I've been a computer administrator, making good money for the last 30 years. I hate it. I always loved working with my hands. I fix everything around my house. Plumbing, electrical, yard, tile, drywall, ac... I've thought for a while, that I would be much happier working for myself, even if it was less money. Thanks for your channel.
Hello sir! Im 2 months into my handyman business. Its been crazy sofar! Lots of great clients sofar and alot of wasted time dealing with people that dont want to pay what im worth. I got on as a sub for a hvac company that has given me some work and just signed on with 2 other property management companies. I hope i can manage all 3 at once while still being present for my kids. You deff need to have a thousand or two at any given time for materials. Im absolutely loving my new life as a self employed handyman. Prior to this i was a part time $20 hr maintenance tech. $80 a day. Now i make between 0-500 a day. I know im cheap but i also have more free time than money currently. I love your content bevause i can envision myself in your shoes in a few years from now. Thankyou
I am not there yet! Just started making contacts with management companies and have a few small jobs lined up already. I have more than enough tools, but getting the nerve to quit me full-time and just go for it is nerve racking!
When someone tells me that they know someone else that is charging half of my price I just simply tell them... GREAT!!!! Give them the job , I'm to busy right now and I can't take a cut in pay anyhow. I have learned that most of the time these are the type of people that will give me more problems than what the I'm getting paid and never service them ever. Those are the ones that believe they can dictate how much your worth. Believe me there are more customers out there that will pay you better.
I might be the only girl on this channel but as the owner of a husband/wife HM business this is 100% what we have been doing since we started in March, and the property managers have been coming to us….its crazy but awesome and profitable. This validated what we’ve been doing. Thank you for your time and eloquent presentation! 👏🏻
The AI writing is on the wall for I.T. workers. As a kid I went to tech school for building/cabinet making and started my 1st business repairing mobile homes at 15 years old. Joined the Navy and caught a lucky break that started my IT career. Now at 60 and getting laid off for the first time I have just launched my HandyMan journey, maybe closing the loop of what I always wanted to do when I began my life. Stumbled on your channel, subscribed and feel great knowing you are there providing this $1m content.
This is exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you very very very much. You are a very honest man and I appreciate you very much. I’m a resident superintendent in New York City for a big residential complex of 220 units. It has been my passion for the last 4 years to just leave and go, work on my own being a handyman Your video has now become my last frontier and I’m going to take that leap. Thank you very much. You’ve helped me a lot. You are my final push and I wish you much more success much love and peace out, brother.
Hey Bruh, I truly appreciate your transparency. I've been a handyman for over 10 years, and have develop some unbelievable skills, and broaden my imagination. I presently a Gov. contractor, and I make decent money, but it's sedentary, 12-hour days, and I felt like I'm wasting away. I do try to use my time wisely by researching and studying new and different ways to improve my skills. I'm ready to pull the trigger on forming a business and doing what I really believe I'm created for. But the WIFE is uses to a steady, direct deposit income. How can I convince her that this is a good move?
Show her by doing it on the side and making 4X what you make at your main job. Also don't start this business or any business if your spouse isn't on board. You'll need her to back you up through the tough times and to take care of the house while you take care of the business. I could not have done this without the support of my wife.
I recently emailed about 10 property management companies that I found by doing an internet search. I've already got a small job with one of them and I've been added to the vendor list with 3 others. I was surprised how easy it was.
@@lanway95 You'll have to check with your local and State laws. In Nevada, there is a handyman exemption in the contractor code; as long as you stay within the rules for this exemption, you're good to go. Of course, I still need my biz license from the State and liability insurance to be a vendor for property managers.
@@JasonLeiter13 oh okay I see in Nevada you can stay within the terms Yeah in Maryland you can work with just a LLC as long as Materials and labor doesn't exceed $500 . And you can't bill the same customer for different jobs if it exceeds $500 . Basically capping how much we can make.
Thank you for noticing! I worked super hard on it. There's still plenty of room for improvement but I consider this video to be at least of satisfactory quality. It turns out I my new mic had software that can give you funny voices like demon voice, high pitched voice, electronic voice, etc... Well, somehow after both livestreams were complete, I found that "high pitch" was selected. Thanks for following and engaging. Looking forward to seeing you in the next livestream!
The audio is the difference that makes this alot more enjoyable! I've only just found you but watching your older videos to the newer ones, that'd be the best upgrade, I notice! Looks like you have some useful information that I'll be using in the future. Thank you for taking this head on an going with the learning curves of technology!
Hey man. I really appreciate you sharing your stories. I started my handyman business almost a year ago and it's been a rollercoaster trying to make it a more stable business. Your insight is unbelievably valuable to me, especially on those tough days when it all doesn't seem worth it. But I know it is because it is already giving me the life that I've been wanting to live for so long. I came from a project management career and just couldn't let it suck out my soul anymore. I'm just wired differently I guess. This handyman work gives me so much purpose and spark. It's given me the freedom and autonomy I've always wanted in those corporate roles. I'm not sure where this road will take me, but your videos are inspiring. Keep it going!
You are just telling a story of staring your business, but it's really valuable content! So many helpful things for someone staring what will become a real business. Things I wish I would have heard when I was starting mine. It's very encouraging too, which I feel is important for everyone to hear. Take care. I look forward to the next.
Hi Mr. Duke! I just discovered your channel and can't get enough! I'm a budding handy man who's in the research faze of starting my own handy man business. I'd just like to thank you for creating such a comprehensive channel to help guide me through the process. Your information is not only thorough and riveting but you articulate the process in a way that I can understand easily, keeps me interested, motivated and confident about moving forward! What an amazing job you've done creating these videos! 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Thank you for this video.. I am getting ready to launch my HM business.. I can tell you have a heart of gold with what you said about your role as a father… (really hits home) great stuff good sir!!
I appreciate you taking time out of your life to help other people. I am a 20 year plus electrician. I have been building my handyman company for about 4 years. In the last year I have only worked for my own business. I was almost there when I saw your videos, and you helped push me just a little further. I have 2 property management companies and a bunch of realaste agents who call me all the time. I also have lots of private homeowners. Couldn't help but notice your whiskey back there. I belong to a whiskey club, and we did an Instagram tasting with the owner of Smoke Wagon Whiskey. I believe that's a local distiller for you. May be Nevada? Anywho - give them a shot (pun intended). Great whiskey. Appreciate you Sir. And good luck to all you new business owners. K.B. from TEXAS! Cheers!
Wow, so happy I came across your channel. I have thought about doing what you are doing for a long time but have not pulled the trigger. I have always been good at fixing things and have a keen eye, but it is a leap because I'm paid very well at my current job but hate the hours and it seems like I'm always on call. I'm 61 but in good health and if I don't do it now when will I? you are great at articulating your thoughts without hype and that is why I watched the entire video.
So much great info here. Thanks for sharing your journey and it sounds like losing that big company may have actually been a blessing in disguise. I've heard it said before, and your story seems to bear it out, when you work for a boss, you have 1 person or one company that controls your finances. When you work for yourself and have many customers/clients, then you have a multitude of bosses so that if you lose just one or a few of them, you'll still be OK. I love that idea and it's why I'm wanting to start my own business. Will be watching more of your vids, for sure. I love it and I'm so inspired, I'm already doing more around my house than I have in years! Thanks again man.
@@bulletproofhandyman Thanks man - you know what I find challenging is bouncing ideas off of people online. Because it requires so much detailed info like "Look at this joint right here and you should see X, Y or Z. If you do, do this, if not, do that." because no matter how well someone describes an issue, until you see it, the vision is not complete. Anyways thanks again.
What people don't realize is a 6 hour job needs to be charged a full day's pay as it doesn't leave much room to tackle another job. People often try to book me at 9 or 10 and I kindly let them know it's mid morning and try to push them to either left or right. If they are unwilling to budge I advise them of an additional charge on invoice.
I really appreciate all the information that you're giving everyone for me personally the one that hit me the most is what I'm doing wrong when dealing with people as being able to say no
That's all good information. For my part I would say that you have to enjoy fixing, building, and/or upgrading properties to be a handyman. In other words, you must enjoy the work, because it can be quite labor intensive at times. The goal is to get to the point where you can pick and choose what type of jobs you want to take on.
I enjoy the challenge of trying to be faster and better at it over time. But I definitely also enjoy the work itself. Don't get me wrong, I'm sick and tired of fixing the same things over and over again but the challenge of getting better at it is always there.
@@bulletproofhandyman If you like challenges, move to Massachusetts, every sink is different, every light fixture is different, and every floor and wall is out of whack. Being in a state with 100+ year old homes I just never know what I'm up against. I charge the trip fee then by the hour because of it. Dealing with decades of previous contractors/diy work, I'm always fighting the last guys work. Often I just tear out and start over (can't polish a terd). Even then, houses were built different and used horse hair plaster. Maybe I should just bid work with those expectations but it's really hard to know. For instance, got hired to change out a fluorescent panel light with a new round modern led fixture. Take old lighting down and their covered up was 3 old snake skin wiring (which insulation cracked when touching) and no electrical box. No problem, ran new wires and put an old work box in, job completed. But what should have taken 20 min turned into a 4 hour job (1780's farmhouse put up a fight).
I couldn't possibly assign a weekly average, just the setup and shopping, etc. Some weeks I make only a couple shopping trips because I'm doing bigger jobs with predictable needs and other weeks. I'm doing five jobs a day with unpredictable needs and going to Home Depot three times a day. And an effort to provide you with an answer suppose I would say that if I'm doing jobs that are neither small or large everyday then I'm probably driving a little over an hour a day and I'm probably shopping for about an hour a day. The rest of the time is spent on actual tools in hand getting work done.
Net 30 is tough. From what I hear a lot of home warranty companies operate that way. I suppose it’s great for established handymen/tradesmen, but getting to that point is difficult.
Regarding spending money up front on materials, have you asked the property management company if they can get a credit card for Home Depot, or an account at your local lumber yard, to purchase materials with? Or get a card or account in your own name? Thank you
Some companies that I work with have a system like that setup. The issue here is that you're trying to charge a premium by being a business instead of a handyman. If you need them to pay for materials up front then it's harder to justify that premium because you basically told them that you don't really have a business that can handle everything for them. However, like I said, some companies that I do some work for have that setup and I will occasionally use it.
Hey love your channel great job creating content that spells out the ins and out of being a handyman. I have a question about LLC. How did you setup your llc as a handyman? You don't have a contract license from what I understand from a prior video. So how do you label your business for tax purposes and what insurance company do you use for liability and how do you add it to your cost and markups. Thanks
In my experience most of them don't ask for receipts, but I've never marked up materials. If I had then they might have started asking. I try to just give them the actual numbers or maybe just round up to the next $1 or the next $5 increment and they might find the labor to be on the high side but the final price is still within the window of value that they are looking for so ultimately it's just that final price that matters. Once you teach them to view you as a service provider they stop worrying about how much your labor is and they just focus on the final price being appropriate. Providing receipts might Garner some trust initially. I did once have a very large client who required them initially and then settled into something comfortable that didn't include receipts.
There are dozens but I don't recommend any of them. One way or another they all charge you for the leads, too much in my opinion, or they have you competing against cheap unskilled labor.
Those websites are into making money, they don't care if you make any money. Some of them sell those leads for weeks and months for a super cheap price. You pay the leads just to find out the jobs were done a long time ago.
I just don't do jobs over $1,000. Most of my jobs are less than $500, I just do a lot of them per day. If I have request for larger jobs I send them over to my network of licensed tradesmen.
I worked on A-10s in the Air Force, then the Shadow Drone in Afghanistan and then pretty much every commercial and business jet made by Bombardier and Learjet here in Tucson including all CRJ's, all Challengers, all Globals, and briefly the newest Globals that just came out in the last 5 years right before I started this business.
I’m in the same boat as you, I work with wood custom furniture but I am just An apprentice just found out company is selling and I latest have another job lined up but I want to do handy man jobs on the side I’m no expert but I’m learning still any tips would be appreciated
@@bulletproofhandyman got my first job this week for wall repair made more in those 3 hours than I do in 3 days.. I just don’t have tools yet all I have is from my job I need to invest in tools Is there a specific tool brand you recommend Thanks in advance
There is a link in the description of all my videos for Jobber that comes with a very nice discount. I've used Jobber since I started this business. I have some great videos on how to use it as well.
Thank you for your video. Do you think its a good idea for someone to start being a Handyman at 55? How long can one work in this industry? Thank you in advance.
As long as your brain is sharp, go for it! Most of the actual labor is easy enough, it's running the business properly that takes real effort. Personally I prefer hiring older more experienced handymen due to their strong work ethics.
I grew up in a family where almost every adult male worked with his hands for a living. As a boy I was required to help when not in school. I've been capable most of my life. However, half of the jobs I do these days I learned on the job AFTER I started this business. RU-vid is a Godsend. Any man can do anything if he puts his mind to it.
Thanks for the information. Like to listen from home while running biz. you could do without the swearing that would be very nice. I got little ears listening
I'm working on a solution to the swearing. I need to be authentically myself to some extent but moving forward I'm trying to keep it mostly PG for posted videos but uncensored on live streams so that parents know when it's safe to play out loud. I'm glad you like the content, I'm working on making it better. Thanks! Ray
It's not just 5 minutes plus drive time. It's 5 minutes plus drive time plus inventory management plus vehicle maintenance plus insurance plus crm plus emails, invoices, estimates, cleaning the vehicle etc... The goal here wasn't to inform everyone as to how long it takes to make the job happen, it was to convey the idea that one of the fastest and easiest jobs around was worth more to that property manager than many home owners are willing to pay. Drive time is important along with a list of a hundred other things, but it doesn't factor into the story of me realizing that Property Managers value their handymen differently than home owners.
This is an encouraging video. Thank you! I would LOVE to see where you go when you learn God's Kingdom laws. Faith Life Church with The Keesee family explain it so well. You would love it.
@@bulletproofhandyman I suppose you can make an informed decision by checking it out. I believe that you would be profoundly surprised. Not sure what alley you're up but I was agnostic, I'm so glad I kept an open mind. Either way we appreciate and enjoy your channel. Thanks for the reply, it is refreshing as much as it is surprising.
I try to reply to everyone. Time is valuable and anyone who takes the time to message me I want to take the time to message back. Some day there might bee too many but right now I am able to and I love the interactions. Thanks for everything!
