Handyman and home improvement services are among the fastest-growing businesses in today's economy, driven by recent fiscal forecasts, market needs, and changing consumer spending patterns. As an aspiring new entrepreneur, your new handyman startup business builds on the high-demand services you can reliably provide. Becoming familiar with the license, insurance, and contracting laws in Indiana will help shape and direct your business and marketing plans. This article highlights some skills and strategies useful in launching and operating a new entrepreneurial handyman service.
Take Care of Business Must-Dos
Before you hit the ground running with your handyman business, take care of the tasks that will help ensure your new company starts off on the right foot. A great first step is to create a business plan. Your business plan will serve as a roadmap to your success by outlining exactly what services you’ll provide, the customers you plan to target, where your funding will come from, and your competition in the local market.
A completed business plan will also help you decide what business entity to use for your company. A go-to for many entrepreneurs is a limited liability company (also known as an LLC), as it offers protection of your personal assets from your business dealings as well as tax advantages and a simple setup process. You can learn more about how to start an LLC in Indiana with online guides. Other entrepreneurs favor S corps. Like LLCs, the S corp Indiana filing process is relatively simple (and is inexpensive with the help of a formation service), plus it offers options for pass-through taxation and tax deductions for business losses.
Focus on Your Handyman Skills
Go with proven technical strengths and passion to build your handyman service. Being handy with tools and building in a general way is an excellent foundation. Evaluate your complete technical skill set by listing your experience and ability to complete various tasks you see advertised locally. Initially, launch your business with a focused set of relatively simple handyman services that match your tool inventory and confidence level, then expand to cover larger and more complex jobs as your business grows. Consider carpentry or other short course training programs to beef up your skill set in key high-demand areas.
Add Essential Business Skills
Combining technical prowess with organizational and people skills can make a big difference in sustaining a profitable handyman enterprise. Do you have good communication and planning skills or experiences to add to the mix? Consider business operations such as accounting, customer service, and marketing — are you adept with social media tools, budgeting software, and small business or personal accounting packages? Handyman software apps help answer these and other operational questions as your new business grows.
For example, try out construction estimating software that can help keep track of material and labor costs before bidding on a job. Some apps can estimate taxes and construct a planned payment schedule for customers. Use software to modify a customized estimate template to use your own branding, logo (you can build a logo online for free), text, and preferred color palette. An automated email reminder function is useful when job proposals have been submitted, but not yet approved.
Enable your website to accept customer payments. A smooth payment system provides the assurance that funds are available when needed and promotes peace of mind for you and your customers. App and online payments can also sidestep expensive credit card fees, so be sure to make use of a balance API that allows your customers or clients to check up-to-date information regarding bank account balances.
Find and Satisfy Your Clients
Target audience definition and marketing your handyman business are tasks made easier through personal interactions and coordinated website and social media strategies. Advertising with word-of-mouth testimonials on a website and targeted social media content are excellent ways to establish brand awareness and introduce your services to prospective clients. Simple website data analytics map online traffic and customer demographics and behavior data to pinpoint appropriate market segments and support plans for traditional and digital advertising and communications. Search engine optimization (SEO) and relevant geographic identifiers help sharpen your marketing efforts and solidify your business niche.
Build on Your Momentum
Focus on these details, then consider joining a vibrant community of like-minded entrepreneurs to help your new handyman startup succeed. Connect with the Fulton County Chamber of Commerce to gain inspiration, share ideas, and participate in networking events.
Image via Pexels