Why You Should Only Work For Rich People | THE HANDYMAN BUSINESS | 

You should charge for this video! Soooo good. I have heeded your advice for years and I’ve been wildly successful in this business. Thank you!

"Rich" guy here. Yep, just take care of my problems so I don't have to think about it and I'll happily pay for it

I remember a high end client I did a repair for. Took me 45 minutes and charged $1000. She said "That's more than my husband charges, and he's a doctor." I said, "I know." She said, "How do you know that?" I said, "Because I used to be a doctor."

I started watching your channel as I started my handyman Business as the pandemic lockdown started. I have never advertised or solicited, I only work for wealthy people, and because of that I only work 4 days a week 6-7 hours a day and can make 6 figures if I want. I don’t do remodeling just repair. Who knew how lazy people are. My clients love me and recommend me to their rich friends. Thanks handyman for inspiration

You hit the nail on the head and managed to describe my business mantra in one short sentence. If you charge more than your client earns, they resent you, question your work, always try to get discounts, buy cheap products, pay late, etc. I now only work for people who earn at least double of what I charge. That has worked pretty well for me.

Great advice! I had a conversation recently with a property owner of 10+ vacation homes and she read off a long list of things that needed done. We get to the part when she asks me what I charge per hour, I mention I charge per job. She keeps prying to break it down to hourly and I explain my trip charge plus what the hour rate could look like and her comment was "wow that's really high". I knew then and there she had a long list of things that haven't been accomplished because she's pinching pennies and had a low number in her head of what she was willing to pay. I proceeded to explain to her why my rate was pretty standard for my 25 years experience but she was totally uninterested. She wanted cheap as she could find labor. Don't let these low ball owners out there waste your damn time! They are not worth it.

100% agree with buying time back. Rich people don't want to spend time doing things they dont want to do, even if it does save money. I rented a house from rich guy who would get his groceries delivered every week to save him 20 minutes.

I’ve started to transition towards targeting wealthier clients as my woodworking business grows. Thank you for hitting the nail on the head

I completely agree. Every city has people willing to pay ridiculous amounts of money for simple service. I’m in a city that most people have probably never heard of because it’s known for nearly nothing and and poverty. I have a painting company that also offers handyman services and I’m shocked every time what people are willing to pay me in the right parts of the city. The handyman work consistently brings me $80+ an hour because I’m in nicer neighborhoods and people are willing to pay me because I come across as nice and trustworthy. Just showing up and being honest will get you into a high earning bracket incredibly quickly if you learn to charge what you’re worth. I’m just over a year in and 22 and my mind is blown all the time by how easy it is to land some of these clients just by showing up on time and being professional

Anytime I feel kind of bad charging for what I do, I’ll watch this video as a reminder that I shouldn’t.

I’ve been watching you for years & can’t thank you enough for messages like this one. My “home services” company is still very much part time as I’ve been too scared to leave my full time government job. But from word of mouth alone, I turn people away all the time, & schedule 2 months out. Clean cut professionalism, & strong work ethic with an attention to detail is all it takes to charge what ever you want.

Great advice Handy. As I mentioned to you in the past I am a retired professional guy that just loves doing handyman stuff to fill my day. You are spot on with the type of customer to seek out. These youngsters today don’t know how to repair anything and have the money to spend to save time. Be professional, presentable and proficient. You will be PROFITABLE!

This is a great lesson for any professional regardless of the trade you're in. Don't undervalue yourself. Always think about the time, effort, education, experience, etc. it took you to get to whatever point you're at in your career. That is what you are charging for. Not simply the x numbers of hours it takes to do the job. Wealthy people in particular understand this which is why they are almost always willing to pay well for your expertise.

I did a window cleaning job that took me 4hrs charged $1600. The guy payed me in bills laid out on their dresser side by side for me to count. Drove home laughing after I realized what had happened

Just want to thank you Handyman for the inspiration! Quit my maintenance tech job, got my haircut, and license. Been in business 1 year now consistently booked out for 3 weeks for past several months. Definitely agree on communicating and appearance. That is your image/brand you are selling. If anyone is on the fence, take the leap!

So much wisdom in this video. You nailed it. I've boiled it down to 2 types of Clients: A) Those who know what they don't know B) Those who don't know what they don't know Clients A are typically selective with their time and focus and understand the value of paying to outsource the tasks on the honey-do list that just aren't worth the ROI...wealthier folks have plenty of money but are short on time, and that is what they're investing: their time. Clients B either don't have children, responsibilities outside of their dayjob, are in/just graduated from University, or all of the above. Only after much frustration from attempting to DIY do they begin to understand the value of "buying free time"

Good for you man! Making it happen. Yes, you get what you pay for. A clean cut, well spoken person that cleans up after themselves, communicates and shows up on time will go somewhere. No one with means wants a sloppy guy showing up, eyeballing everything around, using or talking on their phone like a teen and leaving a mess. You're in someone's home, show respect.

Something always brings me back to luxury car detailing or home cleaning but the work is so damn grueling and customer based. I’m not in total control like you are. Totally agree with only working for the rich. Just trying to think of a service. Even a dog kennel is such a lucrative business. Rich people LOVE their pets. God damn bro I need to get going. Starting is the hardest part. Highly appreciate this video.

Man!!!! You're so right! I have experienced some of what you are living now but in a lower level. I have had my business since 2008. I used to coach in poor neighborhoods, I used to work so much and used to charge 1/2 of what I charge now, but my problems where bigger. After reading several business books and following people like you, I have learned that I have to raise my fees and serve upper class clients, after that my work hours got shorter and I have very little or almost no problems, the interesting thing is that I make much more money. I also agree on looking professional, people will respect you and look at you as equal. Thank you for sharing your experience with us, good luck with your projects.

I just started my business this year, I worked hotel maintaince for 3+ years before this, one of the hotels was pretty much a remodel on the inside, Anyways, through out my years of doing hotel maintaince, I would watch all of your how to videos of how to fix things, and after those years of learning from you, and putting the hours in to practice, I make more in a month than I did in a year! And so much work coming in off of referrals, also I remember a quote from one of your videos, when you said rich people will pay you to do what they don't want to, so they have time for other stuff, that's very true I charged $400 to relevel the front row of a patio, and re sand the entire patio, and they through in a $50 tip it only took me a few hours, and also got referrals from that job

Lol dude, I was where you are about 8 years ago (not as a handyman) but coming from a “blue collar” upbringing and living in a white collar, all top 100 and up ranked university educated community. Feels weird to me but they really don’t care to even learn how to change anything in their home. They have plumbers, electricians, carpenters, estheticians, therapists, dog walkers, poop picker uppers, people who wash out their garbage bins, and yes handymen. They have the disposable income to simply pay someone to fix their problems. Most of their energy goes into their jobs and what they have left goes into their family. They pay for their free time, its that simple. But you know what - our time is also worth something, so don’t feel bad charging for it.

I've been in this handyman business "professionally" now for almost 2 years. I still say that I'm in a customer service role and the handyman aspect is the fun part of it! You gotta have great customer service skills to go along with your skilled labor aspect as well. Keep the videos coming I truly appreciate and enjoy watching them! Also enjoy your vacation time with your family!

Owning my own house not being a handyman, I have to pay most of the time. What I've learned over the year is, I am too tired to do my own fixing and dont want to spend my free time fixing stuff so i have to pay for it. I can replace simple things but even that have gotten difficult. I agree with you 💯 percent on this video. You're dead on right.!!!! Excellent video

I live in seattle area and am a up and coming carpenter. I mainly do cabinets doors and trim. You are right about the flocks of people that dont know how anything works that have too much money. Gotta bump those prices up sometimes to make it worth the trips. Gas aint cheep here.

Some of my wealthiest customers are also the cheapest. 3m house complaining about a $99 service call fee

It amazes me because people will pay a 1000% mark up on coffee, but then turn around and scoff at my 50% GP

As a 10yr expensive service electrician I can tell you, rich people are the cheapest…

Always happy to be a subscriber to this channel. Exactly what I needed to hear right now

this by far was THE BEST video you have put out handyman. straight gold in this one. if ppl actually listen , you just told the secrets of exactly how to be successful running a service business.

My experience is that most actualy "rich" people that own many rentals are the cheapest and just upsetting to my soul to work for but im shure not all are the same

Awesome! Thanks for sharing these stories!

Love the advice you offer. We are just starting up and your videos have been a staple for us. Thank you so much.

I live in one of the hell holes mentioned above and work as a handyman. Almost all my work is rental maintenance and turnovers. Really easy stuff that can be time consuming if the previous tenants trash the place which seems to be the norm here in my area. Just cleaning the places competently can take a couple days not to mention fixing damage, repainting, hauling away trash, etc. If the place is significantly damaged it can take up to a month to put the place back together again. And I am not doing any serious renovation work, just basic handyman stuff. The people who can afford rental property are my main clients and they are fantastic to do business with. They pay on time and are grateful to have an additional person directly looking after their business interests. I have to look and act professional because I go into tenant occupied units and have to work while the tenants are present. If they don't like my looks nobody is going to let me into their home. There are few men with tools working right now. Many of the contractors I know in the area are all older; in their 70s. They are semi retired and physically sore. Last year, my metro area lost 14% of its population in the 24-29 years old age group. My 15yo old son currently has his own client list doing lower skilled jobs and could probably drop out of school right now if I let him and go to work full time on his own. However, he has been coming to job sites with me since he was 7 so he is above average in skills for his age group and my clients have become his clients. The labor shortage is acute and people are willing to pay whatever it takes to get the jobs done.

Thanks for all of your advice. You inspire confidence. I just paid my second quarterly sales tax after starting my own LLC, and honestly would not be where I am without your guidance. I owe you beer (or two) sir. Carry on! P.S. I am raising my prices again, because I am too busy.

Man I've been preaching this for so many years and I'm glad to see others understanding 🙌

I recently raised my labor rate to match the local Firestone and Goodyear service centers. If they can charge $130 an hour for there 🥺 labor I sure as hell can too!!

Great points to make. I don't know if I'll start a fulltime business like this, but I enjoy doing this kind of work for family and friends and enjoy watching your videos in general. Thanks.

I agree with you 💯. I live in San Jose ca and was the handy man for a commercial real estate company. Did everything in their shopping centers and private homes of these rich people for 30ys. I would get referred to other. Pays well and currently been semi retired for about 10 yrs but people keep calling me to do work at their homes. Really thinking of going back full time. Love your videos.

My husband and I opened our handyman business Jan 2022. Made over 6 figures and never paid a penny to advertising companies. I handle all the social media and office work and I go on jobs when I am needed. We’re now starting the month of May 2023 and looks like we’ll almost be making double all from referrals. We’ve been watching to all of your videos and have learned so much. As we say amongst my husband and I, “Not everyone can afford us”, and that’s ok. Weeding out that type of clientele. We’re here to make clients happy and to make that 💰💰💰

@handyman, what microphone system your using? Dont see it in your amazon links. Thanks

Agreed! I’ve somehow gotten a niche market of young professional Indian families in the NJ suburbs. The work is relatively simple--furniture assembly, hanging photos/decor, painting, etc. money is never an issue and there are no questions about my rates. My wife is a massage therapist and also has an exclusive clientele. Rich customers are the best.

Enjoy handyman! You’ve convinced me to raise my prices and it’s working. Why didn’t I do this year’s ago?

i got hooked up with a luxury realtor through a slumlord i met on a craigslist ad. I've been working for the agency for 3 years now.

Pretty much all of my jobs are for the wealthy. It isn't so much about the money for me, it is the lack of hassle. I also prefer to work with higher end products. For example, in my experience, when working for the wealthier clientele, I can easily convince them to use higher quality hardware such as drawer runners etc. Not only does this make my job easier but it saves me having to go back to replace broken hardware down the line. Millions of people want things done as cheap as possible and cheaper hardware usually leads to more problems in the future. The only downside that I find working for the wealthy, especially celebrities is that I can't take photos for social media or film the projects for RU-vid. My work is word of mouth based but not in a local area as I work all over the UK so I would actually love better social media.

You are a super motivatiing person and really made me rethink my handyman path... appreciate bud... wish the best for you and the family..

Excellent advice 👍

$450 😜... And cost of living in Hawaii is still skyrocketing. The politicians/gov are bleeding the locals dry with their ever increasingly high taxes. 🤙

Thanks for your honesty.

Kansas! Heck yah man! Loved the video keep it up and yes I’d pay to hear your advice, loved the switch up in the video to Hawaii!

Great video,love your mindset,GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

Love the honesty. I’m sure many will appreciate it. ❤❤❤❤❤

Lol…probably NOT Buffalo, NY! 😂😂 That’s good stuff, Frank Rizzo! Enjoy your vacay, brother!

Worked for years as handyman/remodeler and didn't make money. Lived week to week. No savings. Finally figured out I wasn't getting jobs because I was so much cheaper that many people thought I must not know what I'm doing. I raised my costs 30% overnight and haven't missed a beat since. The lack of skilled labor, my clean-cut appearance, and good reputation for good work all helped. But I was scared to make money for years. You can be the one holding you back if you have low self worth. Now I do HVAC and make more. But it's more of the same. Value you, do good work, be honest and clean, and you can charge more.

love this bro

Did you charge for remote repair serve on the garbage disposal?

What were the handyman business apps you’ve talked about in previous videos?

Wow! Handydude from the past in the present! And we get a little glimpse into the Handydude’s personal life too? Holy cow! Great advice in this video. Super insightful.

Thanks for the video =)

Hallelujah… this has been my experience as well living and working in a high-end resort town. Clean, professional, pleasant --- no one should know you have been there, and if the client is home they should feel safe and listened to. You are their white night who is solving their ‘problem’ - and they tell 2 friends and so on. You become “their guy” … you get to deal in their world at their cost of living. They happily pay the bill and say thank you. You gave them the one thing they can’t buy… time.

Do u have any videos of replacing glass panes in a front doo

Agreed. I love customers who don’t ask what it’s going to cost. They just let me do the work to the best of my ability. And I don’t overcharge.

Had me laughing so hard at your Buffalo comment. By the way, after 40+ years in contracting business, you are spot on. I learned the lesson you are talking about many years ago. Client quality and word of mouth business is absolutely the way to go. Also, do great quality work and the rest will follow. Have not advertised in over 30 years. You are giving excellent advise to up and coming service providers. Know your worth!

Agreed, the higher end customers are less stressful to work for. You know that you are making good money and can roll with the punches.

My side junk removal business. I don’t target the low income community. I target upper middle class and high end hoa areas. I’ll never live in an hoa, but they’ll pay big to haul their junk away and dump fees are cheap here. Working on my skills to improve the handyman side of the business.

GREAT ADVICE! Just Scribed~

6:35 OMG! I was one of those people who watched RU-vid and did things myself…. Ummmmm, my work was LONG, and HARD because I wasn’t used to doing the work. I learned how to chop my own firewood, how to patch plaster on walls and ceilings, how to sew a quilt, and crochet by watching RU-vid. Now, I’m cool to pay whatever the handyman or contractor asks because its a lot of work to do that stuff. BUT I can also have confidence that I can learn what needs to be done before I hire someone and I can ask them smart questions before they get my contract to do the work and make sure they know how to do the work the right way.

Great points! I quit my office job and now do most of my own handy work on my properties because it paid more per hour and had more flexibility than my college degree job after 14 years. US home construction is built to need constant caulking, patching, painting, rebuilding, ect....

I’ve always said it’s not just my time you pay for for it’s my experience,knowledge and talent.

Great philosophy and advice.

Yet again another good video - you didn't go down the path of specialization to earn more income in this particular video but that's one more option for some trying to get more business. The more you know and the more you can do, it might make the difference of being profitable on a job or not - the less you have to sub out the more you keep in your pocket. Your latest video about the custom counter top, the custom cabinet it went on, the plumbing, painting, drywall work, tile work...all that goes into your pocket and not someone else's. You are right though, most people that call someone out either have no interest in doing it themselves, no time to do it themselves, or what they earn may be higher than what you charge so it makes sense to work their day job as a priority instead of using their own time for reno work. There are lots of ways to look at it but ultimately the bottom line is that most people want to write a check and have it done - period. In a market saturated with bums, it's easy to shine when you present yourself professionally, communicate properly, and deliver on your scope of work.

I have had quite the opposite results in socal . The rich just want to talk you down on your price or play that game . I got allot of work if you can do this for nothing . Now older and retired customers I give a price and they play no games and always pay .

I hire when I can’t do it myself due to physical limitations or it is something I know nothing about. And when I do hire, I’m usually hands on through out. I just love learning and being as active as I can. Do whatever you can now, before your body gives out. I’m 61 and my previous career wrecked havoc on mine.

Great advice. It apples to any service business.

I am UK based and the same holds true. I only work for people who have real money. It enables me to do projects correctly and not have to cut corners in order to make a reasonable living.

My 'retirement job' is a part-time handyman business doing the small jobs contractors haven't the time for. I live in a fairly affluent community. They can afford to pay me a decent and fair rate that makes it worth my time. I have actually had people pay me more than I billed them because they are so happy to find someone who will take on their jobs.

why does your goodbye sound like a robot LOL. enjoy handy

Where did you get that shirt!

I was going to say $600 but you slipped and said $450... that's not to bad for the "destination" type of photos

Hey handyman love the content. I been working strictly or mainly for rich retired folks. Best money easy work (most days) and scheduling is easy cause thay are home all day.

I am a full time handyman on Maui and everything you said is 100% true !!! Making a Great living as well !

Dead on my friend. Thanks for the videos!

I would love to see a video on your communication technique/strategy from first introduction to the final goodbye. Enjoy that blue water!

Very good video

Finally... someone had the guts to bring up the nasty, homeless, "I just crawled out of a ditch, and am looking to explore cannibalism" look. It's not right for people to judge, but they do. They do. If your car breaks down, on a cold wet night, you will have more success getting the help you need, if you look a little less like Charles Manson. Just the adult facts folks.

Agree with you about doing work for elderly people. Some are reasonable; most are excessively frugal. And many are flat-out bonkers & will pay anything - leaving their adult kids to chase down the purported "con artist" & throttle them. Unfortunately, actual thieves & gypsters ruin everything for everyone involved in home repair. $1,500-$2,000 for photos? Similar to budget wedding photo rates?

Handy, no pun intended but you hit the nail on the head. I see it everyday....really good info!

do you do consulting? I have my first potential job, and it happens to be for a wealthy person and have no idea what to charge.

I live in a blue collar town with suburbs of blue collar people. I hire folks all the time from around here to be my handy man even though I know how to do everything they are doing for me. They do it better and cost less than my billable rate. Works out really well.

These are Why I watch this channel, things like this. Full of extremely useful, knowledgeable advice. Cannot buy this (please don't start charging now this! Ha). I'm a handyman on the emerald Isle getting things into shape through watching and listening to this guy. Keep them coming pal. Top work. J

Beautiful view, thanks for sharing Handy. 💕🌊⛱ PS- I know u were feeling guilty about spending all that money on vacation so made a video 😄 PPS- how are you editing with a view like that!? Must do it at night

Great video

Great video. My dad made us learn how to fix things or at least how to know whether we could fix something. I hire handymen now when I need something done that the wife has taken an interest in. Just the happy life part is worth the price for quality work.

Hello sir, thank you for such a great video, been following u for a long time and learned a lot from you. I have a question how can I find out how saturated my area is as far as other handyman businesses in My area?, I live in Maryland. Once again thank you.

Communication skills are key. Finding common ground and creating rapport with your clients is paramount. Also successful negotiation techniques, as parties with wealth will respect a strong negotiation. Yet building options to suit tastes vs budget is important. Always have 3 options. 1. Cheap ($) 2. Moderate with extras ($$) 3. Everything asked for ($$$)

I like your shirt! Do your best, caulk the rest! Thanks for the great advice!

Hell yeah. I also only work for rich folks (there's a lot of them here). I made 2 months of living expenses in 3 weeks. Rich folks love their handymen!

I live in Naples Florida. I have my own HVAC business and am my only employee. My customers are wealthy and appreciate the services I provide. They know other wealthy people who they recommend me to. Within 7 years I have got to a point that I make over $100K a year and only work 20-25 hours a week.

Thanks handyman for these videos. It's truly eye opening. Can anyone out there recommend how to build skills. It seems a handyman needs to be really well rounded. I've done some random things here and there. I spent a year or two intensely focused on rough framing and have transitioned to now being an electricians apprentice and I work weekends for a local remodeler who also does some small new construction. I'd like to provide great service and a great future for me and my family but not sure what type of skills to start seeking out. I feel like I've made a great start but looking to get more of a framework or plan for the future.

well said

So very true. I'm a retired physical therapist and live in a wealthy community of summer homes. Many residents don't want to waste their time on electrical, plumbing or other projects. Nice for me if I want some extra walking around cash or to buy that next power tool I don't need.