Lol that was me I said that. Doing Union electrician. I'm in a major city. The pay is good. I'm quitting after 4 years of trying handyman. (Granted 2 years in the pandemic) 🤷♂️
yeah,i still went to work just like normal during it as a Auto Tech,never had time off.I also had the best year with my business that year,was insane.Running a business you quickly find out how the rest of the world works.Its not easy
Yesterday I was hired to paint a wall. When moving a bookshelf I accidentally broke a wax warmer. Before the paint was dry I had an identical replacement for the customer. I was told I didnt have to do that but they appreciated it a lot. That's how you make it right and keep a customer and/or their tenants.
I'm so glad I've found your channel. I have the same business model, but you're 15 years ahead! I find it incredibly reassuring, that I'm on the right path. I started my Handyman service 6-7mo ago. About two months in, I realized, the real value I brought was my customer service, and confidence I sold at initial meeting/job viewing. My appearance and demeanor sells confidence, and makes wives comfortable with me in their house while their husband is at work. I'd say about 40% of my clients tell me something along the lines of "you're the only one who shows up on time and/or calls back". First 3 months going out on my own were rough, but I'm finally at a point of making 3x what I made working for small residential GC's, so I'm starting to see the light!
I always say that I am an OK handyman but my customers also seem to use me as a therapist as well. Just being a likable person seems to make me a more desirable handyman than most
Just be careful with the chatty Kathy’s….. you could end up wasting an hour of paid time. Remember to cut the convo short with the older customers, or you could break even on a job! :)
Absolutely correct! All of my customers love me and my work. It's a combination of craftsmanship and companionship. That why we don't have to advertise. Residential Remodeling and Repair. NE TN
Years back I installed hardwood and laminate for many years. Quit my recent day job and got burned bad on two flips this month and a little hesitant moving forward or going back to electrical& robot maintenance at a factory (what a stressful grind!) I needed to see this. We have options and opportunities. Thanks.
Communication is key. Reading the customer and their needs are critical. Some customers want it fixed and have you leave a clean workspace. Other customers want to see what your doing and need questions answered. Of course you need to understand what the client wants.
Union carpenters are the ones with no hustle.“Why hurry? We get paid by the hour. Our pay isn’t related to our productivity.” Union carpenters have to be told what to do and when by a boss. Union carpenters will stop in the middle of a task because it’s 10 am ...break time... turn off compressor, climb down from scaffold, walk 3 minutes to gathering place, waste 20 minutes, walk back 3 minutes, restart compressor, climb scaffold, try to remember where to restart “ progress”. A union carpenter stops production if an electrical box needs to be relocated. Union carpenter stops, spends 8 minutes looking for boss to tell of electrical box. Boss calls union electrician boss. Electrician boss gets union electrician apprentice or journeyman about electrical box. Bla bla bla They decide that because it’s 3:30 and they punch out at 4 that there’s no reason to move the electrical box now. ( although it would take 7 minutes to move the box) They decide to do it in the morning. Consequently, the union carpenter also does nothing in that last half hour. That’s my take. Dave Heitman dba Dave The Carpenter in Omaha....in biz for 43 years. Self employment is not for the weak.
I’ve been a contractor for 24 years and I can’t disagree with anything you’ve said, except in Oregon there is a residential union here. It’s not my cup of tea but it’s here. The population base for a handyman is really important if you want those higher pay and more appreciative customers. I personally also look for a heavier white collar community to serve. Great video keep it up
I'm an electrician (single and three phase residential and commercial electrical installations and maintenance services) from a third world country: Ghana 🇬🇭. There are some huge contracts I've had because of how I communicate with my clients, time and keeping them informed. Clients always tell me most electricians don't care, don't answer their phone or call back. Communication or customer service is my secret in this business lol 😂.
About to finish my first year As a cabinet maker/remodeler, It was A LOT of learning, I would say the learning curve chipped away a lot of the income as far as projects taking longer than excpected as a lot of it was a first for me, but I knew the value would come later from the experience. Man was I right. I think I saw and did most of what I needed to; Electrical, Tiling, Plumbing. It paid the bills and a nice vacation, I now really feel confident in my skills. This 2nd year I see that if I work on my sales by getting quotes out the door fast, setting my pricepoint correctly, and the lame part trying to get my finances in order I should be able to start a decent savings account get that plot of land. Ill write you at the end of the year see if I meet my goal. You are the MAN, HANDY MAN!
@forzabro5026 100%. Im pretty much booked out for half the year, mostly custom kitchens, I have a little piece of land, I just got permit approved to build a little cabin I plan to AirnBNB out and want to mostly build it myself.
@forzabro5026 I have been getting my biggest contracts, finished a $15k custom kitchen. It did however take me close to 3months to finish so workin on cutting lead time.
I started the beginning of 2022 and haven’t looked back. I went from waiting tables for a corporate company and doing jobs on the side to full time handyman. I attribute my customer service and actual building skills to my success. People pay higher for me because I am personable and go above and beyond the competition. I have no marketing it’s all word of mouth.
Love coming behind stab in guys, I’ve gotten whole house device exchange’s because of the use of stab in guys. I say keep using them! Keeps others employed fixing sloppy work.
Hello friends. I'm an electrician here in Phoenix AZ. I tried working for the union as an apprentice here and they were trying to require of me I drive to Gila Bend to the Solana Generating Station job... I quit that shit cause it was not right to require an apprentice to wake up at mid night to catch a carpool and get to the job that started at 3 am. No. driving 3 hours a day round trip. No. Union. No. It sounds good in theory or whatever like historically but I think that shit is run by the mob anyways. From getting harassed on the job, my work quality getting trash talked or sabotaged by other coworkers and wrongfully fired or laid off for catching that damn l 4 b made bug and now Watching this channel has convinced me I should be in business for myself.
Net Promoter Score (NPS) - look it up, measure it, react to it and adjust your business based on this. That's what we're talking about here 6:30-7:30. This maps to all industries where service is provided.
I kinda enjoy my customers being interested, watching what I do. They like learning about how things work and I enjoy explaining how I’m going to repair and how I concluded what to fix. It’s a personal interaction that keeps them coming back.
I just want to thank you, you inspired me to start my RUclips Channel, and yeah I’m self employed and I live an a good area where they pay good, but my quality of work speak for itself. I agree with a lot of thing that you discussed here
Had a contractor call me back to check on status of a quote (which was incredibly rare but appreciated). I told him he didn’t get job and he asked how his pricing compared and I was happy to tell him. Not a bad way to do market research.
@15:45 That tidbit of info about the 1% is a really interesting fact. Part of me believes that most of these women who want that are either not 1% material and overvalue themselves and part believes that they are small percentage of the bigger picture. Not related to the video but thought that was interesting
I stumbled upon your live stream a couple of days ago and am impressed so far. I enjoyed the basics of "keep your head down and work hard". Looking forward to 2023 videos and live streams.
Great show Handy. My experience when a customer watches me work, they get a nice idea of what goes into the work. Often they throw in a few extra dollars on top of my quote. Secondly, I moved into a new town this summer and my next door neighbor introduced himself as a Union Carpenter. Never met one of those before. Handy-on brother.
I get kinda offended when they balk at my rate$, then don’t watch show. How would they know one from hole? Cheap ass -gets Kilz and duct tape free of charge. I/O 1hr ✌🏼
I’m planning to do the same. Probably just mini splits for now. I had a customer who wants one on a porch I did some other work to so I went ahead and bought the tools for it and watched some RUclips videos and realized how easy it was.
Just wanted to thank you Sir for your videos. They confirms what I'm doing and have been doing and saying to myself for many years. Although where I live you can't make the kind of money you make in ur area. I live in San Antonio Tx. You don't affend me when you start explaining how TX has a lower pay scale. It's true. and you have aswell, those coming from Mexico that will do wrk at a very low price. You do have to separate yourself from the rest. Just like you say. I have had clients for more then 20yrs. They still call me. Some of them are almost like family. Which is hard to keep it business only because you start to care about them. Thx again Sir for Encouragement support, and guidance.
I enjoy your videos a little more every time. I'm actually doing well so far, and I absolutely use lots of your advice. I'm going to play the devil's advocate for a second. The reason I would make my romex look like artwork was for one simple reason. If a rough-in inspector sees the over the top craftsmanship he eventually stops looking for reasons to fail your inspections. They stop looking at all at some point. 20 years of electrical in Austin Tx. That being said I'm enjoying my Handyman service company very much. Working for yourself can't be beat. Thanks for all the advice. I'm just adding some thoughts. Cheers!
Working for many retirees here in Myrtle Beach its standard for them to stand and talk to me almost the entire time I am working lol. It's totally a part of the business doing the chit-chat.
survived another year. 2nd year doing this. 1st year I only did it part time. Last January went full time. So about a solid year in business for myself. Getting better at everything. Stay a bit stressed. Injuries...back....some ab muscle thing....tennis elbow....This shit is real. Very different than being an employee which I've done all my life until 2 years ago. Feel like I'm going to battle each day/week.
stretch, eat way more fruit and veggies in your lunch, do not do the carbs, and sugar drinks, water, and STRETCH, and go to the gym, full body, light wieghts, all muscles. don't skip.
Merry Christmas Handyman. Thank you for taking the time to make these videos. You're highly entertaining and honest. It's been very encouraging to watch.
Lot of good info here for people to think about. I like to do quality work when it will be seen, I just let the client know that it will be worth it as they won't have to call again in the next few years about the same thing, one and done. If they want to hang out with me, that's fine, I just charge for that. You've gotten me to charge better and no one has blinked an eye. Just did 3 toilet fill valves, 2 flappers, 1 handle, and replaced their bottom freezer ice maker that they broke for $500 (150 in material, 4 hours work). Love my clients and 95% of the people they refer to me.
Hey handyman First of all I'm a big fan of both your channels. I enjoy your content and have learned quite a bit. I was a non union commercial Carpenter for 6 years. Exposed to a lot of different trades. Being non union meant sometimes I'm the operator sometimes I'm the plumber the laborer etc. I've always done side jobs after work and on the weekend. About 4 months ago I became self employed after a hostile incident with the boss. Surprisingly I've been booked solid since then even with the holidays approaching. You've helped me stay confident and handle everything well and I just wanted you to know the inspiration you've bestowed upon me. Also from watching the custom barn door build I made 6 custom barn doors for a customers finished basement with lower than ideal ceiling heights. Again thanks for everything and keep up the good work. Scott Marshall
Union carpenters are the ones that hang Sheetrock and don’t do carpentry. Odd. Great video! Godspeed handyman. I’ve been self employed and employed I prefer self employed it’s all up to the individual.
Dude you nailed it. I'm a self-employed drywaller in a mid sized town in the midwest. I do have to admit that being exceptional at my trade allows me some breathing room in the customer relation department. I have more of a soup nazi approach but my work is impecable and on time. 100% repeat and word of mouth business. I've been 100% self-employed for 12 years with zero advertising budget. It also helps in the private drywall business if you don't have a face tatoo and your underwear is actualy under your clothes. Great video!
4:03 you got it all wrong. It's not about quality it's about quantity, people only go with the cheapest especially if it's someone they are hiring you for the first time
Solid advice on market research Handydude. I happen to be a union electrician and we do have residential union guys. They deal mostly with hotels and that sort of thing. They do a few new home builds. There are also service guys that do residential repairs, as well as commercial and industrial repairs. And here, the union carpenters do a number of things including cabinetry in commercial buildings. Wood accent walls are a big thing right now in the corporate world-gotta have the right aesthetic, know what I mean🙄 Looking forward to the live!
Chicago still has trade unions. Back when we used to do a lot of work down there we would sometimes have issues where a particular union might get their panties in a twist cause we were a non union shop. Nice thing about the custom cabinetry trade is all you need to do is make a few calls till you find someone high enough to pull the union guys for a day because all you have to do is explain to the guys in charger they could go find a union cabinet shop but they would probably be waiting 6 months for cabinets. That was 10-15 years ago, these days I am sure it would be a year wait.
My brother is a union carpenter making $45 an hour in St. Louis. $0 overhead. No after hours work. Just time with his son and his hobbies. Not a bag gig. 🇺🇸
your advice is why I stopped advertising after only 2 years in business. its all about word of mouth and working for clients who are going to refer you to others.
I’ve been in and out of running my own Handyman business for about 10 years. I started from nothing, so it was very difficult to get started and to keep things going. The main issue was getting work consistently. It seemed I would be busy for a couple months and then have nothing for the next few weeks or so. I’m currently working for a property management company, where I’m pretty much independent. I still get multiple calls every week from customers I had before, referrals from those customers and people who found me on Google. Its tempting when I get these calls but I feel like I’m going to fall back into that same inconsistency if I decide to go back into it. I feel awful telling them I don’t do that anymore, but it’s just not sustainable for me. Still, I’ll never say never.
I had to cancel a couple property managment companies because I was too busy. I kept two property management companies and 2 hoa's and dropped the rest. one of the ones I dropped had over 250 pending work orders needing to be done. plenty of work out there to go around.
union is commercial work, was never for residential 100% correct........completely different spectrums of the business seen guys that do incredible work but are poor with people skills, sales, business and they struggle and seen opposite succeed into multi million dollar companies if you can just be better than avg in all areas you will do well........your own construction company vs employee isnt even comparable....been self employed since 2001 and started framing houses in 83
In Canada a union carpenter would work up north or in big metro area doing big jobs that only the unions have access to. Fort Mac, northern BC, refineries, etc…. They make big money like 120k you do way less have great benefits and stay in very nice work camps with really good facilities. However your away from home 21 days a month with 7 off. 21 days of 12 hours shifts is great income if you go hard for 10-15 years and buy rental properties you can do well for yourself.
The first half of your video is all about soft skills, and their importance. I'm a niche woodworker, not a tradesman or handyman. But as a business owner, I can't agree more with the majority of what you said. Artistry doesn't pay, it takes time. Value added doesn't have to cost out of your project. Customer service is the most important value added component to becoming successful as an entrepreneur.
33yr union pipefitter. I am listening to you in preparation of going into business for myself doing what you do while I collect my pension. Thanks for the content.
Pretty much, a lot of the guys here are not good with customer relations and do the work like a side gig instead of establishing themselves as a professional business. The hardest part is getting enough work at the beginning , after that it's all on you to not fck it up.
Yeah about those fucking stab connections on receptacles....they get loose over time and in my case on a 15 year old house resulted in an open neutral and burnt up outlet. Now replacing all of them in the house to avoid future issues.
Friend of mine is a union carpenter. He is always switching jobs and moving from one place to another. Currently he is laid off and doing "side work". Think the last job he was remodeling parts of a hospital with metal studs and hanging drywall. I had him do a job for me a few years back. Reframe a remodel house I was working on. He did an amazing job, and everything was straight as can be.
With what you charge for your business, you could easily be a union tradesperson.Union built homes ( residential tradesperson) are common here in st Louis mo.and , judging from some of the nonunion work I see EVERYDAY online, build much better quality at a competitive price. A lot of this is due to the superior training the union provides, the rest is because union builders have a higher level of pride in who they are and what they produce. Without a union, without collective bargaining, an individual is on his own, and is left to beg for frequently half of what he is entitled to
I'll never understand why anti-union workers are so proud to be making half of what their Union counterparts are, and then go on to claim they work twice as hard, twice as fast, and twice as long. You're in a race to the bottom you idiot. We should be working together to keep our wages and conditions at a higher standard.
There is a flip side to this coin. If you and any other guys like you would be charging no less than union workers, all of us would be treated like doctors, lawyers and such. And the main criteria for success would be a quality of service you provide but not the cheapest price. I’m sure you’ve noticed that speedy Gonzales taking over whole construction industry as result of cheap labor. That’s why unions trying to restore balance and need our support.
Hey Handyman, Im newer to the channel. Great stuff you are pitting up on here! Im a carpenter that has been doing it on the side, only by word of mouth for the past 15 years. I have a fulltime day job working for my state as a social worker and it just dont do it for me anymore. Im starting the process to finally becoming a lagit home improvement company. I want to be a one person operation and stick to the "handyman" and smaller remodel/home improvement jobs but don't want that preception most people have of a self proclaimed handyman. What would you recommend on how to target smaller home improvement/ handyman jobs? Im currently working on choosing a company name and torn wether or not I should include handyman in my company name. Currently have my last name with home improvement and handyman services.
Most Union guys wouldn’t last 15 minutes running their own business. They need a foreman telling them their every move plus a lot of guys are too cheap to invest in the right tools for themselves.
I only do handyman work because remodels turn into quagmires. I additionally only service prop rental or land lords anymore as its steady work every week. Prop management firms can help you get with a crew if you need to get with one as a good legit reference. references without a company name behind it just looks fake.
I don't know for sure but aren't unions and governments joined at the hip? Big govt. towns have lots of make work/spend the budget by Sep. 30 money. Plus there's the 1930s era act that ties govt. contracts to prevailing wages in an area which are always the union rate. So places like NYC, LA, DC, Chicago are gonna be good for union work I'd imagine.
So I'm an employee for a gc and he uses me to get tools, put away tools, clean, hold things or whatever he needs help with. I'm not really skilled because I'm relatively new and really wasn't taught besides watch. But I know name of tools and can find stuff so he don't got to go get tools. I think I do good. I do good on pay 11 dollars a hour and most we work is like 4 to 4.5 hours but average is 3 to 3.5 or less. We don't work a lot it depends we work hours sometimes have to go to home depot or lowes. But yeah all comes down to experience to be honest.
Important information, but first I really like the beard trim like you have it. Nobody ever mentions that the cost of permits makes building affordable housing impossible.
Question: I've noticed handyman are using apps/platforms that perform estimating, payments, and scheduling. Any advice on tech to automate back office stuff? Oh, and tips on social media.
nah, I do use square to invoice and send estimates but I see no value in paying another company to manage my back end. If i was planning on hiring a bunch of employees then yes I would want management software in place.
I found in my area guys have tried and failed. They fade quick and it is because they just cant handle the customer and selling part of it. Too much work answering phone calls, commitments, knowing what your doing etc.
What is your recommendation for turning down jobs that are not in your skill set without losing the customer or coming off as incompetent when starting out. Referrals to large companies that specialize in certain job?
I'll throw you my advice on this subject. Here's where having friends and acquaintances who are in the trades. You can help each other with jobs and use each others' strengths. And I've always just been honest with my clients about my weak areas. I'll straight up tell them that I don't have a lot of experience in this particular area but I know I can do it. But if they'd be uncomfortable with me doing it I can find someone to do that part of the job. Usually they still have me do it and I get paid to learn. Or I get paid to find and manage another sub.
Unions were meant for jobs like coal miners who were getting paid .33 cents an hour in company town money while hoping they’d make it to their 40th birthday without dying in an accident.
Hey I really enjoy/learn a BUNCH from your videos. Only 24 but I'm trying my best to become as handy as possible to help out my friends and family with any issue that may occur so they're not out big bucks on hiring a big company to do it while still getting good quality work. Currently doing HVAC but would like to know if there is a certain trade or job in mind that in your opinion would best help someone learn as much as possible over a wide variety of fields? Thanks so much.
I have set high goals for myself financially. I would only attempt my business in 5 of the top metro areas. 1 million people would be my minimum. I would do my market research on the home owners in the area I was thinking of working in. They have to be highly educated and highly paid. I have to make at least $250k to $300k per year minimum. That is after business expenses. My goal is $400k a year.
hello, I'm from Lithuania, I've been working independently all my life. I don't work in the company. but only 2.5 million people live here. this market is difficult, not easy, you have very different skills. question? or is it better to choose one in a specific area?
Dear Handyman business guy, I am a part-time Avon lady & really good at making ugly things look nice. Any tips you can offer to help me become a full time handy person? 🔨🤯 Thank you. Sincerely, Unreal Woman; Real World (Seriously though, great advice. You nailed everything that matters in under 17 minutes. Pun not intended :)
@@TheHandymanBusiness lol I understand it's quicker if you're wiring an entire house that you will never have to think about again, but as a handyman fixing or adding a few outlets I think your better off not backstabbing.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
Lol that was me I said that. Doing Union electrician. I'm in a major city. The pay is good. I'm quitting after 4 years of trying handyman. (Granted 2 years in the pandemic) 🤷♂️
The pandemic made no difference. We are essential.
yeah,i still went to work just like normal during it as a Auto Tech,never had time off.I also had the best year with my business that year,was insane.Running a business you quickly find out how the rest of the world works.Its not easy
The pandemic was the govt,s way of ushering in the new global socialist economy. And we’re just getting started. Mostly the lazy accept that lifestyle
I don't know what he's talking about in this video. I'm in Pittsburgh and there are unions doing every trade.
I’m going to assume the handyman is in a right to work state. It pretty much kills unions and assures wages for tradesmen are lower than other states.
Yesterday I was hired to paint a wall. When moving a bookshelf I accidentally broke a wax warmer. Before the paint was dry I had an identical replacement for the customer. I was told I didnt have to do that but they appreciated it a lot. That's how you make it right and keep a customer and/or their tenants.
I started my LLC because of your videos. That was three years ago and I’m making more every year. Thank you for helping me out my dude
I'm so glad I've found your channel. I have the same business model, but you're 15 years ahead! I find it incredibly reassuring, that I'm on the right path. I started my Handyman service 6-7mo ago. About two months in, I realized, the real value I brought was my customer service, and confidence I sold at initial meeting/job viewing. My appearance and demeanor sells confidence, and makes wives comfortable with me in their house while their husband is at work. I'd say about 40% of my clients tell me something along the lines of "you're the only one who shows up on time and/or calls back".
First 3 months going out on my own were rough, but I'm finally at a point of making 3x what I made working for small residential GC's, so I'm starting to see the light!
I always say that I am an OK handyman but my customers also seem to use me as a therapist as well. Just being a likable person seems to make me a more desirable handyman than most
Especially the lonely older folks. They always need to get something off of their chest
Just be careful with the chatty Kathy’s….. you could end up wasting an hour of paid time. Remember to cut the convo short with the older customers, or you could break even on a job! :)
@@joseph7105I used to show up on crack and still get the job lol.
Absolutely correct! All of my customers love me and my work. It's a combination of craftsmanship and companionship. That why we don't have to advertise. Residential Remodeling and Repair. NE TN
funny you say that. Im a self employed handyman with an associates in psychology. I definitely am both for my customers.
Years back I installed hardwood and laminate for many years. Quit my recent day job and got burned bad on two flips this month and a little hesitant moving forward or going back to electrical& robot maintenance at a factory (what a stressful grind!)
I needed to see this. We have options and opportunities. Thanks.
Communication is key. Reading the customer and their needs are critical. Some customers want it fixed and have you leave a clean workspace. Other customers want to see what your doing and need questions answered. Of course you need to understand what the client wants.
Union carpenters are the ones with no hustle.“Why hurry? We get paid by the hour. Our pay isn’t related to our productivity.” Union carpenters have to be told what to do and when by a boss. Union carpenters will stop in the middle of a task because it’s 10 am ...break time... turn off compressor, climb down from scaffold, walk 3 minutes to gathering place, waste 20 minutes, walk back 3 minutes, restart compressor, climb scaffold, try to remember where to restart “ progress”. A union carpenter stops production if an electrical box needs to be relocated. Union carpenter stops, spends 8 minutes looking for boss to tell of electrical box. Boss calls union electrician boss. Electrician boss gets union electrician apprentice or journeyman about electrical box. Bla bla bla They decide that because it’s 3:30 and they punch out at 4 that there’s no reason to move the electrical box now. ( although it would take 7 minutes to move the box) They decide to do it in the morning. Consequently, the union carpenter also does nothing in that last half hour. That’s my take. Dave Heitman dba Dave The Carpenter in Omaha....in biz for 43 years. Self employment is not for the weak.
I’ve been a contractor for 24 years and I can’t disagree with anything you’ve said, except in Oregon there is a residential union here. It’s not my cup of tea but it’s here. The population base for a handyman is really important if you want those higher pay and more appreciative customers. I personally also look for a heavier white collar community to serve. Great video keep it up
I'm an electrician (single and three phase residential and commercial electrical installations and maintenance services) from a third world country: Ghana 🇬🇭. There are some huge contracts I've had because of how I communicate with my clients, time and keeping them informed. Clients always tell me most electricians don't care, don't answer their phone or call back.
Communication or customer service is my secret in this business lol 😂.
About to finish my first year As a cabinet maker/remodeler, It was A LOT of learning, I would say the learning curve chipped away a lot of the income as far as projects taking longer than excpected as a lot of it was a first for me, but I knew the value would come later from the experience.
Man was I right.
I think I saw and did most of what I needed to; Electrical, Tiling, Plumbing. It paid the bills and a nice vacation, I now really feel confident in my skills. This 2nd year I see that if I work on my sales by getting quotes out the door fast, setting my pricepoint correctly, and the lame part trying to get my finances in order I should be able to start a decent savings account get that plot of land.
Ill write you at the end of the year see if I meet my goal. You are the MAN, HANDY MAN!
Did you meet the goal?
@forzabro5026 100%. Im pretty much booked out for half the year, mostly custom kitchens, I have a little piece of land, I just got permit approved to build a little cabin I plan to AirnBNB out and want to mostly build it myself.
@forzabro5026 I have been getting my biggest contracts, finished a $15k custom kitchen. It did however take me close to 3months to finish so workin on cutting lead time.
I started the beginning of 2022 and haven’t looked back. I went from waiting tables for a corporate company and doing jobs on the side to full time handyman. I attribute my customer service and actual building skills to my success. People pay higher for me because I am personable and go above and beyond the competition. I have no marketing it’s all word of mouth.
Love coming behind stab in guys, I’ve gotten whole house device exchange’s because of the use of stab in guys. I say keep using them! Keeps others employed fixing sloppy work.
Hello friends. I'm an electrician here in Phoenix AZ. I tried working for the union as an apprentice here and they were trying to require of me I drive to Gila Bend to the Solana Generating Station job... I quit that shit cause it was not right to require an apprentice to wake up at mid night to catch a carpool and get to the job that started at 3 am. No. driving 3 hours a day round trip. No. Union. No. It sounds good in theory or whatever like historically but I think that shit is run by the mob anyways.
From getting harassed on the job, my work quality getting trash talked or sabotaged by other coworkers and wrongfully fired or laid off for catching that damn l 4 b made bug and now Watching this channel has convinced me I should be in business for myself.
Net Promoter Score (NPS) - look it up, measure it, react to it and adjust your business based on this. That's what we're talking about here 6:30-7:30. This maps to all industries where service is provided.
Yep, but normally a promoter is a 9 or 10.
I kinda enjoy my customers being interested, watching what I do. They like learning about how things work and I enjoy explaining how I’m going to repair and how I concluded what to fix. It’s a personal interaction that keeps them coming back.
I just want to thank you, you inspired me to start my RUclips Channel, and yeah I’m self employed and I live an a good area where they pay good, but my quality of work speak for itself. I agree with a lot of thing that you discussed here
Had a contractor call me back to check on status of a quote (which was incredibly rare but appreciated). I told him he didn’t get job and he asked how his pricing compared and I was happy to tell him. Not a bad way to do market research.
@15:45 That tidbit of info about the 1% is a really interesting fact. Part of me believes that most of these women who want that are either not 1% material and overvalue themselves and part believes that they are small percentage of the bigger picture. Not related to the video but thought that was interesting
Union carpenters around here just install concrete forms on highways or sometimes install drop ceilings in office buildings.
I won't become a handyman, but I sure enjoy these videos.
I stumbled upon your live stream a couple of days ago and am impressed so far. I enjoyed the basics of "keep your head down and work hard". Looking forward to 2023 videos and live streams.
Unions are strongest in the big metro areas. Chicago, LA, Ny. They are almost exclusively in commercial work.
Great show Handy. My experience when a customer watches me work, they get a nice idea of what goes into the work. Often they throw in a few extra dollars on top of my quote. Secondly, I moved into a new town this summer and my next door neighbor introduced himself as a Union Carpenter. Never met one of those before. Handy-on brother.
I get kinda offended when they balk at my rate$, then don’t watch show. How would they know one from hole? Cheap ass -gets Kilz and duct tape free of charge. I/O 1hr ✌🏼
I’m planning to do the same. Probably just mini splits for now. I had a customer who wants one on a porch I did some other work to so I went ahead and bought the tools for it and watched some RUclips videos and realized how easy it was.
Just wanted to thank you Sir for your videos. They confirms what I'm doing and have been doing and saying to myself for many years. Although where I live you can't make the kind of money you make in ur area. I live in San Antonio Tx. You don't affend me when you start explaining how TX has a lower pay scale. It's true. and you have aswell, those coming from Mexico that will do wrk at a very low price. You do have to separate yourself from the rest. Just like you say. I have had clients for more then 20yrs. They still call me. Some of them are almost like family. Which is hard to keep it business only because you start to care about them. Thx again Sir for Encouragement support, and guidance.
I like when someone calls and says I have three faucets to replace should only take you an hour or so
I enjoy your videos a little more every time. I'm actually doing well so far, and I absolutely use lots of your advice. I'm going to play the devil's advocate for a second. The reason I would make my romex look like artwork was for one simple reason. If a rough-in inspector sees the over the top craftsmanship he eventually stops looking for reasons to fail your inspections. They stop looking at all at some point. 20 years of electrical in Austin Tx. That being said I'm enjoying my Handyman service company very much. Working for yourself can't be beat. Thanks for all the advice. I'm just adding some thoughts. Cheers!
Working for many retirees here in Myrtle Beach its standard for them to stand and talk to me almost the entire time I am working lol. It's totally a part of the business doing the chit-chat.
survived another year. 2nd year doing this. 1st year I only did it part time. Last January went full time. So about a solid year in business for myself. Getting better at everything. Stay a bit stressed. Injuries...back....some ab muscle thing....tennis elbow....This shit is real. Very different than being an employee which I've done all my life until 2 years ago. Feel like I'm going to battle each day/week.
stretch, eat way more fruit and veggies in your lunch, do not do the carbs, and sugar drinks, water, and STRETCH, and go to the gym, full body, light wieghts, all muscles. don't skip.
Merry Christmas Handyman. Thank you for taking the time to make these videos. You're highly entertaining and honest. It's been very encouraging to watch.
Lot of good info here for people to think about. I like to do quality work when it will be seen, I just let the client know that it will be worth it as they won't have to call again in the next few years about the same thing, one and done. If they want to hang out with me, that's fine, I just charge for that.
You've gotten me to charge better and no one has blinked an eye. Just did 3 toilet fill valves, 2 flappers, 1 handle, and replaced their bottom freezer ice maker that they broke for $500 (150 in material, 4 hours work). Love my clients and 95% of the people they refer to me.
Cool name you have
Hey handyman
First of all I'm a big fan of both your channels. I enjoy your content and have learned quite a bit. I was a non union commercial Carpenter for 6 years. Exposed to a lot of different trades. Being non union meant sometimes I'm the operator sometimes I'm the plumber the laborer etc. I've always done side jobs after work and on the weekend. About 4 months ago I became self employed after a hostile incident with the boss. Surprisingly I've been booked solid since then even with the holidays approaching. You've helped me stay confident and handle everything well and I just wanted you to know the inspiration you've bestowed upon me. Also from watching the custom barn door build I made 6 custom barn doors for a customers finished basement with lower than ideal ceiling heights. Again thanks for everything and keep up the good work.
Scott Marshall
Woo hoo livestream ahead! 🚲 🎵 "I wish I was a little bit taller" 🤣👍
Union carpenters are the ones that hang Sheetrock and don’t do carpentry. Odd.
Great video! Godspeed handyman.
I’ve been self employed and employed I prefer self employed it’s all up to the individual.
Dude you nailed it. I'm a self-employed drywaller in a mid sized town in the midwest. I do have to admit that being exceptional at my trade allows me some breathing room in the customer relation department. I have more of a soup nazi approach but my work is impecable and on time. 100% repeat and word of mouth business. I've been 100% self-employed for 12 years with zero advertising budget. It also helps in the private drywall business if you don't have a face tatoo and your underwear is actualy under your clothes. Great video!
Whenever a customer watches you work you can teach them it's fun with the right customer, also they usually help clean up voluntarily lol
Great advice! Thanks! Love the videos!
4:03 you got it all wrong. It's not about quality it's about quantity, people only go with the cheapest especially if it's someone they are hiring you for the first time
Solid advice on market research Handydude. I happen to be a union electrician and we do have residential union guys. They deal mostly with hotels and that sort of thing. They do a few new home builds. There are also service guys that do residential repairs, as well as commercial and industrial repairs. And here, the union carpenters do a number of things including cabinetry in commercial buildings. Wood accent walls are a big thing right now in the corporate world-gotta have the right aesthetic, know what I mean🙄 Looking forward to the live!
Chicago still has trade unions. Back when we used to do a lot of work down there we would sometimes have issues where a particular union might get their panties in a twist cause we were a non union shop. Nice thing about the custom cabinetry trade is all you need to do is make a few calls till you find someone high enough to pull the union guys for a day because all you have to do is explain to the guys in charger they could go find a union cabinet shop but they would probably be waiting 6 months for cabinets. That was 10-15 years ago, these days I am sure it would be a year wait.
My brother is a union carpenter making $45 an hour in St. Louis. $0 overhead. No after hours work. Just time with his son and his hobbies. Not a bag gig. 🇺🇸
Thank You.
I know a union carpenter and I live in a pretty rural area never thought much of it
Love your channel. How can I get one of those “Come And Take It” caulking gun t-shirts?
your advice is why I stopped advertising after only 2 years in business. its all about word of mouth and working for clients who are going to refer you to others.
On sale, full price. Lol. Never gets old. Respect the hustle.
Limited time only. Act now.
I’ve been in and out of running my own Handyman business for about 10 years. I started from nothing, so it was very difficult to get started and to keep things going. The main issue was getting work consistently. It seemed I would be busy for a couple months and then have nothing for the next few weeks or so. I’m currently working for a property management company, where I’m pretty much independent. I still get multiple calls every week from customers I had before, referrals from those customers and people who found me on Google. Its tempting when I get these calls but I feel like I’m going to fall back into that same inconsistency if I decide to go back into it. I feel awful telling them I don’t do that anymore, but it’s just not sustainable for me. Still, I’ll never say never.
I had to cancel a couple property managment companies because I was too busy. I kept two property management companies and 2 hoa's and dropped the rest. one of the ones I dropped had over 250 pending work orders needing to be done. plenty of work out there to go around.
Where are you guys located?
@@deedub429 New Hampshire
This video is super valuable
union is commercial work, was never for residential
100% correct........completely different spectrums of the business
seen guys that do incredible work but are poor with people skills, sales, business and they struggle and seen opposite succeed into multi million dollar companies
if you can just be better than avg in all areas you will do well........your own construction company vs employee isnt even comparable....been self employed since 2001 and started framing houses in 83
Thank you
In Canada a union carpenter would work up north or in big metro area doing big jobs that only the unions have access to.
Fort Mac, northern BC, refineries, etc…. They make big money like 120k you do way less have great benefits and stay in very nice work camps with really good facilities. However your away from home 21 days a month with 7 off.
21 days of 12 hours shifts is great income if you go hard for 10-15 years and buy rental properties you can do well for yourself.
The first half of your video is all about soft skills, and their importance.
I'm a niche woodworker, not a tradesman or handyman. But as a business owner, I can't agree more with the majority of what you said. Artistry doesn't pay, it takes time. Value added doesn't have to cost out of your project. Customer service is the most important value added component to becoming successful as an entrepreneur.
33yr union pipefitter. I am listening to you in preparation of going into business for myself doing what you do while I collect my pension. Thanks for the content.
I don't think it's possible to fail being a handyman in Florida unless you're horrible.
Pretty much, a lot of the guys here are not good with customer relations and do the work like a side gig instead of establishing themselves as a professional business. The hardest part is getting enough work at the beginning , after that it's all on you to not fck it up.
After the hurricane, pressure washing and handyman businesses are booming. But i see a lot of the work and a some of it is half ass..... some of it
@@Straight_White_Fatherly_Figure in Florida getting someone to show up is 3/4 the battle people take what they can get.
@@lilcs3011 true lol
(ABC) Associated Builders Contractors Schools have classes for Estimating , Planning /Scheduling and Software.
Yeah about those fucking stab connections on receptacles....they get loose over time and in my case on a 15 year old house resulted in an open neutral and burnt up outlet. Now replacing all of them in the house to avoid future issues.
Friend of mine is a union carpenter. He is always switching jobs and moving from one place to another. Currently he is laid off and doing "side work". Think the last job he was remodeling parts of a hospital with metal studs and hanging drywall. I had him do a job for me a few years back. Reframe a remodel house I was working on. He did an amazing job, and everything was straight as can be.
One thing being a scab is there is no such thing as a layoff.
I can make a few calls and be at work 6 am next day.
With what you charge for your business, you could easily be a union tradesperson.Union built homes ( residential tradesperson) are common here in st Louis mo.and , judging from some of the nonunion work I see EVERYDAY online, build much better quality at a competitive price. A lot of this is due to the superior training the union provides, the rest is because union builders have a higher level of pride in who they are and what they produce. Without a union, without collective bargaining, an individual is on his own, and is left to beg for frequently half of what he is entitled to
I'll never understand why anti-union workers are so proud to be making half of what their Union counterparts are, and then go on to claim they work twice as hard, twice as fast, and twice as long. You're in a race to the bottom you idiot. We should be working together to keep our wages and conditions at a higher standard.
I shat my bed when he mentioned the camp on the other side of my fence here.
There is a flip side to this coin.
If you and any other guys like you would be charging no less than union workers, all of us would be treated like doctors, lawyers and such. And the main criteria for success would be a quality of service you provide but not the cheapest price. I’m sure you’ve noticed that speedy Gonzales taking over whole construction industry as result of cheap labor. That’s why unions trying to restore balance and need our support.
If you know what you’re doing, know how to run a business, and communicate, the sky is the limit on what you can charge.
Hey Handyman, Im newer to the channel. Great stuff you are pitting up on here! Im a carpenter that has been doing it on the side, only by word of mouth for the past 15 years. I have a fulltime day job working for my state as a social worker and it just dont do it for me anymore. Im starting the process to finally becoming a lagit home improvement company. I want to be a one person operation and stick to the "handyman" and smaller remodel/home improvement jobs but don't want that preception most people have of a self proclaimed handyman. What would you recommend on how to target smaller home improvement/ handyman jobs? Im currently working on choosing a company name and torn wether or not I should include handyman in my company name. Currently have my last name with home improvement and handyman services.
Most Union guys wouldn’t last 15 minutes running their own business. They need a foreman telling them their every move plus a lot of guys are too cheap to invest in the right tools for themselves.
Do you have some books or material you can recommend to advance in these skills?
I only do handyman work because remodels turn into quagmires. I additionally only service prop rental or land lords anymore as its steady work every week. Prop management firms can help you get with a crew if you need to get with one as a good legit reference. references without a company name behind it just looks fake.
Ha... that's world today. Great video
Net promoter score! Great system really. Better than answering 50 detailed questions about every step of the build. Cuts through the bullshit.
The employee only has one customer.
gotta love MPS
I don't know for sure but aren't unions and governments joined at the hip?
Big govt. towns have lots of make work/spend the budget by Sep. 30 money.
Plus there's the 1930s era act that ties govt. contracts to prevailing wages in an area which are always the union rate.
So places like NYC, LA, DC, Chicago are gonna be good for union work I'd imagine.
So I'm an employee for a gc and he uses me to get tools, put away tools, clean, hold things or whatever he needs help with. I'm not really skilled because I'm relatively new and really wasn't taught besides watch. But I know name of tools and can find stuff so he don't got to go get tools. I think I do good. I do good on pay 11 dollars a hour and most we work is like 4 to 4.5 hours but average is 3 to 3.5 or less. We don't work a lot it depends we work hours sometimes have to go to home depot or lowes. But yeah all comes down to experience to be honest.
Important information, but first I really like the beard trim like you have it. Nobody ever mentions that the cost of permits makes building affordable housing impossible.
Question: I've noticed handyman are using apps/platforms that perform estimating, payments, and scheduling. Any advice on tech to automate back office stuff? Oh, and tips on social media.
nah, I do use square to invoice and send estimates but I see no value in paying another company to manage my back end. If i was planning on hiring a bunch of employees then yes I would want management software in place.
@15:18 that's called delusion
If its complicated - T&Mot always worx for me.
I found in my area guys have tried and failed. They fade quick and it is because they just cant handle the customer and selling part of it. Too much work answering phone calls, commitments, knowing what your doing etc.
Stab ins? UL approved rework resource.
Employee = work, pay taxes, spend what's left.
LLC = work, spend money, pay tax on what's left!
What is your recommendation for turning down jobs that are not in your skill set without losing the customer or coming off as incompetent when starting out. Referrals to large companies that specialize in certain job?
I'll throw you my advice on this subject.
Here's where having friends and acquaintances who are in the trades. You can help each other with jobs and use each others' strengths. And I've always just been honest with my clients about my weak areas. I'll straight up tell them that I don't have a lot of experience in this particular area but I know I can do it. But if they'd be uncomfortable with me doing it I can find someone to do that part of the job. Usually they still have me do it and I get paid to learn. Or I get paid to find and manage another sub.
Unions were meant for jobs like coal miners who were getting paid .33 cents an hour in company town money while hoping they’d make it to their 40th
birthday without dying in an accident.
Being a self employed framer is tough, that’s why the bulk of my work comes through a contractor.
Same with flooring
You have to do sub work if you're that narrow or specialized. Not many remodeling customers are direct hiring niche guys like that.
You are the reason why I started my handyman business! Thank you. It's only been 2 years, so far so good 👍
This video could have been 2 hours and I would have watched it all. I run a business currently have 5 employees.
Hey I really enjoy/learn a BUNCH from your videos. Only 24 but I'm trying my best to become as handy as possible to help out my friends and family with any issue that may occur so they're not out big bucks on hiring a big company to do it while still getting good quality work. Currently doing HVAC but would like to know if there is a certain trade or job in mind that in your opinion would best help someone learn as much as possible over a wide variety of fields? Thanks so much.
Here's a question. How do you run a successful "Handyman" business in a non heavy populated area? around 100K in the county.
You don't.
@@TheHandymanBusiness what's the lowest population you would recommend?
Only if you’re the only handyman in town maybe
I have set high goals for myself financially. I would only attempt my business in 5 of the top metro areas. 1 million people would be my minimum. I would do my market research on the home owners in the area I was thinking of working in. They have to be highly educated and highly paid. I have to make at least $250k to $300k per year minimum. That is after business expenses. My goal is $400k a year.
@@TheHandymanBusiness man i am selling myself short at 130k a year take home.
What kinds of investments do you do I suck at investing and don’t have much knowledge
hello, I'm from Lithuania, I've been working independently all my life. I don't work in the company. but only 2.5 million people live here. this market is difficult, not easy, you have very different skills. question? or is it better to choose one in a specific area?
I'm trying to learn the pricing game. Anyway , can you help with that?
It's different in every city. You have to do market research
Twin cities is maybe #40 in the top 40 markets. Unions operate and compete up here.
under promise and over deliver,
i have trouble with estimating time ,
Yo
You are sounding like Kevin Samuels towards the end😂
Dear Handyman business guy,
I am a part-time Avon lady & really good at making ugly things look nice.
Any tips you can offer to help me become a full time handy person? 🔨🤯
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Unreal Woman; Real World
(Seriously though, great advice. You nailed everything that matters in under 17 minutes. Pun not intended :)
I couldn't resist mentioning that I occasionally joke with friends when I show up and mention I'm the ugly Avon lady. (I'm a guy)
@@jum5238 👍😄! 🧡
Was the bonus a hefty amount or a handsome sum? There is a difference.
Isn't backstabbing outlets a bad practice?
If you want to make money you use the stab connections.
Yes, it is
@@TheHandymanBusiness lol I understand it's quicker if you're wiring an entire house that you will never have to think about again, but as a handyman fixing or adding a few outlets I think your better off not backstabbing.
I dont know enough smart business and construction knowledge and so I decided to give up and go back to work and pay my home off
90% of customers cannot tell quality work, just how it looks to them at end. Caulk and paint make you what you ain’t.
Putty and paint
Good video
Thanks
I gotsta get out of here before iam that old man crawling around Home Depot .