Cash In On Home Repair Business

Hello again,

Today I would like to chat about getting more customers by promoting going "green". When you start your handyman business keeping busy in the winter months can be a challenge. I have given some ideas in the past about ways to get customers in the winter. Today I want to expand into the green area.

I am sure most of you have heard about the stimulus package that Congress passed earlier this year. Inside that stimulus was money for homeowners to make upgrades to their home (and businesses) to make them more energy efficient.

So how can a small business owner get a piece of this money. One program is for homeowners who want to upgrade doors, windows, appliances and insulation. The homeowner will receive a rebate if they replace their old with new more energy efficient items. This is where you come in. If you offer or can get into doing some of this work then you have a way to keep busy all year long.

Start by educating your self on what is available in your state and the rules that apply. Then go out an educate your customers. Here is a link to some information that can get you started

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index

This is only a start, you will need to be sure you understand the ins and outs of the program to be sure your customers receive their rebates.

I hope this helps. Until next time.

With the economy being challenging for business owners, keeping existing customer returning and getting new customers is a main concern for business owners. People who are just starting a handyman business will need to think outside the box when it comes to keeping and obtaining customers.

Get letter of references that you can use to show other potential customers. Make sure you hand out your business cards to everyone and put them everywhere. Partner with someone who does work that you do not do (like painting or roofing) and make up flyer's to put up around your area. You can also mail these out to past customer or customers that have inquired about hiring you.

Get trained in other areas. Find out what your customers are having a hard time getting done around the house and see if its an area you can expand into. Some possible areas might be locksmith, pest control, property management. Ask your customers what they need and then find a way to fulfill their need.

The most important point is to make sure that you keep your name in front of people. so that when they need a handyman for their home repair project, you are the person they call.

For more tips on obtaining customer, enter your first name and email address in the box to the right and download my free report.

When you start a handyman business most people will start from home. This means that your office is a room in your home. You go to work at other people's homes fixing what they need. Most of your time will be spent talking to customers and potential customers. You also need to make time to network with other business owners.

Its important to get out of your work environment and and develop relationships with other business owners. Why? It will help you to know what is going on in your community, meet people whom you may be able to do joint advertising with, you might be able to give referrals and receive them, plus it is nice to know what others businesses are doing.

Networking is going out and meeting people and developing a relationship with them. You tell people about yourself and your business in person. You meet bankers, real estates agents, lawyers, all kinds of business people that can help your business succeed (and in return you can help them also).

So where to you go to network? Start with your local Chamber of Commerce. Join it and from there you should meet a lot of other business owners. Offer to give talks at the Knights of Columbus, see if you have a local chapter of BNI (Business Network International). Real Estate companies in my area have weekly meetings, see if you can give a talk during part of their meeting, (if you do and its in the morning bring donuts, if its a lunch meeting, bring pizza, real estate agents love to be fed, I now I used to run an office).

The idea is to get out and develop long term relationships with other business owners and eventually they will start to do some word of mouth advertising for you and who does not want some free advertising.

This idea is not new, many of you may have even received a checklist before. However, when you start a handyman business you will be surprised by how much you get bogged down in the daily routines that you forget to send this simple list as a way to stay in touch with your customers.

Send your customers a seasonal checklist for their home.

This should be on your to do list for every spring and fall at the least. If you like, (and you should) add in the summer and winter and you have four times a year when you are contacting your customers. Make up a list to send to your customers about what they should be checking around their home each season. This list really does not need to change, just send them a note with the checklist letting them know this is their summer reminder from you (or whatever season we are in) and give them the list of items they should be checking.

I have a small decorative pond in my yard and every spring and fall I receive a letter from a store that sells items for ponds about what to do. It is the same checklist for what to do each season, they usually mention what they have on sale, and I read it every time I receive it, because even though I have been on their list for a couple of years, it helps remind me what I need to do. And yes, I do purchase stuff for my pond from them.

If you have been collecting people's email addresses this will not cost you a dime, just a little bit of time.

Make sure you take the time to come up with at least two checklist and then make the time to send them out.

I would guess that at one time or another, almost everyone thinks about starting a business. Before you start your handyman business there are probably a few points you should be aware of.

Great ideas do not make a great business. A great plan that does. You really need to put a lot of thought into what you want your business to look like. Starting a handyman business does not necessary involve a lot of start of capital, however you will still need a plan. You need to a least know what services you are going to charge, what prices you are going to charge, how you are going to obtain customers. These are only a few of the things you need to consider, but it will get you started.

Research your competitors to see what they are doing. This is a great way to an idea of what is needed. But do not forgot to also research your customer. Find out from them exactly what they want. Click on the link to the right to download my free report to learn more about how to obtain customers for your handyman business.

Let's face it, you can have the shiniest truck and the fanciest tools, but without customers your business is doomed. When you started your handyman business you should have made at least a marketing plan on how you are going to obtain customers. If you did not make a plan, now would be a good time to stop what you are doing and ask yourself some important questions.

Who is my target market? What service do my customers want? Am I meeting my customers needs? What can I do to better serve my customers? How can I stay in touch with past customers?

These are a few of the questions every business owner should be asking themselves, continuously.  In order for your handyman business to survive, keeping up with the needs of your customers, and providing excellent customer service is your number one priority.

The DIY industry is huge, especially now that money is tight.  So, how do you tap into the DIY business?

I believe that if you are patient and work at it you can be the person the DIY person calls when they need help. How do you go about becoming the DIY home repair specialist?

You  will need to develop a rapport with that person. Give them some tips and ideas that you have found are helpful for you. It could be using a certain tool for a certain job they are doing. It could be just a helpful tip. Give the DIY person some ideas that you have found helpful when doing jobs for your customers. You will need to be subtle, bring it up in passing, so they do not think you are trying to sell them.

For instance, spring and fall is time for a lot of people to do some basic home maintenance. A lot of folks will clean out their gutters or at least check them for problems, change their furnace filters, the obvious things.

You should point out maybe something that most people probably do not think about, like cleaning out their dryer vent. This is something that should be done at least every couple years, however most people do not give their dryer vents a thought, until something goes wrong.

Additionally, many of the DIY out there truly like doing the work, but lack the skills or knowledge to perform the task. Offer a consulting service. By offering your knowledge, for a fee, you can provide the DIY with the necessary information to help them in their quest to help themselves.  By assisting them and gaining their trust you will be the one they call for the larger, more profitable jobs!

Be patient, give them good helpful tips, and soon you will be the person they call when they have a job that they cannot handle.

Good day to all.

Having a home repair business requires a lot of dedication, if you are going to make it work. Giving people more than they expect to receive will keep customer coming back to you, and will get people to send others you way, without you even having to ask for the business. Remember this every time you answer your phone, or go to a customers home to do work.