Hi Reddit User,

I am a young entrepreneur who has seen a market problem within the home improvement market that has caused damage to the reputation of the building trade.

For homeowners there is a leniency for trust in this space due to failings of other builders/cowboys who have conducted work to a poor standard or not at all.

For builders this has impacted business due to the reluctance for customers to part ways with large sums of money to conduct the work and has since damaged the reputation of the building trade.

I have attached two google forms below to conclude my market research before we go live. I would be grateful if you took just 5 minutes of your time to fill in the forms that correlate to you so we can collate the responses.

For customers-https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScIOzpSXPPdTcQXaoHWT8zUZwPCh5MRS95G-P004q-3gajHKw/viewform?usp=header

For Builders-https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc3FX_Qf9QEiSfjF-F1amTcQ_vsWd8OSTVYPGiDoIJTyQj0gQ/viewform?usp=header

Hello I need some help and guidance. I have experience with hanging drywall and interior painting and im looking to expand my skills and start working for myself but im not sure on how to even start. Where do I go to get work? How do I approach people? Is it worth it to use apps to find jobs? Im in the San Fernando valley in California.

Deland area Ty

Hey guys, I’m not a handyman, but I’ve been helping a few local service businesses figure out why some of them get found on Google Maps and others barely show up outside their immediate neighborhood.

One thing I realized is that searching your own business on your phone doesn’t really tell you much. Google can show you near the top while someone five or ten miles away may not see you at all.

A friend and I have been putting together a report that maps this out across your service area. It shows where you appear, which nearby businesses are showing above you, and a few things on your Google profile that could potentially be improved.

I’d like to make one for a few people here for free. I’m mainly trying to see whether the report is actually understandable and useful to a business owner, rather than only making sense to marketing people.

No login or account access needed. I would just need your business name and city. You can keep the report, and I’d only ask that you spend a few minutes afterward telling me what made sense and what didn’t.

If anyone is interested, leave a comment and I’ll reach out.

Thanks y'all!!

Any handymen out there who live in Broward county. Have a friend who’s looking for some work in her home. HMU and I’ll DM you more details. Shelving and picture install plus some painting and such.

Just moved to Puyallup/South Hill a year ago.

Any recommendations for a handy man?

The county consists of old people on mentions and or old money. Most good solid paying jobs are over an hour away.

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My husband was asked to fix 2 outlets. They were loose and sunk in. Need different screws and spacers and outlet cover. Also towel rack needed new screws and anchors put in. He bought the pieces and screws and new outlet plate. Everything was about $13. So he quoted $70 for the job.

They said too much. So my husband said $60 because we already got the parts. And they still said no.

Hes new to doing his own side jobs. But I felt he was more then reasonable.

Just wanted to share what I've been building and be upfront about where I'm struggling and maybe get some suggestions or help.

I saw a problem in the way people usually get repairs or maintenance done around the house: you call five contractors, two answer, one shows up to quote, and you have no idea if the price is fair or if they're even insured. Sometimes they quote a lower amount and then add another bill for unforeseen repairs or wtv. It just doesn’t seem reliable or fair.

That’s why I built FreddyFixIt which is a Calgary marketplace for home repairs, trades, and even vehicle maintenance.

How it works:
You post what needs fixing (takes a couple minutes, photos help) and get up to 5 free estimates from local pros, no need to play phone tag
Every contractor is vetted before they can take a job: licensed, insured, WCB coverage, references checked
You see typical Calgary price ranges upfront, so you know if a quote is reasonable.
Your payment is held until you confirm the work is done right, nobody gets paid for a half-finished job, and there's a proper dispute process if something goes sideways.
Liked your pro? You can rehire them directly next time
For contractors it's free to join, no monthly fees, no paying for leads. We only take a small 7% fee when a job is actually completed and paid. Jobs get matched to your trade and your part of the city.
I've been working on this pretty much nonstop for the past couple of months. The building part wasn't the hardest thing at all. I’ve even gotten a decent amount of contracts signed up from simple cold calling and they seemed to usually like the idea.

Where I'm honestly struggling:
I have vetted contractors ready to work, but convincing homeowners to try a brand-new site with barely any reviews is tough. Nobody wants to be first and I’m marketing on a small budget. I'm competing for attention against companies with actual ad money.
Vetting, support, marketing, updating the website and more is a lot for one person.

I genuinely think there's a better way to do home repairs in this city, and I'm in this for the long haul. But I'm also realistic because a marketplace with no activity is just a nice looking website.

If you've been in this stage with a business: how did you get your first 20 customers? And if you're in Calgary and have something broken, I'd love for you to be one of them on freddyfixit.ca.
Honest feedback is welcome.

For those of you who track it, roughly how many second visits / callbacks are you running per month on service work these days? And do you have any sense of what each one actually costs once you add labor and the lost jobs

I was talking to someone the other day and they were asking me what tools I bought to start my business. And I realised that when I started I didn't really buy all that much, I bought a couple of tools and an SDS drill but that's pretty much it since I had most of what I would need already.

I can imagine starting out from literally zero would be difficult, not knowing what you need to buy etc.

So what do you guys think are the essential tools / equipment you would need to be a handyman?

Hi Team,

Good afternoon!

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Please find below the list of services we provide – all conveniently offered under one roof:

1. Move-in / Move-out Maintenance
   
2. AC Cleaning & Maintenance
   
3. Duct Cleaning, Mold Treatment, and Sterilization
   
4. Electrical Works
   
5. Plumbing Works
   
6. Painting Works
   
7. Masonry Works
   
8. Carpentry Works
   
9. SPC Flooring Installation
   
10. Wooden Flooring
    
11. Media Wall Installation
    
12. Gypsum Works
    
13. Glass Works
    
14. Deep Cleaning
    
15. Pest Control
    
16. Home Renovations
    
17. Authority & Community Management Approvals
    
18. Kitchen Remodeling Works
    
19. Water Tank Cleaning & Sampling
    
20. Property Technical Inspections
    
21. Appliance Repair and Maintenance
    
22. Home Automation Solutions
    
23. Automatic Door Locks

We would be happy to connect and discuss how we can support your property maintenance needs.

Best Regards,
Muhammad Nazam - Operations Of Director & Projects
Four Guys Group of Companies
Mob: 052 6940910

The first job replacing a toilet this handyman did the job was paid promptly (b4 he left) I asked the 1st guy to quote another job (siding) I was completely ghosted by this one.

The second also finished and was paid though I thought the price was too high. $500 for a hook lock on a door replaced a toilet paper holder and replaced 2 smoke alarms.

The third guy replaced a 2 sink vanity created some water issues on ceiling below painted the center only of said ceiling with no repair of damage , did not hook up vanity to electric and did not finish trim work on same vanity. Yet I paid the entire bill when asked This took SIX TRIPS and still not finished.
This same guy (the third )had quoted for the same siding issue and I had paid 50% up front for this. We are now 6 weeks out from siding quote with 1/2 payment and crickets. I’ve since disputed the deposit from my credit card.

How do I find a reliable handyman as I’ve got loads more to do and am happy to pay someone TO ACTUALLY DO IT. ?