by Dan Perry
on April 6, 2018
I don’t know of a better time in history to be a professional handyman or contractor.
Our economy is growing.
Our society is becoming less and less handy.
Houses are getting more complex.
And people are outsourcing more of their lives every day in an attempt to do more, have more, and be more.
It used to be uncommon to hire a housecleaner. It was something only wealthy families did. Now it’s normal for a middle-class family to hire not only a housecleaner, but to hire mobile dog groomers, carpet cleaners, painters, lawn care services, dog walkers, nannies, and of course, a handyman.
Basically, there has never been such a high demand for our services. But the interesting thing is that as an industry, we are relatively unsophisticated. [continue reading…]
by Dan Perry
on April 5, 2018
As a pro handyman I’ve completed lots of fence repairs of all kinds.
Here I’m going to show you exactly how to repair a broken wood fence post with the fastest and most effective method invented so far.
How do you know if your wood fence post is broken?
If your fence is leaning or moving several inches when the wind blows, it’s likely that you have at least one broken fence post. You can also go up to the fence post and push on it with your hand. If the fence moves more than an inch either way, it’s probably broken.
In some cases the concrete footing is just loose, but that is rare. Nine times out of ten the fence post is broken. You can easily find out by digging down a couple of inches until you see the concrete footing that holds the fence post.
In the image below, you can see a fence post that is not broken sitting in the concrete footing.
[continue reading…]
by Dan Perry
on February 21, 2018
If you’ve been in business for a while, you’ll eventually approach a “glass ceiling” with your income, where no matter how hard you work, growing your income seems impossible.
This usually happens when your schedule is as full as you can handle, and you’re pretty sure your pricing is as high as it can go.
You may start to think that the only way to make more money is to work longer hours or hire employees. And if you’re like many pro handymen, you don’t want the headache of managing employees. [continue reading…]
by Dan Perry
on January 9, 2018
Maybe this is the year you finally start that business.
Or maybe it’s the year you’re going to take your business seriously so you can maximize its potential and make more money.
Regardless of your current situation or goals, it’s easy to be optimistic during this time of year. You’ve got almost a full 12 months ahead of you, after all.
And that’s great. Optimism is a good thing. It makes you happier, and being happy can boost creativity and productivity and lead to more money and even a longer life.
Unfortunately, optimism also creeps into our minds in another area—our motivation. Since we are so motivated right now about achieving our goals, and they all seem so doable, we tend to think we’ll always be this motivated.
“This year’s going to be different,” we tell ourselves, “I can feel it.”
But is it really? If so, why? What will you do differently this year that will lead to different results? Seriously, stop and answer that question.
I don’t mean to be a downer, but let’s get real for a second because until we do, NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE.
[continue reading…]
by Dan Perry
on December 12, 2017
Do you ever feel like your schedule could be more efficient? Like you have too much downtime in between jobs or you’re spending too much time driving around and visiting customers?
Or, are you having a hard time accurately estimating how long jobs will take, and having scheduling problems as a result? Maybe a repair takes longer than expected and throws off your entire schedule. Or, are jobs that take less time than expected leaving gaps in your day?
If you’re like most pro handymen, the answer is…YES. And here’s the deal – Scheduling mistakes with your handyman business can cost you thousands of dollars per month. No, not just a few hundred dollars…thousands. [continue reading…]
by Dan Perry
on November 13, 2017
In this article I’m going to share the #1 biggest pricing mistake nearly all new service pros make.
So last week my brother mentioned he was thinking of starting a lawn care business.
Naturally, just like anybody who’s never started a business, he has certain beliefs and ideas on how to get one going. Some of them really good, and others will guarantee he loses money.
One thing he said in particular that really popped out to me was that the way he figured it, he could charge just a little less than the other lawn care companies, and as a result, get a flood customers to jumpstart his business.
Basically, he was going to use low prices as his primary marketing strategy.
Now, I love my brother. He’s a great guy and he’s one of the smarter people I know. But dammit, this is one of the dumbest ways to approach business! [continue reading…]
by Dan Perry
on October 2, 2017
Why do some handymen have too many customers and others don’t have enough? Is it location? Is it skill level? Is it how much they charge?
[continue reading…]
by Next Insurance
on September 25, 2017
Time to talk about the I-word: insurance. If you’re starting a business, the topic has probably come up along the way. And if you are anything like me, you might associate the term “insurance” with stacks of paper, confusing words, and a mild headache. But working as a licensed insurance agent at Next Insurance – a Silicon Valley tech company focused on improving handyman insurance for entrepreneurs like you – I can say that I am optimistic about the future. The world of insurance is changing rapidly and it’s now easier than ever to get your business covered in a timely and affordable manner.
In this article, I’m going to lay out some common myths and mistakes when it comes to handyman insurance so you can feel confident knowing you’re covered if you ever damage a customer’s home. [continue reading…]
by Dan Perry
on August 3, 2017
If you’re on the hunt for the best knee pads, you already know that most knee pads are terrible.
They flop all around, slip out from under your knee, and end up turning into ankle pads two minutes after you put em’ on.
It’s surprisingly difficult to find a good pair that stay in place and don’t annoy the hell out of you while you’re working.
But, there are good knee pads out there. And in this video, I’m going to share the best of the best so you can work comfortably and efficiently. [continue reading…]
by Dan Perry
on July 26, 2017
If you want to start a handyman business, whether full time or part time, you probably have some fears holding you back. The whole idea might seem too risky.
And that actually makes sense on an emotional level. Your brain is designed to fear the unknown and make you run away from uncertainty. But I’d like to share why there is actually very little, if no risk at all.
In fact, it’s likely more risky NOT to start a business that puts you in control of your finances and life. The consistent pay and benefits that comes with a 9-5 give a false sense of security, which is only obvious to those who [continue reading…]
