Contractors and Handymen are Worth More Than They Think 

This was excellent! I am 63 also, was out of the trades for 26 years! It comes right back. Love helping people and working with my hands.

You’re my mentor and I’m in my sixties . Thank you Matt and family .

Truly some of the most amazing videos on RU-vid.

He is an amazing man. Learning things the hard way and teaching them for free is what amazing people do.

You give the greatest gift to all of us; you give your time, and experiences thank you so much.

I learned about residential wiring back in 2006 in an 8 week program called O.T.A.P Orientation to Trades and Apprenticeships. They showed us how to wire an outlet to a light switch. Since then ive learned alot more because of youtube. Thanks Jeff for what you do.

I love it Jeff, never under sell yourself. I practically gave work away when I first started and couldn't figure out why I was struggling so much. I was basing my expectations on previous jobs instead of what I actually needed to run a business. You don't know what you don't know. Been loving your content for years, appreciate what you do!

Love u jeff. U are not only smart, hard working but also not only good actually great person too.

Best guy on RU-vid regarding DIY. Really appreciate the videos!

I always take a piece of drywall tape and wedged it into the electrical box before I spackle so that it’s easy to just pull the mud right out

I love your point about punctuality. It’s also the first impression, regardless of how you look at it. Every day might be a new day to some people, but if you start it out bad you’re already in the wrong really. I’m a beginner at doing this on my own, and I made a very specific point to be there on time or early, scheduled my materials pickup hour and a half before I had to be on site.

I love it! I am a school teacher, and I always tell my kids 10 minutes early as five minutes late.

Great video, Jeff. My motto is " I'd rather be an hour early than a minute late'.

I listened for the first half hour and I like the 7 guidelines/rules/ protect yourself habits. I skipped about and i like the closing comment and statements. Always enjoy Hearing your voice and listening to your experience. Thank you Jeff, And Matt also. shivering black bell thumbs up. And I hope your homes, properties remain free from the wildfires.

amazing content. love ya jeff and crew

Jeff, you’re a rockstar! I especially like the funny dad jokes. You’ve taught me quite a bit about almost every part of construction, I’ve actually been in the trades for almost 30 years, but I still continue to learn from you. Thanks again for all that you do and I’m super glad to be a member :-). Darren

great video JEFF keep up the great content...

WOW! This was so good. I agree with the principle that if you are 10 seconds late, you are late. Please communicate. At the doctor's office, if my appointment has come and gone by over 30 minutes, I politely asked if there is an issue and when is my anticipated new time. I decide if I want to accept the new time. Once the time was extended by over an hour without any explanation. I politely let them know I have other appointments and I would reschedule. Folks that do that on a regular basis do not get my return business.

Lol @ the Hotel California comment. That is exactly how we referred to the job at a certain company. The hour I finished my share of the work for that particular contract, I walked out and waved goodbye to the manager. As it turned out, that was exactly the right time to leave as well.

Great info, thank you!

Thanks for all the great info!

Brilliant on the gut feeling!!!

Great topic

I charge $250/hr vacuuming decks and porches. Thanks Jeff!

Great video brother...I lived in Florida from February 84 'till Aug 06 and then came back to York, PA still in the trades, but winter...I hate it...wish I could go to the panhandle area and be a Handyman now...Yeah buddy...😃😏😎

In the business. The shoes are brilliant!!!

These episodes always hype me up to get more side jobs!

15 seconds in and I'm hitting the like button. Perfect timing too as im "evaluating" my business this week on a large office decorating job. Being methodical, tidy, thorough, comfortable paste, using skills learnt durectly from THIS channel. Very positive and in a great mindset. Next few weeks ill be going over my methidolgy and the true value of my worth ready for the next step. Cheers Jibs a good un.

Plenty of good advice

you're the man!

great video thank you

Love your show I'm also in fl

The Value of Skills. I've preached that for years. I've come up from residential to commercial HVAC to county supervisor of building maintenance and added a programming degree so I could bring the county into energy management through automation. HVAC teaches you a lot of basic skills used in other trades and is a door to management for those that like the challenge of managing budgets, crews and outside contractors. I've loved every minute of it. I retired at 55 to be with my wife who had cancer for the second time. I loved working with people and solving the hard problems. Trades are a great career IMO. I've met awesome people and made great friends. My advice is compete on "Quality of Work" and Professionalism, _not_ on price. Be the premium, dependable service provider. That will garner you success and respect. Guaranteed.

That lousy 15min is damn right. I used to show up to jobs an hour early to pass out in the car for 30min and go in early still. Noone ever got mad at the guy who showed up early....except the girlfriend

My friend, you are like the Steven Covey of Home Improvement, Excellent content!!

I have always priced myself cheap and my old boss (still friend) in the auto upholstery business...would get really upset with me for giving out "free work"...and I was always wanting to help people out and still make more money on the side than I did when I was on his payroll and clock...but after some time I had competition with another guy that cut my labor in half! And this was already a really good price.... I now am an x ray tech that doesn't do much upholstery work at all now...cuz people just would rather get a new car than to pay what it costs for the higher costing materials etc etc.... I never quite looked at the notion of lowering the price makes you (as the contractor) a liar and a thief....

wow, that liar and thief thing is truly powerful!

My hero..

My first carpentry job was with a young carpenter who was just getting into contracting. I told him I didn’t have experience when I interviewed. He said that was fine and he would teach me. Within the first couple months he was leaving me alone on jobs. Often he would text that morning to let me know he wouldn’t be on the job site that day and give me a to do list. Many times I was expected to do something I’ve never done before and then he would get pissed if I messed it up. It was so incredibly stressful. I hated it and eventually quit and become a self-employed handyman.

Having a business logo, shirts, cards go a long way. Dress for success.

As a soldier for 11 years....an NCO always takes care of his or her soldiers, it's like having a G.I Joe action figure that you have to make sure it has its appropriate weapon, backpack, and accessories

Wish I didn’t miss this episode!

I am looking to start a small business but am stuck in prices to charge. would like to start a auto detailing but I don't have much area and don't know what to charge I am in my 60's and looking for early retirement so that I could care for my mom.

Generally If a landlords unit needs something they can give notice and most tenants will vacate for a set amount of time or stay out of your way… if it’s more complicated than that, then the landlord should be there when you do the work

I was in the army for 11 years and we had to be in the company area 10 minutes prior to formation, it's a must to be early, now i have a small painting company and i can tell you... Be on time, i work for Indian people.. from India, assured them that i would only wear new indoor shoes, i can tell you if you respect homes the money will come.

Damn!! Tough luv

Time for a corse coriculum on this stuff. Appreciate the business integrity talk im young i need this stuff cuz i may need it when I'm not thinking.

Great show Jeff! Alot of good information and reminders..btw you were at least 10min late with calls..lol

Yah brother, I'll be 68 next month, St Patrick's Day...I'm still doin' it because 1, I have bills to pay and 2, kids and grandkids...😉

41:00 Take out the "contractor" too :-))) Both words send bad vibes. You are on the right track. I don't even know why they call themselves "contractors". Because they sign a contract? Should I call myself a "driver"? "Handyman" means "jack of all trades, master of none." I don't even know what job around the house I'd give to a handyman rather than a specialized trade.

The problem is those falsely believing they are competent and charge as if they are.

Jeff - where are you in FL? I have a place in Englewood - lots of fix ups there and very good location for beaches, sun - could be a great area for a flip. We are in a DW and lucked out with Ian. DWs can survive a hurricane, but construction after 1991 is important.

Hey Jeff! Love the channel. Any possibility of getting Mike Rowe on the channel?

Is there some software tools that you use for estimates, project management, and customer relationships management? Does marketing tie into it?

Hit the like button for the man!

Texas has a Resi Lic...

Speaking of contract issues, do you have a sample contract or a template that would work for us starting out, so we don't miss anything important on paper?

How can I change a hardwood slat. Thank you very much,

what about in Florida where its a misdemeanor to touch anything electrical without an Electrical Contractors license? Can you get a bond to get around that in Florida? Thanks. Asking for a friend.

Don't undervalue yourself?? My boss does it for me every day.

How can I give my costumer a fair price on a project if I'm unsure of how much time it's going to take to do it

Glad that you don't need to follow all that rules in the "3rd world". Although I'm always doing my best with my team and I'm actually not accepting full payment until the client is happy with the results/job.

Hi Jeff, should a small handyman business prepare a contract.

Insurance

Is $2500 to install 16 kitchen cabinets too much to pay? It is an L-shaped kitchen with an island. The $2500 does not include cabinets assembly out of the boxes. The installer said it is a one day job

HOA won't let you plant signs, and I like that. I want my surroundings to be nice looking, with no signs or pink houses.

Mud my boxes and I bring out Mr Eastwing to find them 😏

I disagree with the mindset that we work hard so our children don't have to. I'd far rather teach my son to work hard/smart and be self-dependent and self-disciplined than to be dependent on me when he grows up. We can pass on our wealth but that will run out quickly if we don't pass on the values that created the wealth. I know way too many unemployed college graduates who's mom and dad paid for everything and now feel entitled to high paying jobs.

28:00 "Market yourself to rich people". There are too few of those, to give this as a general advise. Sorry to tell you but bad economy will cause people to postpone the paint job for a year, and "no problem, just chase rich people" is just not true. There will be less business and wages will fall if there is less demand.

Build and rent your project

And never put your tools on your customers furniture that a big no no

In mn you don’t need a contractor license to do work within ONE special skill area (but they are specific, like you cannot do drywall and painting without a license, but you can just paint… but can’t do interior AND exterior without a license)

Repeat

I’m constantly going to jobs where the customer wants to see if I’d be interested in doing a bunch of hard work for nothing. I explain they would be better off exploiting some poor guy from Mexico

I agree with everything your saying except the working 80 hours a week. Yes the first few years until you can get established but after that your just ignorant.

Undervalue? Maybe you should dedicate this to the handyman/handywoman who who tries to charge as a contractor. Many handy folks aren't licensed nor are they bonded so when you try to charge at or slightly under contractors prices, don't be upset when people don't want to pay contractors prices for a handyman.

You don’t want customers

Still doing 80 hours a week at your age, what's important, things or relationships, if your mortgage is paid off and the bulk of household expenses are done with, then you should be able to tick over, picking handy well paid jobs rather than work 14hours a day six days a week. Your children's children are not your responsibility you do not get a say in how they are raised. I don't know if you are nervous on camera or not, but you seem short of breath quite often and you are overweight these are obvious health issues which need your attention, find a why for that. I wish you the best of luck, and hope you time re-evaluate you decisions.

My Google stuff that I thought did not work. Years later, has landed me work in large management companies out of state. Yes, 30-day pay. But I get to charge way more per job than doing then local management companies will pay. So I make sure I have plenty of both fast pay and slow pay. The furthest corporation I work for is in Canada and I am in SB, CA. My problem now is to much office time. So now I am looking for a part-time office person. By the way, I am 64 this June. And love working to this day.

1st red flag uses hands to talk, #2 talks all about himself #3 failed flex seal actor #4 not impressed. you must experience failures. communication with customers is number one 1. on time and extra time. unforseens. job corrections adjustment as build. written contract and completion. going the extra mile. will call materials. he's ouT to get your money. says it's free, eh.