How to Set up a Handyman Business + Make it Successful

Thinking about starting your own business as a handyman? If you already have the skills, then it’s really not that difficult. You’ll need to dedicate a reasonable amount of time to starting up the business, but once everything’s in place, you’ll be able to focus on the jobs. Follow these simple tips, and you shouldn’t need to spend too much time finding the work; the work should find you.

Quick Overview

Here are the stepping stones to setting up your own handyman business.

1. Create a brand image
2. Ensure you have the right tools
3. Learn new skills
4. Market your business
5. Get insurance
6. Manage your money

Business Name & Branding

First things first you’ll need a name, eye catching logo and maybe a catchy slogan. The first rule is to keep things simple. A simple name and logo are memorable and easily referenced. When thinking of a business name you should also consider how this will fit with a website name. I’ll go into more detail about the website a bit later but these two will be closely linked.

Pick a colour for your brand and stick with it. All of the big companies out there have super simple logos with a colour that is themed throughout their website and any other branding. That colour then becomes associated with everything relating to the brand. The same applies for your small handyman business and will help your customers recognise you both in person, via advertising media and with any online presence. Don’t overcomplicate things by sticking with one or two colours and a basic graphic.

Designing your logo can be done in a number of ways. I created mine using Adobe Illustrator, but many websites or mobile applications are offering simple design solutions. Try the free version of Canva for a quick win.

You’ll want to try a few different designs and run them by friends and family before making a final decision. After all, it’s going to be with you for some time if things work out.

Shorter is better and stick to the key information about your business. I would strongly recommend getting the name ‘handyman’ in there. You could also follow my example by adding your name or maybe even your location. Just bear in mind that you might not always live in that area so taking the name with you if you relocate might be difficult.

Tools

Do you have all the tools you need to start selling handyman services? Most likely not, but don’t worry about this. Tools are expensive, and you might not need them until you’re asked to do a job. With this in mind, you can always factor in the cost of a new tool into a job.

You will however need a reasonable tool set to get things started. Here is a basic tool list I’d expect a startup to own:

Power Tools

• Circular saw
• Multi drill driver
• Impact driver
• Jigsaw
• Mitre saw (sliding)

You’ll find that as you go on more and more tools will be added to your arsenal so don’t worry if you don’t have everything. In time you will.

It’s also worth investing well in your tools. Try avoid budget and low end tools as they just won’t last and will likely hinder your work output and quality. Mid range tools should be fine but go high end where budget will allow.

Hand Tools

These are essential for most jobs but again you’ll find that as you progress this list will grow with you and your skillset.

• Hammer(s)
• Screwdrivers
• Chisels
• Pencils and pens
• Tape measure
• Spirt level
• spanner set & adjustable spanner
• Scraper
• Hand saw(s)
• Clamps
• Sandpaper
• Pliers

Materials & Consumables

Here’s a quick list of some basics that you’ll likely use on a day-to-day basis.

• Masking tape
• Electrical tape
• Duck tape
• Caulk
• Adhesive (No More Nails)
• Screws (multi packs)
• Nails
• Rawl plugs (different sizes)
• Wall filler

Learning New Skills

You might not be the master of all trades and might only have skills in a few key areas but don’t worry because you’ll find that many new skills will be learnt on the job. Always be honest with the customer if you’re a little unsure about a job and give them the option to hire you or not. I found that most of the time the customer would be happy to hire you even if you weren’t highly skilled in that area. If they’ve seen your previous work and liked it then they’ll probably hire you.

Youtube and the internet is a great resource for learning a new skill. I probably learnt half of my skills from the internet and by practicing either at home or for a customer. Have confidence in yourself and try your hardest to do the best possible job and you will succeed.

Marketing – Finding the Work

If you’re starting up from scratch then it’s going to take a little time to get up and running. You’re not going to make a full time wage in the first few months so bear this in mind. Maybe you’re able to transition into the job or you already have someone that can give you loads of work.

If however you need to find the work, then here’s a few good places to start.

Flyering

Don’t underestimate the power of a good flyer. Target new builds, areas with elderly residence or your own street. Start with 300 fliers and go door-to-door. You can design a flyer for free on Canva and get it printed at a low cost.

Google Business Listing

This was one of my main sources of leads and a super simple one at that. It’ll take you an hour at the most to set this up and will give any Google user a quick and easy way to find you in your local area. You can also post pictures of your work and get customer reviews, which are really helpful for future prospective customers. This should be one of the first things you set up. Be sure to link it to your website.

How to Make a Handyman Website

This isn’t so much about finding work, but it does give your business an identity and a way for people to contact you.

I set up my own website, which was really quite easy and inexpensive. I could showcase all my latest projects, have an all-important contact page and list all the services I was able to provide. My logo sat proudly at the top of each page, and my brand colours stood out clearly to reinforce the Handyman Ben look and feel.

People really liked this repetition and could identify with me and my work easily, whether they saw my website, my flyer or my Google ad.

I created my website on WordPress, but other great platforms will help you create a fantastic-looking site. You might think setting up a website is expensive, but it’s not. You can create one like mine for only £3 per month on the WordPress Personal Plan.

New Build Estates

These are gold mines for work. There are going to be hundreds of new homeowners moving into new-build estates, and not all of them are going to be handy enough to do the basics. Hanging curtains, fitting blinds, building flat pack furniture and fixing their TVs to the wall. There’s a mountain of work available in these areas, so I’d recommend asking the sales office if you can leave a pile of business cards in the waiting area. You can easily arrange business card printing to ensure you’re well-prepared for this. I’d also strongly suggest flyering the houses that look newly occupied.

Estate Agents

Pop into the local estate agents and have a chat with their lettings department. They will most likely manage several properties that constantly need work, and finding someone local and reliable can be hard to come by. You never know, you might end up on their books as their go-to person, which could generate a lot of business.

Advertise in Your Local Magazine

This didn’t generate loads of work for me, but the older generations prefer using this method to find local handymen. Less tech savvy and more likely to call you for help, the elderly need help with jobs they are no longer able to do. I really enjoyed meeting some of the older generation in my local area, as they were so friendly and happy to talk about the good old days! 🙂

Facebook Local Groups

This has to be one of the best ways to get known in your local area as a handyman. Join up to local Facebook groups and offer your services when someone is asking for help. Don’t be forceful, but get known, and soon, people will notice and hire you.

Custom Giveaways

Vivipins offers custom-branded promotional items (like enamel pins or branded tote bags) that you can hand out at events or leave with new clients, helping your handyman business build stronger recognition offline as well as support your online presence.

Don’t Forget Insurance

You’ll need handyman insurance before you start any jobs. It’s very important to ensure you are covered should anything go wrong, as you’ll be liable. Cover between £1m and £5m for public liability is enough to cover you. This basic cover shouldn’t cost more than £10 per month. I used Direct Line for my handyman cover, and it was about £8 per month. You may also want to add tool cover to this, which will push the price up to about £20 per month. I think it’s a good idea to cover your tools, as you can’t work without them. Consider how much it would cost to replace all your tools. £££££

Work Etiquette

I found that most of my work, after a year or so, was coming from word of mouth and repeat customers. People were recommending me to neighbours, friends and family. This must have meant I was doing something right, right? Here are a few work ethics I take with me to every job:

• Be honest with the customer. If you’ve made a small mistake or something hasn’t quite gone to plan, it’s best to talk to the customer about this. Most of the time, they won’t mind, and it’s much better if you’ve told them rather than them finding out for themselves later. Provide an honest quote of price for the job, but don’t cut yourself short. It can be difficult to provide a quote for a job when you’re not sure how long it’s going to take, which is why I prefer to charge by the hour. Most customers won’t mind this as long as you give them a worst-case scenario and don’t go over that. As the saying goes, it’s best to ‘under promise and over deliver’, rather than ‘over promise and under deliver’.
• Doing the best possible job will leave a lasting impression on your customer, and they are 10 times more likely to recommend you to someone else if they like what you have done.
• Arrive on time. If you say you will be there at 2 pm, make sure you get there 5 minutes either side of this. Google Maps sat nav makes it almost impossible to be late for something, so there really is no excuse. If you’re going to be late because another job has overrun, or you quickly need to pick something up from the shop, then let the customer know. It’s really simple, polite and will keep your customer happy.
• Happy, friendly and polite. Customers are going to remember you and recommend you if they think you are a nice person. It’s easy to say please and thank you and make a little small talk that will keep your relationship friendly but professional. If you’re not a big people person, that’s ok, just put on the smiles and politely dodge any big conversations and crack on with the work.
• Do what you say you’re going to do. If you have a number of jobs for a customer, then make a list and double-check before you leave. I hate it when people say they are going to do something and either forget or just can’t be bothered. Deliver on your tasks, and you will leave a good impression.

Getting Paid and Managing Money

The final step in this setup journey will be to make sure all your income is tracked and recorded as you’re going to need to document all your incomings and expenses for your self-assessment to pay tax to HMRC. I set up a PayPal business account which allowed me to manage and create invoices for free. They have a great platform and templates for invoices. Your customers can pay using this method too which makes things easier (for some), but you will be charged transaction fees if you take payment via PayPal. It’s a great way for customers to pay if they want to pay on credit card, as they can opt to pay via card instead of using their PayPal balance. Just be aware that you will get a PayPal fee if you let customers pay using this method. What I usually did was create invoices with my bank details, then I saved it as a PDF and sent it via email to my customer or printed it out for the older customers who didn’t use email.

I also had a spreadsheet to record all my income and outgoings, manage tax allowance, National Insurance and any other pension savings required. You’ll need this by law so make sure everything is accurate and kept up to date daily or weekly. There are loads of templates online that you can download if you are unsure. You’ll likely be registered as a Sole Trader so make sure you’re set up through HMRC correctly and ask them if you get stuck filling in a tax return or any other tax related questions.

Conclusion Start Simple and Grow with Confidence

If you have been thinking about how to start a handyman business, the most important thing to remember is that it does not need to be complicated. Focus on getting started rather than getting everything perfect. A simple business name, clear services, basic tools, and a strong work ethic will take you much further than endless planning.

The handyman business rewards reliability and trust. Turn up when you say you will, be honest with customers, charge fairly, and always aim to do your best work. Over time, your confidence will increase, your skills will improve, and finding work will become easier as customers recommend you to others.

Whether you are starting a handyman business as a side hustle or working towards full time self employment, the opportunity is there. Put the foundations in place, take on your first job, and build from there.