The Beginning of Handy's · Handyman Business Academy

The Beginning of Handy's

I can go into a lot more detail, and likely will do so over a zoom call soon. However, I wanted to share a bit about the beginning of Handy's and how we started without me having any trade background (or skill).

Some advice I received early on is to not be afraid of a partnership. I knew coming into this business I did not have the skill necessary to complete the work itself. Therefor, I had to find someone who could. It just so happened to be my dad. However, like all the other great advice received we made sure to separate business and our familial ties and run the operation as if we were just business partners.

We structured payroll and the business in a way that split the earnings. I would get the jobs, sell them, and he would complete the work. If we charged $150/hr, he and I would pay ourselves $25/hr each and use the remaining $100 to cover business expenses. At the time, those were very low - we kept it that way for quite some time which allowed us to scale pretty quickly.

The risk associated with this was neither of us earned an income if I couldn't get jobs on the schedule. The reason that worked though, is because I wasn't on the hook for payroll if there weren't jobs on the schedule. Like many of you, when we started we weren't sure what to expect.. but VERY quickly we realized there may never be a day where we are out of work to be done. There was such a massive need, and we took advantage of that through consistent communication and punctuality. It really was that simple.

Fast forward to the day we made our first hire. This was definitely a terrifying risk to take. Someone we would be required to pay regardless if jobs came in. We were a small company, and realized we needed to keep the staff.. the business didn't work without them. This led us to pay a salary for our first hire (Not recommended) - which gave him the confidence that regardless of how busy we were.. he was going to get paid. It also forced us to keep jobs coming in regardless of how we had to do it. Since that first hire.. we have continued to hire and continued to keep everyone busy. Sometimes things get slow, and you need to pivot or give discounts.. but I truly believe that the reason we have remained busy is because are one of very few to actually bite the bullet, and take the risk to keep growing.

At some point, you're going to need to make that tough decision. You'll look at your bank account and think "There's no way I can hire someone" - but you'll figure it out. I promise you, those that are truly committed to making this work will always find a way. I mean shit, you all are signed up for a group that shares business best practices.. that alone shows me that each of you are capable.

I'd love to get more into the details via zoom call. Who'd like me to schedule a QA session?

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