Working as a handyman can be a rewarding and lucrative career. Homeowners and businesses need handypersons to fix and maintain critical systems and equipment. It requires a range of skills, including plumbing, electrical repair, carpentry, and general construction. It also requires stamina, since handypeople often work in cramped spaces. The first step in starting a successful handyman business is becoming licensed and insured.
Before launching your handyman in Morehead City NC business, contact your state’s contractors board to find out what services you’re legally allowed to offer. In addition, you’ll want to determine whether or not there are any monetary limits on the jobs you’re willing to take on. This information will help you build a service list that you can use to market your company.
You’ll also need to decide how much you want to charge for your services. Choosing a price that’s too low will make it difficult to attract clients, while overpricing could lead to a loss of revenue for your new business. It’s a good idea to get feedback from past customers and look at competitors’ pricing models before finalizing your pricing structure.
The next step in preparing to launch your handyman business is creating a website and social media channels. This will allow potential customers to see what services you offer and how they can contact you. You can even include a form on your website that allows people to request an estimate for their upcoming project.
You might need a special license or certification to become a handyman, depending on the type of work you plan to do. For example, some states require a handyman to have workers’ compensation insurance. In addition, if you’ll be managing employees, you’ll need to obtain a business license. It’s also a good idea to create a budget for your startup costs. This will help you know how much money you have to spend on equipment and other necessities.
While you might be able to learn the necessary skills on your own, gaining hands-on experience will be more beneficial. A reputable contractor may be willing to let you shadow them for a while, and some states even have apprenticeships that will teach you the trades.
Once you’ve met the legal requirements, gained some experience, and created a service list, it’s time to start looking for work. Go door to door or hang flyers on electrical poles, but you can also advertise your services online. It’s a great way to reach more customers and increase your chances of finding work that matches your skills and expertise.
Using a field service management software like Method’s Route Manager can help you streamline your process and serve more customers. It has tools to manage customer requests and schedules, two-way QuickBooks and Xero sync for up-to-date accounting, Gmail and Outlook integrations that save emails in your CRM, web-to-lead forms to capture new leads, and online customer portals to simplify communication. It also includes GPS tracking to give your customers visibility into your ETA and allows you to create custom forms that match your clientele’s needs.