How to Overcome The Fears of Starting a Business

“I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.” – Unknown

Fear nearly stopped me from starting my business and made me want to give up along the journey several times.

One of my biggest fears was related to fixing someone else’s property.

I had the confidence to fix just about anything in my own home. Yet, the idea of fixing another person’s home (and charging them money to do it) was a completely different animal. It was a scary thought.

What if I made a mistake or broke something I couldn’t fix?

What if they asked me to do something and I didn’t know how? What would I say?

What if I wasn’t fast enough or the level of quality wasn’t high enough?

What if I got over my head on a project?

I know I’m not alone with these fears because I’ve received dozens of e-mails from other aspiring handymen who are concerned with the same scenarios.

That’s why in this article, I’m breaking down the most common fears and providing you with the strategies and perspectives to overcome them so you can start building a thriving business.

Fear #1 – Looking stupid

What if a customer asks you to do something and you don’t know how to do it? What if it’s something you are “supposed” to know as a handyman?

Solution 1 – Understand that you don’t need to know everything.

I know I didn’t when I first started, and I still don’t a full decade later. In fact, I gained most of my home repair experience while growing my handyman business.

And I can still remember one of the first quotes I gave to a customer. The customer’s six-foot wood fence had blown over in the wind, and a fence post was broken.

You can say I was NOT a fence repair expert. I had never fixed a fence before. I had never built a fence before. I didn’t even know fence posts were set in concrete.

So here’s what I did. First, I told the customer I’d be happy to come out and provide a quote. She said, “OK.”

When I got there, I looked over the situation thoroughly, took some pictures and measurements, let her know that I’d get back to her with a quote, and went home.

Then I spent the next few hours researching how to fix a fence post. I watched YouTube videos, found the materials to repair the fence, read contractor forums, and learned what tools I’d need to get the job done.

I soon realized that I’d done more challenging projects at home, and it wasn’t rocket science. I’d have to buy a few tools and work with materials I’d never worked with before, but I was confident I could handle it.

So, I created an estimate. I estimated how long it would take me, how much materials would cost, and called the customer back with a quote.

She said yes, and I landed my first real job!

Of course, the job ended up taking about twice as long as I expected, and I ran into a few unexpected challenges, but I learned a skill that would make me a lot of money in the following years. I also gained confidence.

This wasn’t the only time I learned a new skill on the job. I did this same process dozens of times with other customers.

I’d get called for a quote, go out and inspect the job thoroughly, and head back to my home office to research the process – teaching myself home repair through YouTube videos.

I always had some fear to contend with, but a bit of research and effort would usually put my mind at ease.

Solution 2: Embrace the words “I don’t know.”

One of the surest ways of looking stupid is to pretend you know how to do something when you don’t.

So don’t do that.

Instead, just say you don’t know if you don’t know. Honesty can be freeing.

And I’ve noticed that saying “I don’t know” gains trust from customers. That’s because most people are used to dealing with businesses who say or do anything to get our money.

When you admit your ignorance in a way that potentially costs you the job, it signals they can trust what you have to say in the future.

Now, the next time you answer one of their questions, they’ll trust that you aren’t just blowing smoke.

Customers don’t expect an all-knowing handyman. They just want to deal with somebody they can trust, and when they find that, they will hire you again and again.

Many repeat customers know I’m not the foremost expert with home repairs, but they still prefer to hire me because they trust me.

Fear #2 – Making a mistake

What if you make a mistake on a repair or break something you can’t fix?

Solution – Stay in your lane

As long as you aren’t taking on jobs that are over your head or outside of your legal abilities, these situations will be rare.

But, let’s say you do make a mistake on the job (like when I dropped a customer’s brand new 60″ TV on the ground and broke it).

It’s not the end of the world. The police don’t show up and make you shut down your business and throw you in jail. In fact, there are only two people who will notice: you and the customer.

Everybody makes mistakes.

Plus, most mistakes are minor and will only take some time to make them right. And as long as you are willing to fix your mistakes and take responsibility for them, you’ll find customers can be pretty forgiving.

Suppose you make a BIG mistake. Well, that’s why you should carry some liability insurance.

Most likely scenario: your profits take a minor hit, and that one customer never hires you again. Sure, that’s not ideal, but it’s not the end of your business either.

Fear #3 – Getting in over your head on a project

What if you take on a project that ends up being much harder than you expected, and you can’t handle it?

Solution #1 – Never commit or give a price on the spot.

Never commit to a project without thinking it through.

If a customer puts you on the spot, let them know you’ll get back to them, then go sit in your truck and think it through. You always have the final say over which jobs you take on. That simple fact should eliminate some fear for you.

If you do commit to a project that you can’t handle (which will probably never happen), kill the project as soon as you realize it’s over your head. Explain to the customer that you made a mistake or ran into an unexpected hiccup and can’t finish.

As long as you are honest and don’t take advantage of customers, they will understand.

Solution #2 – Stick with small jobs

It’s important to start small with handyman services because it will allow you to get the hang of quoting jobs. You’ll quickly learn that things always take longer than you expect and other valuable lessons.

You’ll also get a feel for your work capacity and allow your body to acclimate to working with your hands all day. Going from a desk job to working 8-10 hours per day remodeling kitchens will be a shock to your body. So instead, do small repairs. There is plenty of demand for them.

There’s nothing wrong with starting small then slowly upgrading to bigger projects if you want to. Or you can keep it simple and stick with small repairs long-term.

Fear #4 – Disappointing your customers

If you had an unforgiving parent or guardian that made you pay emotionally for disappointing them, you might have an irrational fear of disappointing people.

Or, if you care what people think of you in general (which is pretty much everyone), then this fear may get in your way.

On one side of the coin, this fear is an asset. The fear of disappointing your customers will motivate you to work hard and over-deliver. You may pay extra attention to detail and do a better job than other pros. You may answer your phone more often and go above and beyond to make your customers happy. Many homeowners are willing to pay a premium for quality and service.

However, this fear may also lead you to allow people to take advantage of you. In your effort to avoid disappointing people, you will likely undercharge for your time, be overly accommodating with your schedule, and even take on jobs you don’t enjoy. It isn’t easy to set healthy boundaries when putting others’ needs ahead of your own.

Solution – ??

Honestly, I’m not sure there is a great solution to this fear. It’s something that many of us need to get better at. Some kind of therapy is likely the answer if this fear can be eliminated at all.

However, I can say that many of my students find my course $100K Handyman Pricing helpful for this because it provides unique perspectives and tools to avoid undervaluing your time. So, you may still have this fear, but it won’t get in your way as much.

Fear #5 – Your Business Failing

Nobody wants to dive into a business only to waste time, lose money, and watch it fail.

How could you not be scared when you read stats like only half of all small businesses fail within the first five years.

But, when it comes to starting a handyman business, that statistic shouldn’t scare you.

Here’s why.

The handyman business is a proven business model. It’s proven to work in nearly every city in the U.S. and every country in the world.

There are thousands of pro handymen out there making six-figure incomes doing basic home repairs. In fact, enough people are doing this successfully that there are even some reliable statistics about how much you can expect to make as a pro handyman.

As I describe in detail in my article “Why starting a handyman business isn’t risky,” the risk of failing as a self-employed handyman is very low. If you are worried about your business failing, I recommend reading that article.

Solution – Start your business on the side.

To completely eliminate this fear, get started on the side while you maintain your current income.

The handyman business is the perfect side hustle. You can offer services after work, on the weekends, or whenever you are available.

You can even offer services just one day a week to get started, then slowly build up your clientele until you feel more comfortable diving in full-time. Your customers don’t care or even need to know how many days per week you work, either. For all they know, the rest of your week is booked with other jobs.

Starting part-time is a perfect way to test the waters before going full-time and risking a big failure.

Here’s an article on how to test the handyman business part-time, so you know it can deliver the profits you need to sustain your lifestyle before taking significant risks.

Fear #6 – Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is when you doubt your abilities and feel like a fraud, even when you are qualified and capable. It’s often what drives many fears I’ve already listed above.

You may have imposter syndrome if you find yourself asking this question: “What if I’m not fast enough while providing services, or the level of quality I provide isn’t high enough?”

Many new pros experience imposter syndrome. I certainly did when I got started, and I even struggle with it to this day (usually when posting content online).

In addition to stopping you from getting started, feeling a sense of imposter syndrome can lead you to undercharge for your services. Since perfectionism is often associated with imposter syndrome, it can also slow you down because you are worried about getting everything perfect. You’ll tend to invest unnecessary time and effort into details that don’t matter.

Solution #1 – Understand that the competition isn’t as good as you think.

Realizing this was a massive breakthrough for me. When I first got started, I always thought that the competition was so much better than me. I assumed they knew everything, worked more efficiently, rarely made mistakes, had sophisticated tools, always answered the phone, and gave better service.

After working for a few customers, I quickly realized this wasn’t the case.

Customers were constantly telling me how nice it was that I simply showed up on time, explaining that other handymen they hired didn’t even show up.

The bar is set pretty low when it comes to home service pros.

Sure, I wasn’t the fastest, most skilled, or most knowledgable handyman. Still, by simply caring, being reliable, and doing my best, I eventually charged a premium and maintained a full schedule.

If you’re still unsure, find out for yourself. Hire a couple of handymen in your area so you can experience being the customer. It might be the single best thing you can do to boost your confidence.

Solution #2 – Focus on your strengths

I had imposter syndrome for a good reason. Compared to most handymen, I had minimal experience.

However, I knew I had some valuable strengths to make up for my inexperience. For example, due to my engineering background, I was an excellent problem solver. I solved every home repair I had faced in the past as long as I took the time to try.

Additionally, I knew I was good at working with my hands. Whether in middle school woodshop, art class, or while I worked at Circuit City installing car audio, I always excelled when It came to building, drawing, fixing, or creating.

And lastly, I knew I wasn’t afraid to get dirty and work hard. I had painted the exterior of my house by hand, installed a vapor barrier in my crawlspace, and even installed granite countertops.

So, even though I had a lot to learn about home repairs, I felt that my strengths could compensate for what I lacked in knowledge and experience. It turns out I was right.

Maybe your strengths are different than mine, and that’s OK. Whatever they are, try to focus on them whenever this fear creeps up.

How to take action in the face of fear

You may never conquer your fear, but you can learn to act anyway.

Maybe your goal is to start a business, and that seems overwhelming to you right now. Instead of letting fear and overwhelm stop you, take one small step at a time doing something that feels safe.

Maybe that is coming up with a business name, figuring out how much to charge, or even investing in one of my courses that will walk you through getting started step-by-step.

You don’t have to quit your job immediately and commit the next ten years to your business to make progress. But you do have to do something.

Don’t focus on how big the steps you are taking are. Just take actions that are comfortable for you. You’ll be surprised what you can accomplish by this time next year.

Conclusion

Starting a business can bring up all kinds of fear and doubts, regardless of how capable you may be.

In some cases, all it takes is a fresh perspective to help you overcome those fears. In other cases, you may never conquer your fears.

However, if you want to start a handyman business, you must take action and get to work. That could mean diving in full-time, or it could mean taking one small step today.

So, I’ll end this article with a question that you find helpful.

What is one small step you can take today that will move you just a tiny bit closer to your business dreams?