Are you someone who likes to work with your hands, wants to take control of your career and start your own handyman business? Starting a business can be an exciting and rewarding venture, but it’s important to have a clear plan in place to ensure your success. In this blog post, we will guide you through the six phases of starting a handyman business, from business start-up to marketing strategies.

Here are the 6 main phases when starting up your handyman business

Phase 1: Business Start-Up

Starting a handyman business requires careful planning and preparation. Here are some key steps to consider during the business start-up phase:

1. Identify Your Niche: Determine your area of expertise within the handyman industry. Are you skilled in plumbing, electrical work, carpentry, or general repairs? Do you want to work with homeowners, property managers or commercial properties? Focusing on a specific niche will help you stand out in the market. While your skillset can be broad, you niche should not be.
2. Determine your business name: You business name is an important first step. You want it to be simple and memorable, and bonus points if it aligns with the keywords people search online. I’ve written an entire article about choosing your business name here: How to Choose Your Handyman Business Name
3. Obtain the Necessary Licenses and Permits: Research the legal requirements for operating a handyman business in your area. Obtain any necessary licenses and permits to ensure compliance with local regulations. Every state is wildly different in what it allows you to do as a “handyman” vs a “contractor”. Make sure you are setup best for your specific stage.

Phase 2: Business Setup

Once you have laid the foundation for your handyman business, it’s time to set up the necessary infrastructure. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Register Your Business: Choose a suitable business name and register it with the appropriate authorities. This will give your business a professional identity and protect your brand. You’ll want to at least setup an LLC as it will provide you some protection between your business and personal. If you aren’t sure of the options, reach out to a CPA to guide you.
2. Set Up a Home Office: Create a dedicated workspace in your home where you can manage administrative tasks, such as bookkeeping, scheduling, and client communication. Invest in essential office equipment and software to streamline your operations. As a business owner, you will be doing all the tasks at the beginning. If you are setup well, you’ll be more efficient at these tasks
3. Get Insured: Protect your business and clients by obtaining the necessary insurance coverage. Liability insurance is crucial in case of accidents or property damage during your work. Most states require liability insurance to have a contractors license, so this is must do.
4. Determine Your Pricing: Before you take your first client, you need to know how much you are going to charge. But don’t pull a number out of thin air. Make sure that the hourly rate you choose will allow you to be profitable. If you don’t know how to determine this, we have a Pricing and Projections workbook that walks you through every step of building a profitable handyman business.

Phase 3: Establishing Your Brand

Building a strong brand presence is essential for attracting customers and establishing credibility in the handyman industry. Follow these steps to establish your brand:

1. Build your brand strategically: Your brand guides how people feel about your business, and is much more than a pretty logo and a quick website. When you start with your brand strategy, you know exactly how you are different, who your ideal client is and what will attract them to your business.
2. Design a Professional Logo: Create a visually appealing logo that represents your business and reflects your expertise. Use it consistently across all marketing materials and online platforms. Your logo is meant to build recognition and attract your dream client. So make sure to do the brand strategy before you determine your logo. You don’t want your logo to deter your ideal client!
3. Build an Online Presence: Create a website and social media profiles to showcase your services, portfolio, your values, you and customer testimonials. Optimize your online presence with relevant keywords to improve your search engine rankings.
4. Network with Other Professionals: Connect with local contractors, real estate agents, and other home services who can refer clients to your business. Attend industry events and join professional associations to expand your network.

Phase 4: Getting Your First Clients

Now that you have established your brand, it’s time to start attracting clients. Here’s how you can get your first clients:

1. Offer Special Promotions: To entice new customers, consider offering discounts or package deals for your services. This will help you build a client base and generate positive word-of-mouth referrals. You can o
2. Leverage Online Reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on popular review sites like Google My Business, Yelp, and Facebook .Positive reviews will build trust in your brand and attract more potential clients.
3. Partner with Local Businesses: Collaborate with local businesses, such as hardware stores or home improvement centers, to cross-promote your services. Offer to conduct workshops or provide free consultations to their customers.
4. Optimize your website for SEO: Let Google help bring in your clients. When you have a well optimized website, Google will start to notice you and over time, you’ll get clients via organic search results. This is critical to build your business past just word of mouth marketing.

Phase 5: Building Systems

As your handyman business grows, it’s important to establish efficient systems and processes to ensure smooth operations. Consider the following:

1. Invest in Tools and Equipment: Upgrade your tools and equipment to improve efficiency and deliver high-quality work. Regularly maintain and replace worn-out tools to avoid delays or subpar results.
2. Develop Standard Operating Procedures: Document step-by-step procedures for common tasks to ensure consistency in your work. This will also help you train new employees or subcontractors, if needed.
3. Implement Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software: Use CRM software to manage client information, track leads, and schedule appointments. This will streamline your communication and help you stay organized.
4. Funnel your leads: When your leads are all coming into the same spot, it makes it easier for you to manage them, and get back to them consistantly. Our favorite is to have them fill out a in depth form that requires photos. This allows you to eliminate unessesary walkthroughs. You can create your own form, or use our Virtual Request System built and ready for you to implement into your business here: Virtual Request System

Phase 6: Marketing

The final phase in our how to start a handyman business post is marketing.To sustain and grow your handyman business, effective marketing strategies are crucial. Here are some tips to promote your services:

1. Optimize Your Website for SEO: Research and incorporate relevant keywords into your website content to improve its visibility on search engines. Regularly update your blog with informative articles to establish yourself as an industry expert.
2. Utilize Local Advertising: Advertise your services in places like Yelp, Facebook, Google and Nextdoor. When you are starting out and hungry for work, you can get business (and reviews) by using lead gen sites like Angi, Thumbtack and Home Advisor. These types of leads will usually pay less, but are great to help you build your reviews and get your feet wet.
3. Offer Referral Incentives: Encourage satisfied customers to refer their friends and family by offering referral incentives, such as discounts or free services. Word-of-mouth referrals can be a powerful marketing tool.

In conclusion, starting a handyman business requires careful planning, branding, and effective marketing strategies. By following the six phases outlined in this article, you will be well on your way to building a successful and profitable handyman business. Remember, consistency, professionalism, and exceptional customer service will set you apart from the competition.

If you are ready to start your handyman business and would like a detailed step by step that goes into every step and when to take it, check out our Handyman Business Setup Guide.

It takes the principles highlighted above, and guides you in each step to take and when you don’t have to wonder how to start a handyman business and you get up running and making money quickly.