5 Mistakes Most Handymen Make (Don't do this)

#handyman #business
5 Mistakes Most Handymen Make. In this video I go indepth about the 5 most common mistakes handymen make. Make sure you don't make these mistakes. here are some common handyman business mistakes. The best way to grow a handyman business is by avoiding these handyman business mistakes. don't do these mistakes, learn from my failures and don't repeat them.

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TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Intro
0:41 Not Charging Enough For Handyman Services
5:54 Having Clear Communication with Handyman Clients
9:17 Stay away from problem clients who want a discount
12:26 Keep accurate book keeping as a handyman
14:41 How to hire employees as a handyman / How to grow a handyman business

[Mayamax]

The Essential Craftsman said it best. "If you aren't losing about 50% of your bids because your bids are too high, then you aren't charging enough." There is no shortage of people that will want you to work for nothing. Those kinds of 'customers' will put you out of business. Just walk away.

[qzetu]

I've been a full time handyman for 5 years now. I'm going to give you guys some advice you might appreciate.

(1) Don't ever give an estimate upfront . Write down everything, then take the information home and break it down carefully. This is important for one reason. If you rush or get pressured by the client you will probably charge too little. Take your time and you are very unlikely to undercut yourself.

(2) Do not put the cost of material in your estimate. It's too much work to determine exact cost, and if you end up paying more than you estimated you're either going to eat the cost or have a upset client.

(3) Either text or e-mail your client the estimate and be specific about the work so there is no confusion. For example: "paint only bathroom walls in hall bathroom. Material is not included in this estimate.." This means I'm only painting the wall. Not the ceiling, not the trim, not the doors. I have had clients try to tell me I was supposed to do something but I went back to my estimate and was able to point out that it's not there in the estimate.

(4) do not ever work for hourly pay. You will be taken advantage of and you will lose money this way. For example, if say I was charging $50 an hour and I'm installing a dishwasher. I can install one in less than a hour. However, I typically charge around $125 to install one. So you see, I'm losing money. Furthermore, telling a client I want $50 an houris likely to scare them off because they don't understand.

(5) Don't budge on your estimate. The reason you want to do your estimate over text or email is to avoid any kind of confrontation if they think the price is too high. In any case, you'll have time to think before responding. Don't worry too much about if you get the job or not. Know your worth. If it's too high for them, go to the next job. When I first started I used to try very hard to get every job. Now I give my estimate and if they don't like it, I'm off to the next job. I do not have time to be wasting my time. You have to understand that some people are simply difficult and will not be satisfied until you undercut yourself.

[mosesmontes]

I can always accept good advice from someone who admits their own mistakes. Great channel.

[bl]

I am a handyman and I charge by the hour. It is the fairest thing to do. If I charge by the job, and unexpected issues come up, you can be sure I will find a way to cut costs elsewhere. I have no choice - I have a family to feed and I don’t work for free. That scares off some clients but I have no trouble finding enough clients that “get it”. Many clients only care about the lowest price - I leave those clients to someone else.

[Tom-Travels]

At 63 I took early white collar corporate retirement (I was a Dir. of Human Resources) and I decided on a second life as a blue collar handyman. I'm now 72. The Handyman Life is fun and addictive. For fun, I still do small Work Orders for a Property Company and private home owners. Just last week, a client lady wanted her gas log fireplace available for her Christmas home party. I replaced a gas fireplace burner assembly and made $200. I can't... stop... handyman-ing...

[johnnysimes]

Money is value. If something costs a $100 then someone perceives it to be worth $100. If something costs $500 there is more value assigned to it. Things that are given away for free are perceived as having little value. It sounds backwards but things that cost a lot are valued more. Charge enough for your work!

[marinechapssemperfiout]

I like that you reflected on the leadership skills AEB caring for and nurturing your team. This is critical and not opened for discussion. Your core values are also essential. Without it there is nothing. Great presentation! Semper Fi

[el.handyman]

Great topic Allen! Personally, I believe that a handyman is a contractor. The work we are hired to do by a homeowner or a property manager is contract work. I know that the work we can do differs from state to state. However, until a handyman or woman treats what they do as a business, the stigma will always be there. I work "solo" and you're absolutely correct about the day ending much later for those of us who wear multiple hats. Thanks for taking the time to share!

[davidzipse]

This was very helpful. I started a small electric company/ handyman business and I've been struggling a lot. I am licensed and everything. This video is helping

[phychmasher]

How about #1, actually show up when you say you're going to. That's probably the only thing I need my handyman to do.

[mr.kenslifeshop]

I am glad that not charging enough came up. I came up with my handyman business in an area where people hardly charged anything. At first I started charging about what they were then quickly I doubled and now I don't even tell people what I charge per hour I just charge by the job right in profit, markup materials etc. I believe this is something that takes some time to figure out it does not something that you can start a business and just be getting full market value right off the bat, it take some time to build your brand!!

[christopherinteriors]

I love these videos Allen. I keep making the same mistakes myself. It isn't my work that is the issue but my pricing. I get to the end of my jobs and I have undercharged 90% of the time. Occasionally I get to the end of a job and think I have made really good profit but really I just got those ones right. I just need to grow some balls and quote higher, expecting there too be plenty of issues along the way that I can't see whilst quoting.

[Handysmallbiz]

Words of wisdom “under promise, over deliver”

[anrod]

Great non video. I have tried to grow my business for many years now with no luck (7). It's very difficult to find and retain good people. Had an admin part time that worked out well until she decided to go full time with her other job. And helper that would just drain my bank account. I discovered that paying them hourly they would just take longer to do simple jobs to make more money. its been tough on mind and body working by myself but also less stressfull

[jayumble]

Charging what we are worth is a tricky thing. It has always been this way for me. If I do a job for 500.00 but know that I really should have charged 800.00 or 900.00, yes that is upsetting, but at this same time I know if I would have asked for 800.00, I wouldn't have gotten the gig. So I'd rather do the job for 500.00 and forget about it. I appreciate what you are saying...everyone should be payed what they are worth (wouldn't that be a wonderful world?)...but it's not that easy to do. If I charged what I was worth, it would be a wonderful life...but most of the time I take what I can get because I need to pay the mortgage. --If someone has the answer to this ubiquitous problem, please enlighten us all.

[johntaglia]

I had a handyman business for about 20-plus years in Scottsdale, AZ. You can try to get hooked up with a management Company, they'll keep you busy 7 days a week. I never worked by the hour, I only gave a finished cost for labor. Watch quoting pricing for materials. They keep changing every day. I never made less than 6 figures a year. I'm 76 now & retired. Please don't negotiate your prices, just walk away from that person. They'll nickel & dime you afterward.

[bobbylibertini]

This guy could do a great Richie Cunningham impression (In fact, I think he's doing one! :D). When I was doing handymanning 30 years ago, I used to first establish what I wanted to make per hour. At the time $25. Then tack on overhead, cost of materials, supplies, wear and tear on the tools, etc. Used to worry that I would price myself out of the market...but since I was very reliable, honest and competent, my clients all loved me, and I never had to advertise- I'd get all of my bidness by word-of-mouth.

[robertnortham]

Right on, I have noticed if I charge to little for a job I have set expectations for the future making it difficult to get what I want on repeat work with this customer.

[ltcajh]

Bonding and insurance for the small-time operator would be a good subject.
I underestimate how long tasks will take, which is my greatest weakness. I'm 62, a retired Army officer, and have been converting a church building into a house. Everything takes longer than you think. I know how to do quite a bit, and if I go the handyman route, I would have to say "no" to several things where it's not my skill set. I've restored antiques for many years, and have a good workshop. I've figured out, working on the building, that you have to make extra trips because you don't have the right tool.

[rolito]

This video was amazing and it has help me more to be better a things I didn’t know.
I have loss customers because I thought I was estimating too high. I think I do quality work and every time I had a potencial client and said ohh it’s too high I would loss hope . I do have clients I been doing work for the past 4 years before doing this full time and they keep calling me back which is great since I started on my own 4 months ago.