality and, in doing so, reduce unnecessary pressure and stress whil...

Most people underestimate what they can accomplish in a few years, and drastically overestimate what they can accomplish in a day, a week, or a month. In this episode, I discuss how keeping your expectations LOW, at least in the short-term, will improve your odds of success and make the process of building a business more enjoyable. Winning in business is about winning the mental battle. Here's on...

I've made a lot of pricing mistakes as a pro handyman. In this epsiode, I tell the story of five jobs that I did that barely made any money. I also share why these jobs weren't profitable and the mistakes that I made that led to me losing time and money. Avoiding pricing mistakes is one of the easiest ways to boost your income as a pro, so this episode should be especially helpful for someone just...

Will growing a business ever be easy? Maybe for a lucky few, but not for most people. The funny thing is that most people are waiting for it to be easy before they go after it. Or, they are avoiding the challenges that are between them and growth because it's not an easy path. In this episode, I share why you actually don't want it to be easy and some tips for making the journey easier (but still...

Mounting TVs has been a lucrative service for my handyman business. It has a high perceived value relative to install time, so I can easily make $100-$200 per hour. It's a great, low-risk way for a new customer to test my services, allowing me to quickly build my client base. And it's a low-stress, enjoyable job. Since I've mounted over 100 TVs, I've learned some valuable business lessons that can...

Evaristo Gomez officially started his handyman business in early 2023. Now, just a little over a year in, he shares his journey. In this interview, we talk about how he left his secure job to start his business and gain more control over his schedule, even though he had a three-month-old child. We also share the challenges he had to overcome, his mistakes, and how he estimates jobs. If you are thi...

Credibility is everything when it comes to growing a handyman business. Without it, you will have no customers. Luckily, there are relatively fast and easy methods for gaining credibility quickly. In this episode, I shatter misconceptions about credibility and provide clear proven steps to establish credibility so you can start or grow your business easier

The busy season for home services peaks between May and September, but it starts to ramp up during springtime. This is your best opportunity of the year to build momentum for your business. In this episode, I share four simple actions you can take this week to set yourself up for a profitable and enjoyable busy season while building momentum into the slow season.  This is low-hanging fruit that ca...

Tommy Mello is the CEO of A1 Garage Doors, which he founded and grew to over $200 Million in annual revenue. In this episode, he generously shares his sales processes, how to train employees, how to book more jobs, and many other tips he's learned on his business growth journey. This episode is packed practical tips and motivating insights that will give you an advantage over your competition. 

In this episode, I talk about one of the most important business topics. Starting a business isn't just a matter of skill, expertise, or abilities. And it's definitely not a matter of luck. You don't have to be the smartest, hardest working person in the room, but you do need to do two things. Put in consistent effort over the long term and work on the right things. However, doing that is much har...

Here's an example of a service that is both profitable and in demand: Aging-In-Place services. In this episode, I interview Pat Lund, creator and executive director of Age Well At Home - a non-profit business focused on helping aging adults live in their homes safer and for longer. We dive into why these services are in high demand and how to take advantage of the opportunity while helping your co...

Hiring employees to scale your business has many benefits. You can make more money, have more leisure time, and delegate things you don't enjoy. But is the sacrifice worth the reward? That's what I dive into in this episode. I talk about the advantages of staying solo and hiring employees. Then, I share some additional considerations that most people don't think about when making tough decisions l...

Hiring your first employee requires a small shift in mindset and a heavy dose of courage. In this episode, I interview Rick McFadden to learn the ins and outs of hiring employees for a handyman business. As someone who has managed over 300 employees throughout his career, Rick has some powerful insights that will give you confidence and help you be more successful when building your team. Rick own...

In this episode, I interview Bryan Clayton, founder of GreenPal, who went from pushing a lawn mower to building a $10 Million per year landscaping business in Tenessee. He shares his most profitable landscaping services, how to maintain motivation over the long term, the benefits of scale, and much more. Bryan has an interesting perspective on growing a business and compares it to playing the vide...

As a pro handyman or contractor, creating estimates is a valuable skill that pays to learn. For any given project, it may only take a few minutes to create an estimate, but you are locking in your fate for how profitable that particular job will be in those short minutes.  In this episode, I share nine proven tips that will not only help you make more money, they will save you time and make busine...

Get an inside look at investing in a handyman franchise with this interview with Collete Bell, VP of Franchise Development for Ace Handyman Services - one of America's top handyman franchises. Colette has over 20 years of experience in the handyman business. She helped start Handyman Matters with her Husband, Andy Bell, and they grew it from scratch for 18 years until it was acquired by Ace Hardwa...

Business is a mental game, and success is often a matter of mastering that mental game. Setbacks and unexpected challenges are expected when growing a business and can wreak havoc on your confidence, motivation, and peace of mind if not managed. In this episode, I share some of the setbacks that I've dealt with and continue to deal with as a business owner and how to deal with them effectively so...

Pricing is one of the top two most important topics when running a profitable service business - only second to marketing. Whether you're a pro handyman, contractor, or any service provider, pricing directly impacts your profits, and many mistakes and pitfalls exist that can quietly eat into your income and put you out of business.  In this episode, I discuss nine common pricing mistakes in detail...

The variety of jobs you see as a pro handyman is stimulating and enjoyable but can also limit your profits. In this episode, I discuss how choosing one or more services to specialize in can boost your income and even your enjoyment with your business. You'll learn six benefits to specializing, several disadvantages, and how to implement this for a general handyman business. 

The handyman business is versatile, with many paths to generating a profit. In this episode, I break down seven different business models that are proven and profitable within the realm of handyman services. I talk about the pros and cons of each, and who would be best suited for each. 

Many handyman business names have already been taken, but that doesn't mean you can't find a great name that helps you attract customers. In this episode, I talk about key business name criteria, ways to generate unique and catchy names, and how to make sure a name is OK to use and hasn't been trademarked. 

In this episode, I continue on the topic I started in the last episode by sharing more about starting a home repair business on the side. $1,000 per month in five hours per week is a perfect goal if you want to prove that your business works before going full-time because it proves that you can make a six-figure income with your business.