by Dan Perry
on October 24, 2013
Yes, you read that right. I’m going to show you a simple and effective action that you can take to increase your hourly rate by $5, $10, or even $20 while actually increasing your customer’s satisfaction. (Hint: It doesn’t cost any money or extra time)
The secret is in managing the expectations of your customers.
Whenever a customer hires a handyman or other service provider, the customer has certain baseline expectations. These expectations are derived from that customer’s previous interactions with other service providers.
Now, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that your service isn’t exactly like everybody else’s. That means it’s your job to align customer expectations with what you are actually going to deliver.
You may be thinking this is pretty obvious, and it is. Yet, I’ve screwed this up countless times and see it happen everyday with people I hire or products I buy. New handymen are especially prone to making mistakes regarding communication with customers.
Ever had an unhappy customer? Ever received a bad review online? Ever had a customer say “Oh, that’s more than I thought it would be?” That’s because you didn’t communicate well enough. Those customers were expecting A, and you gave them B.
Think back to the last time you were pissed off or even just mildly unhappy from a service or product you bought. Was it because you were expecting something else? Hopefully, otherwise you bought something you knew you wouldn’t be happy with, and that’s flat out dumb.
So, what can you do as a service provider to properly manage expectations, charge more, and get only excellent online reviews? [continue reading…]
by Dan Perry
on October 16, 2013
It’s been a while since my last podcast, so I wanted to bring The Handyman Startup Podcast back with a bang!
In this episode, I interview Jim Copenhaver, a successful handyman business owner from Chicago, IL.
Jim has successfully built Punch List, a thriving handyman business that currently employs at least 4 full-time handymen. But get this, he’s only been in business for a about a year and a half!
He obviously knows what he’s doing, that’s why I asked him to join me on the Handyman Startup Podcast so I could pick his brain and share his secrets with you.
Here are some of the things we cover in this episode:
- Why finding a mentor can skyrocket your success.
- The challenges of having employees.
- How to hire and keep good employees.
- Why milking the clock will actually lose you money in the long run.
- Why Jim charges hourly for most of his services.
- How to use the power of online reviews to grow your business faster than ever.
- and much more. [continue reading…]
by Dan Perry
on October 9, 2013
Welcome to my monthly income report for September 2013!
What’s a monthly income report you ask?
It’s a monthly article where I share my handyman business experiences including everything from how much I made to where I get my customers. I share what I learned, anything interesting that happened along the way, and tips to help others succeed.
If you are a handyman, plumber, electrician, contractor, or other home service provider, these reports are for you.
If you are a handy person that hates your desk job and wants something more, these report are for you, too. There’s an incredible amount of opportunity out there and I’d love to help you see that.
Here’s what I’ll cover in this month’s report:
- How I use my handyman business to accelerate the achievement of my goals.
- My plans for increasing my hourly rate.
- How to judge a customer by their expectations.
- Plus a featured service for this month. [continue reading…]
by Dan Perry
on October 4, 2013
In this guide, I will show you how to build a handyman business website step-by-step.
And I’ll also show you how to build a website for any local service business because it’s the same process. [continue reading…]
by Dan Perry
on October 4, 2013
In this session of the Handyman Startup Podcast, I share five of my most valuable time saving tips that I use every day in my business.
As a handyman or other home service provider, you get paid for your time. Time is a form of currency, with one major difference from other currencies – you can never get more time.
That being said, it’s obvious why saving a few seconds, minutes, or even hours each day is extremely valuable – in fact, it’s priceless!
That’s why I’ve decided to share these 5 tips with you so you can enjoy the many benefits of more time. Who doesn’t want more time?
Here are some of the highlights of this podcast: [continue reading…]
by Dan Perry
on September 11, 2013
Welcome to my monthly income report!
If you’re a new reader of the Handyman Startup Blog, here’s what my income reports are all about.
At the end of each month, I gather all of my income and expense data to include in these reports. I include information like how much money I made, how much it cost me to make that money, and where I got my customers. I also share a ton of insight, tips, and lessons learned along the way to help you with your business.
So, if you run a home service business, there is sure to be some valuable insight to be gained! I’m so open and share all of this because I want to help you (or somebody you might know) get more customers, make more money, and most importantly, enjoy what you do.
Here’s what I’ll discuss in this month’s report:
- Super-customers and what they mean to your business.
- Featured Service: Honey-do lists.
- The results from tracking all of my time for the month.
- An update on my new video course. [continue reading…]
by Dan Perry
on August 17, 2013
Last updated: July 20, 2021
HomeAdvisor PRO (now called Angi Leads) is a fast and easy way to get customers and grow your business. In fact, it’s where I found some of my best clients for my handyman business. [continue reading…]
by Dan Perry
on August 8, 2013
Welcome to my 20th monthly income report – July 2013!
I’ve officially been in business for 20 months now and it’s time to share my lessons and income for this month.
If you’re a new reader of the Handyman Startup Blog, I’ve been writing these monthly reports since I started my business. I include a ton of information about my handyman businesses like how much money I made, where my new customers came from, and any lessons or struggles I encountered along the way.
I’m a strong believer that you should enjoy what you do for a living. So, If you are interested in creating a business that provides you with fulfillment and freedom from horrible bosses and the drudgery of the 9-5, then these reports are for you.
Here’s what I’ll discuss in this month’s report:
- A new product I’m working on to help you get new customers.
- How I charge $60/hour to a customer that is used to paying $20/hour.
- A featured service for this month.
- Finally, closure on my court battle! [continue reading…]
by Dan Perry
on August 3, 2013
Last updated: October 22nd, 2021
Branding your work vehicle is an easy form of advertising that works.
Not only can throwing some vinyl graphics on your work truck gain you a few leads here and there, but it also helps to build authority and trust with your customers – two things that should be at the heart of your marketing strategy.
But just like anything else, it will only be effective if executed properly.
In this article, I discuss the many benefits of branding your vehicle and what to consider before you do. I’ll then discuss available options and offer insights that I have gained through the experience of branding my handyman truck. [continue reading…]
by Dan Perry
on July 30, 2013
As a home service professional, developing new skills to keep up with the competition is necessary. For handymen, learning new skills is basically our job description.
Not only is learning new skills important, but learning how to learn new skills efficiently is getting ever more important. We are now in what is commonly known as the information age. That means it is easier than ever to get starting with your business, but it also means that more people have access to quality information. That means more competition.
This tells me that in order to get ahead and pull away from the pack, developing a system for learning rapidly could mean the difference between success and failure.
In this podcast, I discuss: [continue reading…]
