Handyman course: Improve your business

By their very definition, handymen and handywomen are jacks of all trades. When homeowners or small business owners reach out for the help of a handyman, they are expecting that the person who turns up can more or less do it all – and do it all well.

As such, being successful as the owner of your own handyman business requires that you are a prodigious practical problem solver who is mechanically minded and driven to fix and repair things.

Due to the comprehensive nature of the work, unlike other trade professions such electricians, plumbers, and carpenters, there are no formal trade qualifications for handymen. Because of that, there is no one clear path to becoming a handyman. So, if there are no formal handyman qualifications that certify an individual to operate as a handyman, what exactly is it that makes a handyman indeed a handyman?

What makes a handyman a handyman?

For many trade occupations, including electricians, carpenters, plumbers and more, there are specific study courses and education requirements that need to be met in order to attain the required qualification and be permitted to operate in the trade. However, there are no such equivalent licences for handymen, nor are there dedicated handyman training courses.

That notwithstanding, there are countless online resources where amateur handymen and DIY enthusiasts can go to self-learn and improve their handyman skills. And there are also certain TAFE courses and handyman classes provided by Registered Training Organisation that offer formal training for aspiring handymen.

In saying that, a handyman may start out in a specific trade, then in due course learn a number of related skills and transition into an all-rounder who provides handyman services. After all, the more services an individual can offer, the more chances they have of gaining more clients, growing their business, and achieving long-term business success.

Handymen will often run their business as sole traders, and perhaps in due course move to a company structure. While the services a handyman may offer can differ from one handyman to the next, generally speaking there are eight core services that a handyman business will typically provide:

• Tiling;
• Electrical work;
• Installation;
• Maintenance services;
• Repair jobs;
• Renovation projects;
• Plumbing services; and
• Carpentry.

Risk management for handymen

Given the nature of the job, many handymen choose to reduce their risk through handyman insurance. The importance of handyman insurance becomes clear when you consider that many handymen operate as sole traders, meaning they are personally responsible, both legally and financially, for their business.

Three types of business insurance that can help handymen reduce their risk include:

• Public Liability Insurance: Cover for legal fees and compensation costs if a customer, member of the public or a supplier claims against you for injury or damage to their property as a result of your alleged negligent business activities. Find out more about Public Liability Insurance.

• Business Insurance: An insurance package designed to provide cover for your business contents, stock, tools and commercial premises when an insured event occurs (such as fire, storm, theft or even accidental damage). A Business Insurance package can also cover portable equipment, glass, and for loss of revenue due to business interruption in specified circumstances.

• Personal Accident and Illness insurance: Provides different levels of cover for loss of income, permanent disablement and even death if you are unable to work as a result of an injury or illness (even if it occurs outside your work). Find out more about Personal Accident and Illness insurance.

Don’t forget the soft skills

Soft skills can be helpful in just about every profession. The leading handymen are not only great at fixing things, but they also have finely honed soft skills that help ensure their success. These soft skills can include virtues such as:

• reliability
• honesty
• professionalism
• punctuality
• well-honed communication skills
• positive work ethic and
• customer service

When it comes to achieving long-term success as a handyman, these soft skills can be as important as the tools in your toolbox.

Don’t overpromise and underdeliver

One important thing that handymen and aspiring handymen will benefit from remembering is to not overpromise and underdeliver. Yes, on paper handymen are the proverbial jacks of all trades. But overreaching and telling a client with confidence that you can do a job, when in reality you don’t have the required skills, will most likely come back to bite you.

A handy workaround can be to develop working relationships with tradies who have the skills in areas that you don’t. You can then subcontract to them as needed when the need arises.

While you work on fixing DIY problems for your clients, let BizCover work on handling your business insurance*. Get your handyman business insurance quotes sorted quickly and easily online or by calling us on us on 1300 920 864.