The Free Master Class Is Complete And Published!

Finally! After months of promising, I’ve finally finished the free (I have a strict no paywalls policy on this channel)  “How To Start A Bulletproof Handyman Business” Master Class. I apologize that it took so long to complete, but I’ve been busy trying to manage my time between the YouTube Channel and my actual Handyman Business. The class is set up so that if you take each lesson in order and perform each step in order, you’ll finish the class as a business owner ready to forge your own path through the world. You can sign up here https://bit.ly/bulletproofhandymanMC

Mastering Scheduling Efficiency

Time is money, and if we’re aiming for $100+ per hour then every hour we waste costs us $100. Here are some of my tips for maximizing efficiency with your scheduling so that you aren’t spending extra hours just driving, or worse, rescheduling.

1. Try to schedule a grouping of jobs in one section of town, or try to schedule them so that you make a loop, rather than crisscrossing town multiple times.

2. Schedule the simple predictable jobs (leaky sink or doorknob replacement) early in the day, the more unpredictable jobs (sliding glass door wheels grinding or outlet not working) after the predictable jobs, and then vacant properties or exterior work later in the day. This way the risk of one job taking too long and having a domino effect on the subsequent jobs is minimized.

3. When one job does go sideways, consider rescheduling that one job rather than allowing it to throw off all of the others. Depending on your property manager or client, it’s also an option to invoice for the work you performed and then create a new work order for a return trip later in the week so that you aren’t putting off getting paid for weeks.

4. When clients want to add time consuming work to a work order while you’re still on site, courteously let them know that you have other jobs scheduled but you’ll be happy to schedule a new visit at their earliest convenience. Pushing back the rest of the days jobs can have a real domino effect on your efficiency and sometimes it’s better to have one unhappy client with a job that has to wait to get completed than to have a dozen clients who are unhappy because you had to change the schedule.

5. Book your appointments with “arrival windows” to allow more wiggle room. If every job has a one hour arrival window then each individual job can go over the time allotted without making other client view you as late and unreliable. Oftentimes I’ll finish the first job early, arrive at the second job early and finish that one even earlier, and then end up giving myself an unexpected hour or two in the middle of the day that I can use for last minute requests or for shooting over to a vacant property to work on or to give estimates on.

Clear Scope Of Work Communications

Communication Is Key

Oftentimes your clients have an assumption about the scope of work that may differ from your intended offer. For example, if you offered to install a new doorbell push button on the front porch for a trip fee of $100, you would have priced that job and scheduled that job under the assumption that you won’t need more than 30 minutes to complete the work.  

If you arrive to find that the doorbell isn’t receiving any power and requires troubleshooting, you’ll need to charge more for the additional man-hours spent on the job. So you’ve priced a job based on the request – to install a new pushbutton – while the client assumed your price was to fix whatever needs to be fixed to have a functioning doorbell.  They will often think that your estimate should automatically cover additional work that wasn’t specified.

Most of the time, clients are understanding and happy to pay the additional labor for troubleshooting but that’s only most of the time. The rest of the time you’ve got an angry client who feels like they’re getting ripped off by the handyman when you inform them that you’ll need to charge additional labor for additional work. Even more importantly, some clients are savvy enough to set these situations up on purpose hoping to pressure you into fixing a larger issue that they already knew you would find in the process of completing the simple task.

The way to prevent this is just thorough communication, preferably in writing. Here is an example of a scope of work description that avoids multiple complications…

“This price includes replacing the existing doorbell push button with a new doorbell push button that the client has already purchased. This pricing does not include any troubleshooting, touch up paint, paint matching, wire repairs, stucco repairs, additional component replacement, or any other work that may be found to be necessary to accomplish the task once we arrive on site. Any additional labor necessary to perform this task will incur additional charges.”

This is why I highly suggest creating, continuously updating, and utilizing custom line items with CRM software so that over time you can build these tasks out with thorough disclaimers and thorough scope of work descriptions. Many of my custom line items from my personal Jobber account are available for you to download for free here https://clienthub.getjobber.com/client_hubs/f45a32c2-ec8e-4b16-aa4a-372140c41206/public/work_request/new?source=social_media 

They can be downloaded from my files and uploaded into your Jobber account so that you can use them as a starting point to begin customizing them with your pricing and your descriptions and disclaimers. You can find a free trial of Jobber with an exclusive 20% off for the first 6 months here. https://go.getjobber.com/bulletproofhandyman

Handyman Camping Convention

For those of you who don’t already know, you’re all invited to attend a Handyman Camping Convention from May 29 – June 2. You can find all of the details here https://fb.me/e/55tZOpp1Y

I’ll be arriving likely late in the evening on May 29 just to make sure that I get a good spot. I’ll also likely be leaving very early on the morning of June 2 to take my mother to the airport for her trip home. The days in between will be our time to simply bond, swap stories, network, and attend a few classes. The classes are designed to make sure that this is qualified as a business expense. They are not mandatory, but there will be sign in sheets for each class that you can take back home for your accountant and for the IRS if you choose to deduct a portion of your trip expenses as a business expense. I do ask (also not mandatory) that if you attend, please come up with a 20 minute presentation on any subject that is industry related and let me know what it will be before the event. I’ll make the sign in sheets to distribute to your attendees. It’s also perfectly acceptable to stay in town and just drive out for the day to hang out.

Next Insurance

This newsletter is sponsored by Next Insurance. They are my Handyman Business Insurance provider for my actual Handyman Business and I highly recommend them. They are the leading insurer for small businesses in the Trades Industry. Because they are so focused on the trades, they understand our needs better than most and their pricing is on point. There are cheaper options that don’t cover most of the circumstances that you might need them for, and there are more expensive options that will cover far more than you need, but Next Insurance, in my humble opinion, is a very safe and reliable choice for a small business in the Trades Industry. You can go here to get a free quote. https://nextinsurance.sjv.io/PyVJGN

Building Your Tool Collection

If you’re just starting out, or even if you’re like me with 30+ years worth of tool collections, you’re always going to have a short list of more tools that you need for your business. If you’re like me you’ve also noticed that they just don’t make them like they used to. I’ll take a 30 year old router over a brand new bosch any day of the week. Some surprising places to find amazing deals on used tools are pawn shops and yard sales. When I’m out doing my handyman thing and I find a 20 minute gap between jobs I’ll often pop into a pawn shop or two along my route and just check out what they have. Most of the time I can find outstanding deals on tools that I already own, so if you don’t yet own all of the tools you need you should consider pawn shops as a viable option. They are also usually willing to negotiate the price or throw in an extra battery or accessory. The same goes for yard sales, especially in retirement neighborhoods. The average Joe doesn’t know the value of a tool that was built back when things were built to last and therefore won’t be competing with you to snatch them up. Remember, the best tool is the one you have. Use it, invoice, get paid, and upgrade later after you’ve received the value from the tools you already own. 

Marketing With Social Media

More and more these days businesses are turning to social media for marketing purposes. This includes direct marketing through your own sites as well as extremely affordable paid advertising through the various platforms. Now, I do not encourage small trades businesses to spend any money on marketing at all but to instead focus on building a strong client base with referrals from home owners or steady work from property managers. However, some amount of marketing in inevitable for those of you starting out. 

I strongly encourage you to go to each social platform to at least reserve your businesses channel name before someone else takes it. If and when you find the time, you can start posting, but at the very least acquire your platforms while you can so that your potential clients can find you there in the future.

Along with social media, I’d also like to encourage you to take a shot at building your own website. You would be amazed, as I was, to find just how far the user interface has progressed even in just the last 6 months. Just a few years ago it would have taken days for the average Joe to figure it out and even then it would be a Minimum Viable Product. Today just about anybody who can read is capable of building a gorgeous website in just a few hours. I’ve released a video tutorial that you can find on my channel here https://youtu.be/Eik12RDvi98

AI Written Terms And Conditions

And lastly, another great use for AI. Below you’ll find my request as typed into GPT-4 along with the results provided by GPT-4. I don’t encourage you to simply copy and paste anything that the AI feeds you, but rather to use it as a starting point to tailor your own Terms And Conditions. 

Additionally please note that GPT-4 now has memory and can remember details about conversations on all of the topics you discuss for future reference. I’m currently having hour long conversations with GPT-4 nearly every night planning all of the details of a website that I’ll be launching some day to connect Home Owners and Tradesmen without charging for the leads. It has been doing an outstanding job of remembering not only details, but also the overall vision and the overall user experience that I want it to have. It’s a powerful tool that shouldn’t be overlooked. 

Below is the example of the “Terms And Conditions” conversation. Please note that I asked it to write a disclaimer and it realized that what I was really asking for was more aptly described as “Terms And Conditions” rather than a “Disclaimer” 

“Please write me up a template disclaimer to go on my written estimates that I can use for my handyman business. Make sure that it includes a disclaimer that no work that isn't specified in the contract in writing is to be assumed. Also include that I have a 1 year parts and labor warranty on work performed. Also include a disclaimer that I am not a licensed contractor.”

 And here is the response that GPT-4 gave me on the first try…

This written estimate is provided by [Your Handyman Business Name] ("the Company") and is subject to the following terms and conditions:

1. Scope of Work: The estimate outlines the scope of work to be performed as agreed upon by both parties. Any additional work not specified in this written estimate shall require a separate agreement in writing.

2. Parts and Labor Warranty: The Company offers a one-year warranty on both parts and labor for work performed as specified in this estimate. This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship under normal use.

3. Not a Licensed Contractor: Please note that [Your Handyman Business Name] is not a licensed contractor. While we strive to provide high-quality craftsmanship and service, we are not authorized to perform work requiring a contractor's license.

4. Liability Limitation: The Company shall not be held liable for any damages, losses, or injuries arising from the use of materials supplied by the client or for any damages resulting from pre-existing conditions, hidden or concealed conditions, or unforeseen circumstances.

5. Client Responsibilities: It is the client's responsibility to provide clear and safe access to the work area. The client shall also ensure that all necessary permits, approvals, or authorizations are obtained before work commences, if required.

6. Payment Terms: Payment for services rendered is due as outlined in the estimate. Any changes to the scope of work may result in adjustments to the final invoice.

By accepting this written estimate, the client acknowledges and agrees to the terms and conditions outlined herein.

Finally, Thank You

And last but not least, I want to say thank you. To my subscribers, I thank you for your engagement with the channel. When I started this project, my only goal was to help others like myself find a way to provide for their families. As time has gone on, y’all have turned this into a community that I would be lost without. You guys give me purpose and meaning and make me feel like I’m doing something that matters. I used to say that I had “dozens” of handymen and women out there emailing me to tell me that they are improving their lot in life thanks to my channel. Today, I can definitely say that number has surpassed 100, if not 200. I love each and every one of you and I’m grateful that you’ve given me the opportunity to be useful and productive in the world.

To the sponsors, I thank you as well. I made the decision a long time ago to keep this a “no paywalls” channel. I don’t want my guys giving me one cent of their hard earned money, I’d rather they spend it on their families and on growing their business. Y’all have made this entire project financially viable and opened up the time and resources that I needed to do things like building the master class. I chose each of you because I sincerely believe that you’re out there helping my industry and I’m grateful for your contribution to the community.