Making money with a handyman business

These days, because of the economy, people are more reluctant to hire full contractors to service their houses. This gives you an opportunity to join the handyman business, and make some money on the side.
Handymen are often very skilled because they can juggle a lot of different things. Some people have work experience or some training, but others have been learning on the job. Either way, actual experience is what makes a good handyman. If you have experience working in fixing things around the house, then chances are you can offer your services or a niche handyman service.
Starting out
While we cannot give legal advice, and everyone’s circumstance is different, it is safe to say that some jobs might be too tough for you. You need to be clear about what jobs you can and can’t do. If you have a field that you excel in, such as basic plumbing, you want to note that in your advertisements. You may also want to screen jobs before you accept them. Depending on where you live, you may need specific licenses in order to do certain things, so you may want to check with your government. You probably also want to have a business organized. This includes expenses such as insurance for on-the-job liability. Again, we cannot give legal advice nor would we qualify to, so check with a professional.
You will probably start advertising your services by word-of-mouth to people you know and others who could use your services in your community. Places to start include your neighborhood, as well as a church or civic organization. After awhile, you may get referrals. These people will also be more understanding of you as you start your business. After awhile (could be months or years), you will want to advertise in public, such as in a newspaper or a mailer. Remember to make your customers love you.
Hiring out
After a while, if you are successful in setting up your business, you may have more handyman assignments than you can handle. Perhaps they are different places across town, or they might just take too long or too complicated. You might want to partner up with other businesses, or find people you can work with. This is just the natural result of growing your business.
You probably want to find good employees. You should do things like background checks to make sure that you won’t get in trouble for something that your employees do. You might also want to have an arrangement for travel expenses and things like that. You should also take financial receipts and other things like that for taxes.
After you are a handyman for awhile, you can play to your strengths and build upon your weaknesses. If you don’t know how to fix the roof for example, hire a handyman who can. Perhaps he is certified in his field, even. When you find and add talent to your business, you grow and your offerings grow as well. Pretty soon you’ll be a jack of all trades handyman service, and people will love you!