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Building Your Successful Handyman Business:
A guide to starting and operating a profitable business
By Chuck Solomon
2010 Edition
Ebook Version
BONUS: 65 customizable business forms and templates included with the purchase of this guide.
Building Your Successful Handyman Business:
A guide to starting and operating a profitable business
By Chuck Solomon
2010 Edition
Ebook Version
Edited by Susan Siegel
Purchasers of the guide also receive online access to 65 forms and templates, which can be customized for their particular business.
For additional information, please visit: www.BuildHandymanBusiness.com
Copyright © 2010 by Chuck Solomon. All rights reserved.
For information regarding permission to reproduce sections of this book please contact: permissions@buildhandymanbusiness.com
EBook Version
Smashwords Edition, License Notes:
This ebook is licensed for the original purchasers own personal use. It is distributed without being protected by a DRM (digital rights management) program. It may not be sold, shared, copied or distributed in any manner. If you wish to share this book with someone, please purchase an additional copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
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Bonus: Access to 65 customizable business forms and templates included with the purchase of this guide book. To access online forms, please first register at www.BuildHandymanBusiness.com/register to receive a username and pass code. The forms are accessible at www.BuildHandymanBusiness.com/forms
In addition to this guide, other services are available from the author and include: business coaching and consulting, workshop and seminar presentations. Learn more at www.BuildHandymanBusiness.com.
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Acknowledgements
I want to thank the many people who reviewed this guide and offered suggestions and feedback. It is a better product because of your input. In particular, I thank my family, who gave me the encouragement, support and time to complete this task.
Also, a special note of thanks to those who purchased my earlier publication, How To Start A Successful Handyman Business on CD ROM, and offered their constructive comments and feedback. I used that feedback to build upon and produce this current edition.
This guide reflects what has worked for me in building my own business. My hope is that readers can take what I present and build their own successful handyman or home improvement businesses.
Your comments and feedback on this edition are more then welcome.
Best regards!
Chuck Solomon
November, 2009
Disclaimer
This guide, free templates, and associated website and the information contained therein are presented for “informational purposes only”. It is not to be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice. There is no warranty or guarantee offered as to the accuracy or completeness of any information provided. Laws and regulations change over time, and there are differences depending on jurisdiction, so it is best to consult an attorney and/or Certified Public Accountant for legal or accounting advice related to your particular business. Further, there is no guarantee of profitability or success with readers’ own businesses. Efforts were made to ensure that web links were up-to-date prior to the publication of this guide; however, any link or referenced information is the responsibility of its respective publisher or owner.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Disclaimer
Table of Contents
Introduction
Marketing: Promoting and Selling
Marketing Your Service Business
Market Research
Qualifying Customers
Selling Your Services
Free & Low-Cost Advertising Strategies
Strategies for Cost-Effective Paid Advertising
Getting New Clients via Networking
What Customers Really Want
Neighborhood Flyer Example
Letterhead Example
Referral Request—Example Letter
Business Cards - A DIY Approach
Marketing Letter Example to Customer
Marketing Letter Example to Prospective Customer
Flyer Coupon
Web Advertisement in HTML
Branding Your Business
Section Summary
Operations
Introduction to Pricing and Estimating Jobs
Pricing
Resources for Writing Estimates
Estimate Example
Scheduling Jobs
Weekly Work Schedule
Prospective Customer – Tracking Sheet
Helpful Resources
Customer Tracking Sheet
What Tools & Supplies Do I Need To Get Started?
Vendor Contact Information Sheet
Fax Cover Sheet
Jobs to Avoid
Getting Paid
How Much Can You Earn?
Quality Control
Customer Satisfaction
Contracts and Customer Terms
Computers and Software
Section Summary
Financial Matters
Business Plan
Sample Business Plan Outline
Financial Plan
Bookkeeping and Record Keeping
Invoice Example
Expense Tracking Sheet
Invoice Tracking Sheet
Mileage Journal
Banking and Credit
Collections
What Kind of Insurance Do I Need?
Government Compliance for Small Business
Section Summary
Conclusion
About the Author
Introduction
Congratulations on making the decision to purchase this guide. My hope is that you can put into practice the lessons of this guide to start and/or grow your own handyman, home improvement, or contracting business. I will be using those terms interchangeably throughout the book so that the widest possible audience of readers will find the information relevant to their goals. My goal is to help contractors be better business people.
The three sections of this guide include:
This guide is not a ‘get rich quick’ scheme, but a framework for starting and running a successful service business. Success in business, like success in anything you do, will be determined by the amount of time and effort you put into it.
Readers may have questions before they delve into this guide, and I will answer some common questions here.
Why did I write this guide?
I wrote this guide to share what has and hasn’t worked for me over the past seventeen years of running my own business, so that others may benefit from my experience to learn the business side of contracting. Many individuals, contractors included, have little or no training or experience in starting and operating a successful business. This is a recipe for failure. An individual may be working in the trades sector for someone else and decide to go out on his or her own. I applaud those people, but encourage them to get the help and support they need.