Need help with my new career - Please!

[obssd1958]

With all of the folks with different backgrounds and experiences on this board, I have decided to humble myself, and come to you all for some help.
I have an Associates degree in Electronics Engineering, and worked for a large Semiconductor outfit for almost 19 years. When I was let go at almost 50 years old, I found it pretty much impossible to get another position in the industry. I figure the reason was, it was cheaper for them to hire someone half my age for half the wage. Circumstances that convinced me that I didn't ever want to let someone else hold my future in their hands.
I have been trying to get a handyman business off the ground for the last several years, but have had very little success.
One of the reasons, is the lack of advertising - based on the lack of funding to properly start a business. Craigslist is a farce. As soon as I get an ad up there, I get bombarded with spam and scams. Local newspaper ads are expensive, and have a very limited readership anymore. No way I can afford radio or TV. Word of mouth has been very positive, but moves very s-l-o-w-l-y !
I'm a hard worker and can do just about anything that I set my mind to. I have been trying to focus my business on doing things for those that can't physically do these things for themselves, either due to age or medical disability. Even the small things, like changing light bulbs, moving furniture, cutting limbs, cleaning gutters, touching up paint, replacing faucets, putting batteries in smoke detectors, etc...
I've also installed new gates in a wooden fence, new exterior door with a doggy entrance, finished a storage shed into a man cave (complete with wiring to run all the casting tools, lights, heating, and A/C), roofing repairs, and replacement of damaged sheetrock on a ceiling @30 feet off the floor of a commercial building.
My fees are very low - $20 an hour, plus a $10 to $15 trip fee to cover my gas expense.
I know that I'm rambling, but I'm trying to give enough background to get more specific responses.
Now for my questions, or requests for help -

How would you suggest that I market my services?
What type of thing would you call a handyman for, if you needed something done?
I was contacted by a representative from Home Advisor (formerly ServiceMagic) and offered their referral service for $29 a month - has anyone here used their service? as either a customer or a provider?

I'm certain there is a lot of experience and wisdom on this board that can help me. I'm also sure that I will have a lot more questions, but will leave it at these to start the discussion.
I welcome all of your comments, but reserve the right to follow up on those that I believe most closely relate to me personally!!

Thanks in advance!

Don

[oneokie]

Do you have business cards in local locations?

[CastingFool]

I would go to local stores like Lowe's, Home Depot, Menard's, Sears, and let them know that you're available, skills, etc. Post a notice at your local Church bulletin board, etc.

[Gunor]

I have noticed that in small towns/areas, if you don't have substance abuse problems, and can show up on time, and have some basic carpentry skills - You'll eventually be busy as much as you want to be.

Depends on where you are at - but look at the legal aspects of what you want to do.

Business license, Contracting license, bonded, and most important following local building codes.

They like to hunt down the non-license people. We can have long discussion on the above and why they apply or don't apply or should they....

Geoff in Oregon

[Houndog]

I assume you already have business cards? If you don't GET SOME then post them everywhere mentioned above and don't forget the local community bulletin boards, senior citizen centers, grocery stores, ETC. Another thing is to get licensed, bonded and insured! LOTS of your potential customers won't look at you twice without that. Starting your own business is no picnic especially if you don't have working capital to start with. (I KNOW because I did it!) Good Luck, and NEVER let "I can't make it" be a part of your vocabulary!

[ShooterAZ]

I see ads all the time on Craig's List and in the paper advertising for "handyman" services, snow removal, etc. You might give that a try?

[starmac]

Bulletin boards at various locations, such as hardware stores, even senior citizen centers, may be an option. My FIL found himself in the same boat a few years back, he wound up with too much business for a one man show in short order, and finally specialized in building decks, which kept him as busy as he wanted. Eventually word of mouth will be your best advertizing, if you intend to stay a one man show.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Any retirement RV parks around you ?

From 1985 til 2005, my folks lived in a Park in Texas in the winter and a Park in Minnesota in the summer. When I'd visit, I seen a potential Gold mine as far as a Handyman that is truely handy and able to work on RV's...there is a ton of other things to do, but knowledge of RV's would be KEY !

The park in MN had 1500 sites and the Texas Park had 100+ sites. That's alot of older people needing stuff fixed.

[Echo]

I suggest you contact some Insurance Agents. They are always on the lookout for handymen to do repair jobs for their insureds. The RV Parks are also a great suggestion.

[Wolfer]

Having been down this road I can tell you it can be rough getting started. But once I had a few clients and word of mouth got around I had more work than I could do.
All you need is a few people vouching for you in the right places. Lumber yards, hardware stores etc.
You can work cheap for old widow women. There is no finer advertisement as long as their happy. If their not happy, well good luck to ya.
When I went in business I had a motto that I lived by and found to be very true.
If you turn out a quality product at a reasonable price you'll never be out of work!

[wch]

I suggest that you investigate an internet web site and put the web address on your business cards. The beauty of the web sites is that there are all sorts of sites that will let you create your own and there must be young people in high school or a local business school who could help you design and set up the site just as you want it.

[btroj]

Do good work and work will come your way.

I just used a handyman to do some work on the house, he was recommended by a contractor who pawned off smaller jobs.

[starmac]

I needed a handy man not long ago, believe it or not I found him on the CAST BOOLITS WEBSITE. lol He was a pretty good one too. lol

[MrWolf]

I agree with making sure you are properly licensed. I would also get some yard signs and ask your clients if you can have them up while/after the job is done. If people see others using you it can also help with referrals. Best of luck.

[obssd1958]

I do have business cards. And I am a licensed contractor in the State of Idaho. I also have contractor's liability insurance (1 million dollar policy).
For those activities that require a license, I can refer them to the properly licensed individual, or subcontract them out.

Keep the info coming, guys. I am literally writing all of this down!

[crappie-hunter]

When I lost my job at around 56 yrs , I was lucky enough to find an already establisher contractor who for the most part worked alone. So we teamed up and I sub-contracted myself out to him when he needed help and between the two of us we were kept very busy and mostly were overloaded . I started to get jobs on my own and if they required two people he would help me. He was much younger than myself and I retired at 62 and then only helped him ocassionally. To this day at 71yrs he still calls me ocassionally to help with a project that I have more experience at than he does. It was a good relationship.

Our small town hardware store owner where we purchased a lot of our supplies would recommend us every time he got a chance. If you are in a small town or community it pays to make friends with people like store owners and other contractors who may need an extra hand at times.

[RickinTN]

The proper licensing and bonding is a must. Create a flyer telling about you and your services and distribute it into the older neighborhoods in your area. When I say older I mean older residents and older homes. These are usually where most of your work will come from. Good old fashioned shoe leather is your friend. Knock on the door with a courteous introduction and leave a flyer. If no answer leave a flyer on the door with a "sorry I missed you" note. I know it sounds old fashioned but many people, especially older folks, will be more comfortable calling you to do work if they have met you. Your rates are cheap! You might consider raising your regular rate to $25/hr and then offering a senior citizen discount to $20. Another idea is to have some refrigerator magnets made with your info on them. These are easy for your contacts to keep for the time they might need your services. Also, and it probably goes without saying, be clean cut and neatly dressed when doing your door knocking.
Hope some of this helps and Good Luck with your endeavor,
Rick

[starmac]

Real estate people are also good contacts, a lot of properties need some work, even if it is just a cleanup. Don't confine yourself to the elderly or even older neighborhoods. I had a cousin that started out building ponds out of natural stones, he wound up building ponds and swimming pools all out of rock. This was all in upscale neighnorhoods and he wound up not even bidding a job unless it was 250,000 or more, and stayed busy with two crews at a time. My FIL stayed busy building decks, and a lot of that was on newer homes in upscale neighborhoods. It is easier to make money where there is money.

[Blacksmith]

Senior citizens always have things they can't handle any more.
Many people don't have a clue on how to do something yourself.
Real estate agents so their clients can get those little things done to get a house ready to sell.
Big contractors for the jobs to small for them to bother with.
The independent plumbers, electricians, painters, etc. to handle the jobs or parts of jobs out of their comfort zone. For example doing the carpentry or drywall work after they have added a new faucet or outlet or stripping wallpaper prior to paint.

So contact these people in many ways:
Seniors read bulletin boards, they go to church and read church newsletters, Local clubs publish news letters and love to get ads to help with the cost.

Work with local hardware stores to set up demonstrations days, usually weekends, to teach people how to do simple repairs. They provide materials a location and advertising and you provide the talent, many people after seeing what is involved will opt for you to do it instead of trying themselves. This also adds to your credibility.

Prepare a list of your qualifications and types of projects you will do and give copies to every real estate agent and broker within driving distance.

Write a cover letter suggesting you could be a resource to the other skilled trades to do the little finish up jobs while they better spend their time working in their area of expertise. Probably need separate letters and qualification lists so you don't sound like your a direct competitor. Then send them to every independent.

You may also pick up some punch list work for contractors and builders, they hate sending a crew back to a job site to finish the missed details.

[NSB]

Get on Angie's List. Lot's of people use it believe it or not. Check out some local eateries. Lots of them have place mats with advertisement on them. I see them all the time with about twenty or so ads. You pay for the ads but I believe they pay off. As stated above, go to Home Depot, Lowes, Sears, etc and get your name out there. They don't install or do the work, they just sell the material. As also stated, word of mouth is the best thing you'll ever have going for you. It takes a while to gain momentum. Sorry to say it won't happen fast.

[Zymurgy50]

Real estate people are also good contacts, a lot of properties need some work, even if it is just a cleanup. Don't confine yourself to the elderly or even older neighborhoods. I had a cousin that started out building ponds out of natural stones, he wound up building ponds and swimming pools all out of rock. This was all in upscale neighnorhoods and he wound up not even bidding a job unless it was 250,000 or more, and stayed busy with two crews at a time. My FIL stayed busy building decks, and a lot of that was on newer homes in upscale neighborhoods. It is easier to make money where there is money.


I did a small job for a Realtor about 4 months ago, just got paid TODAY! Wont happen again.......

[turmech]

I have been in business for 10 years or so. Lots of ups and downs even still. Like has already been said word of mouth will be your best advertising. If you do good work, are dependable and charge a fair price it will come. I am finally now where I think I could survive just off future work from my past customer base

I did phone book advertising for a few years but honestly I can't say it ever returned the 2-3 K a year investment.

Other than business cards having a presentable truck lettered up with you business information is a big help. I have two trucks which are lettered up with my large logo and lots of other eye catching info like free estimates, free second opinion, lic and insured, different brand logos, and my Ph#. Most people comment how they constantly see me as I ride from job to job. Some even think I have more than two trucks based on how often they see me.

[Ibgreen]

Your website in my opinion is even more important than your business cards. Keep the references on the website current. Encourage referrals from customers. Do not sell yourself short on price. Sell value. Learn to price by the job, not by the hour. I am in NC and would be Leary of your rates (too cheap) and would research you to death before hiring. If you try to stick around material + labor x 2, you will be able to market properly and grow as large as you want.

[shooter2]

I would not give up on the realtors. Most are reputable. How about companies with lots of rental units? They often need work after every tenant. Hit every one and leave a sheet and business card. Get references from satisfied customers. Most of all, do not give up.

[snowwolfe]

I ran my own small business for 20 years after retiring from the Air Force. The most important thing I ever did to increase my customer base was to get set up to take credit cards, VISA, MC, and Discover.
If you are truly legit make sure you can tell your customers you are licensed to do business in your state, collect sales tax, have a business checking account and accept credit cards.
I second what others said about relators. When they are selling a house the home inspector always finds items that need to be fixed and can recommend you to the home owner.

Never try to be the cheapest. If you don't value your work neither will anyone else.

One last thought, make sure you go to ebay or somewhere and have some official receipt books printed up showing the name and location of your business, contact info, etc. It adds a lot to your credibility.

[xs11jack]

Get on facebook and then tell clients (if they have a computer) to "like" you on facebook. People will check this out and call. Give it a try, it's free.
Ole Jack

[Jammersix]

I ran a construction business for twenty five years.

The first thing to do is get a license, bond and insurance. One of the reasons you aren't getting business is because $20 an hour screams "under the table", and the customers you want (the ones with money) don't want to do business under the table. If you were carrying insurance and had a bond, you'd need $20 an hour to cover your overhead, plus something more for yourself. So people know as soon as they hear your rate that you're not licensed.

I contracted for both Home Depot and Lowe's until I got sick of the kind of customers they handle. Both require a million dollar policy in liability and property damage. I didn't work for Sears.

A much better market is the custom market.

People who can afford to hire a handyman can afford to hire a licensed, bonded handyman. If they can't afford that, they either do it themselves or write bad checks. A license really is the first step-- without one, you don't have any recourse, and you're going to get a lot of bounced checks.

Good luck!

[williamwaco]

I am retired from that industry but all my old friends say "Linkedin" is the only effective method.

https://www.linkedin.com/

[Handloader109]

I agree with all of the above, fer shure raise your rates, I'd say go up to $30 and drop to $25 for seniors. Don't be cheapest. I've a good friend that has done this type work for the past 30 odd years, and I worked for him for about 6 months between jobs a few years back. Word of mouth, doing a good job, and the major thing I saw him do that I think a lot of contractors skimp on is CLEANUP AFTER YOURSELF! Leave your work area cleaner than what you found it, take all your trash with you, don't leave a thing. Always go above and beyond. And you will succeed.

[big dale]

Nurses know lots of folks that need things fixed.

Big Dale

[MaryB]

Check to see if a company in the area runs a local trader service online like this http://www.marshallhyvee.com/index.php/trader free ads or very cheap for a business ad.

[Bad Water Bill]

MaryB

Sorry to report that your link does not work.

[Janoosh]

Create a Facebook page. Ask customers if you can post repairs. This works when you start to establish a large base of "friends".
Flyers work very well. People want something to hold onto.

[Wayne Smith]

Chiropractors! People go to them because they hurt and can't do things any more. If you are a Christian get to know your local pastors. Take them to lunch and introduce yourself and what you do. I would say those who own rental units but all the ones I know are cheap bas***ds!

[Teddy (punchie)]

Most of idea have been covered.

Here a few things I would add. Some may not like the first statements.

People with money like money, professional high end people are some of the best to work for and the worst, lawyers and Doctors or should I say people with Doctorate know how to get away from making payments, you'll need contract for them all of them. Common people that have been in the area for many years normaly pay there bills.

Stop working by the hour!! This is a good base line to bid a job. Tell people what it is going to cost up front. Not too low and hold to the deal, unless they change the deal, or contract. Even if you miss the bid. If you talk to them and explain maybe meet in the middle. Take notes on every job as to time to do and what was needed, use to bid jobs in future.

Treat return costumers like family you like to see. Ask about there family, try to recall names or better yet facts about them, like age learning to walk, someone was sick, having trouble. When things are slow these are some ask them if they need any thing done or if the know of any work. They all relate to starting a business or keeping one going, Word of Month !!

You ask about a handyman not a contractor.

Until you find help there are skilled and reliable watch taking on a big job.
One big job can and will brake you, I seen it happening too many times, even in farming plant too much too fast and have a bad year, takes years to recover.

I use to weld, repair items of all types of things fabrication. Back ground it electrical residential/commercial and some industrial, trade school. Know pluming, carpentry very well. Basic masonry, cement and laying block some. Plus have farmed all my life, do custom farming on the side. Been treated well by a huge number of people and stuck for money by a few.

Best of Luck!!

Teddy

[Love Life]

Being on time, and cleanliness are my two bits of advice. I feel your price is a bit low though.

For me, when a handyman says he'll be there at 0800, I expect him/her there at 0800. A little early is fine, but 1 minute late is not. If they are running late then I appreciate a phone call.

Cleanliness is huge for me. When I pay a handy man to come do something I expect them to take all of their garbage with them.

Failure to do both of the above means I will not be a repeat customer.

[wv109323]

Around here there are public bulletin boards at grocery stores, restaurants..etc. Leave multiple business cards where an interested person can take one home. Another trick is print out your scope of work ( more than a business card) and have your phone number listed multiple times that can be torn off at the bottom. You might want a statement of age,honesty and to provide references.
If you want to paint hook up with owners of apartment buildings. They almost always paint an apartment between renters..

[Love Life]

My FIL has run his own electrician business for decades. He does not advertise one iota. He gets business by word of mouth. He does great work at a competitive price. He finally hung up his coveralls this year, and has slowed down and now has the contracts to install generators at cell towers.

My uncle has also had his own electrician business for a couple decades. He advertises through the school sports teams. His logo and number are on the little footballs handed out at games and as a sponsor for the sports teams. Schools sports are HUGE in the south east.

Do quality work, for a decent price, and you'll be knee deep in work.

[WILCO]

I have been trying to get a handyman business off the ground for the last several years, but have had very little success.

Hi Don!

Until you get serious with a business plan and obtain the proper funding through banks, you're just going to fail and waste time.

Start with this book: http://www.dummies.com/store/product/Small-Business-For-Dummies-4th-Edition.productCd-1118083725.html

Also, contact the Small Business Administration: http://www.sba.gov/

If you're a veteran, don't forget to use that to your advantage:

Office of Veterans Business Development: http://www.sba.gov/about-offices-content/1/2985#

Also, think about joining social organizations like the Elks Lodge and Rotory Club:

http://www.elks.org/

https://www.rotary.org/

Best wishes as you move forward with your goals!

[OBIII]

Kudos to all of the previous posts, all sound and good info. I would go the way of the website and business cards, to start. Not terribly expensive, and getting your customers to fill out comments, will make you sort of an Angies List. The only thing that can stand in your way is shoddy service, not cleaning up, and overcharging for what it is that you did. Remember, if you cut a Senior Citizen a deal, word will spread extremely fast.
Good luck in your endeavors, and I hope that all works out for you.

OB

[smokeywolf]

Friend of mine started a handyman business many years ago. He found out that many of the apartment complexes and condominium homeowner associations require a contractor or handyman to be licensed and bonded. Because much of the time only the general contractors are insured but don't want smallish jobs, as soon as he got insured, he got a bread & butter contract maintaining a condo complex that also included tennis and handball courts. That one account got his business off the ground.

smokeywolf

[MaryB]

Not sure why the link is down, but it is basically an electronic version of a bulletin board in the store.

[starmac]

Post number 15, he is a licensed and insured contractor.

[obssd1958]

I knew, when I posted my request, that I could count on this group to come up with a very wide and varied list of things for me to put my mind around. I assure you all, that I am very grateful for all of the input from everyone so far.
I have written a list of things to get done this week, taken from the info posted in this thread. I plan on trying almost all of it!

Once again, I am a licensed contractor in the State of Idaho, and I carry a $1,000,000 liability policy. I have been told by my insurance agent that I don't need an indemnity bond for the type of work that I do. Almost all of my jobs will be under $1000.
If I was to get a surety bond, is there a specific guarantor or surety company that anyone would recommend?

Also, has anyone here heard of or used Home Advisor? Either as a service provider or as a customer?


Don

[RogerDat]

Getting your satisfied customers to review you on Angie's List would be good, as would having favorable comments listed on you company web site. I do dog agility and several people in the sport at events know of the trainer only through the kennels website and Facebook page. Both places have lots of nice things to said about the trainer by students or fellow trainers.

On a company web site avoid too much eye garbage or eye candy, or having a lame site with broken links, "coming soon" pages, or a fancy but only half developed site. Or something that requires site maintenance you can't or won't do. Better to have a single good looking professional page, properly optimized for search engines (SEO) such as Google to find it so people searching for your type of services in your area can find the page.

You may find a college student who can act as a graphic designer for a site at a good price, with enough web skills to put a nice page together. Just remind them it's your business page not an opportunity to show off their mad skills.

Places that do physical therapy or rehab would be a good spot to put up a card. When I had shoulder surgery I could not ride the lawn tractor to mow, and wife does not weigh enough to keep the wheels down on the hills. So I had to put the "arm" on family to get the grass cut.

[Jammersix]

Early in my career, one of the very best moves I made was to join the local chapter of the Master Builder's Association. Architects are lucrative contacts, and will help you avoid bidding competitions.

I worked through Service Magic back when it was Service Magic. (ServiceMagic?)

I would advise against it-- my suggested aim would be to get away from competitive bidding and into reputation/referral business as soon as possible. ServiceMagic encourages and fosters a competitive system, and one of the best ways to avoid competition is simply not to compete. Never cut your price to get a job, and walk away from any prospect that suggests it.

Raise your rates. There are some customers that it's best to avoid. The best way I found to figure out who they were was to take the prospect to dinner, and watch how they treated the waitress. Good luck!

[youngda9]

I hate to say it, but in those 20 years you should've taken the classes to turn that associates degree into a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. You would've been much more marketable now and could do contract work at the place of your choosing, practically. That also may have allowed you to advance more with the company you were with and you may still be employed. Keep in contact with other co-workers of years gone by. Many of them may be doing some odd contracting work or know where other people ended up after leaving the company. Establish a LinkedIn account. Scour the internet. And hire a headhunter if you're not getting satisfaction on your own. Good Luck.

[schutzen]

I'm on both sides of this conversation. I have a small part-time business and I hire multiple small contractors each year. With my own business and when I hire someone, I like to leave multiple business cards at the completion of the job. I'm not sure what others do , but I keep a small card file book and anyone who has done a good job for me card goes in that book. When someone asks if I know of a good XXXXXX, I pull out a card and tell them what he did for me.

Does it work? Yes, I have left multiple cards with many individuals and had numerous calls/sales generated by these cards. It is a version of word-of-mouth, but paper business cards insure they get the right information.

[WRideout]

I don't think anyone else has mentioned this, but there is an organization called Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) that has offices all over. It is a free service to entrepreneurs who want advice from an experienced business person. There is most likely an office near you in ID.

Second point; you probably need to clarify your business goals, in terms of how much you want to make annually, and what territory you want to cover. In the markets where there is a lot of work of the type you do, there will probably be a lot of competition. A good business plan could help a lot; you may find it necessary to take out a line of credit for things like advertising, if it is necessary to reach your goals.

Wayne

[elk hunter]

Introduce yourself to your local property management people, or the one guy in town that owns many rental homes, they're always needing someone to fix up rental properties especially when people move out. Go to your local senior citizen center, find the person in charge and introduce yourself and hand out business cards. Once you get a few jobs if you do good work at reasonable prices you'll stay busy.

[archmaker]

Teach, in a book called Rework about entrepreneurship, it mentions teach people. You hold a free session about how to install something simple, and when they have bigger problems they call you. You DON'T do any selling, it is strictly teaching. Somethng simple and quick the jobs you necessarily don't want (because they are quick and don't have a high profit margin). It usually takes 30 contacts to get a sale, this could be email, a simple hello, a note, a business card anything, but something that keeps them in your mind.

[Jammersix]

I don't think anyone else has mentioned this, but there is an organization called Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) that has offices all over. It is a free service to entrepreneurs who want advice from an experienced business person.
I forgot about that, it was so long ago. This is an excellent suggestion-- back in the day, when I had no idea what I was in, SCORE taught me to read a balance sheet and a P&L, and what they were for.

[MT Gianni]

I assume SW Idaho has the same # of snowbirds that the rest of the west does. I would start now to gear up for next fall. Put out cards and service maintenance issues on empty homes from checking on temperatures, heating, broken glass, opening for Spring return etc. Many of these have good friends and neighbors checking but the how to repair ends can get out of hand. Pass out business cards, flyers etc in RV sales business's.

[buckwheatpaul]

You should be able to get certified as an installer for Home Depot and/or Lowes.....might hit some of the apartment complexes and see if they could use you as well as some ministers to see if they know anyone who is in need of handiwork......good luck and may God bless your undertaking.....

[Bad Water Bill]

BUSINESS CARDS BUSINESS CARDS

Have someone that really understands them and just how important they are help you custom design your personal cards.

Inexpensive is not as important as how YOUR cards present YOU and your business.

Every place you enter should have at least one card that stayed there when you leave.

Yes even Mickey Ds.

Your cheapest form of advertising.

Even if you do not get the job never leave without at least 3 referrals.

Everybody knows somebody that can use your services. Just ask.

[starmac]

My MIL used to manage the gov housing in the little town she lived in, she collected a list of contractors. Every time anyone moved, there was repairs to be made. Just somebody else to possibly contact, these guys didn't work cheap, being as it was gov, I'm sure it takes a while to get paid.

[Gelandangan]

As E. Eng. you would see that in this forum there are a lot of people wish to have tools that are electronically controlled.
You could offer services such as wiring PID controller for lead pot, heater for lubrisizers, hot plate heat controller etc. might not earn much to start with but at least they are a good way to prove to others you can do what you say you could.

[Blacksmith]

What is really hard to find in my area is small engine repair. Lawn mowers, chain saws, weed whackers, snow blowers, leaf blowers, the list goes on. Anyone who is any good is so backed up the season will be over before you get it back.

[Lloyd Smale]

probable the best advertising you can do local is to slap your name on the door of your truck. that and give your buiness card to local contractors and tell them you will do the work they dont want and at the same time tell them that if they come up short handed on a job youd be glad to work. Most of the builders around here have problems keep guys working. Seems most of them prefer the bar to the hammer and so as there paid disapear. Also dont forget to hand your cards out to the electrical and plumbing contractors in your area. I was a lineman for the power company and i dont know how many times i was asked by homeowners for the name of a good plumber or carpenter.

[Grumpy Joe]

I am in a small town more of a resort community. During the building boom all you saw were contractors and Realtors. Now it takes commitment to stay in business. My friend started an Electricians Business then was sent to Afghanistan 6 months later. Now he is again working the business and growing quick. He did everything above and more.

Business cards are great both magnetic and paper. When he installs an electrical panel his card sticks next to the permit. He leaves each house with pens and cards with his name on them. He is clean professional prompt and never leaves a mess for the property owner to deal with. He always has the parts with him and finishes the job before going to another. If the job will be spread over several days the deal is set before he starts. He charges $85/ hr and a lot more for Government jobs. Best part is no one ever complains after they see his work.

I run a tool shop. I see all the contractors throughout the month. Some are better than others. My wife laughs because I joke about which ones used pot or drank the night before. Yep it is that obvious. Some are still drunk or high when they come in. Proper displays are not only for the stores it is also important you show you are serious about pleasing the customer. If you drop nails, screws and conduit every time you leave a job no one will want you back. If your truck is disorganized so are you. It should never take an effort to find anything in the truck. Clean neat safe.

Facebook is incredible. Start looking for "services" with your area name too. Here we have "Big Bear Services" Good referrals. Take pictures of every job showing only your work then post the quality. Ask the person hiring you to then like your posting. If they do not want the posting at least keep it as a portfolio photo. Taking photos before and after is also a great way to protect from liabilities later. I keep photos in my shop for referrals of local contractors. THey send me pics in email and I post them in my shop.

LInkdin FB Yelp Angies all social media is good for business but is also time consuming. Posting in forums about home repair also helps. Video some of your work and post to youtube. It all brings people to you.

Last but most important, invite me to a good local hunt. I need to get out to more places to meat on my kids table. Not sure how it will help you but it will help me alot. Best of luck. PM me and I can go thru some of the SBA things but it sounds like you already have a good grasp on that part. SCORE and SBA really do help out alot.

[jonp]

Do good work and work will come your way.

I just used a handyman to do some work on the house, he was recommended by a contractor who pawned off smaller jobs.

When I worked for a Mason we did this all of the time. Guys that do small jobs like this stay as busy as they want it seems. I started doing odds and ends as a way to take up time when I worked a 4 on/ 3 off schedule a number of years ago. Went from trimming one lawn to mowing 8, shoveling roofs and planting flowers. All word of mouth and a couple because someone was driving by and saw me mowing a lawn and stopped. I also charged $20/hr to the nearest 1/2hr from the time I opened my truck door at the location until I closed it when done. I could have had far more work if I wanted it. I kept track and only charged when I worked. If the lawn did not need to be mowed for a few weeks because of no rain I didn't do it and wrote down "checked, no mowing needed" or something like that.

BTW: Use people right and you will get as busy as you need and be the first one called. One winter we got several feet of snow. In the spring we got some rain and roofs were caving in. A few guys were going around charging $200-$300 to shovel roofs in the emergency which was cheaper than a new roof I guess. I still charged my same rate of $20/hr. Guess who got a bunch of business in short order and all of it the next year?

[lka]

I did a small job for a Realtor about 4 months ago, just got paid TODAY! Wont happen again.......

We do a lot of work with escrows and stuff, we don't start calling until it's past 90 days lol