Learn How to Start a Handyman Business as a Single Dad

Starting a handyman business as a single dad can be done in three easy steps.

1. Choose a Company Name - Trade Name Certificate

2. Start a Separate Bank Account - Doing Business As (DBA) Account

3. Advertise - I used Yelp (No affiliation)

While each of these steps seems to be quite a feat on its own, they are as easy as making a phone call.

I will warn you to take this process slow and only conquer one goal at a time.

You will run into many exciting new opportunities as a business owner, but ONLY consider them if they seem completely necessary.

How I Grew My Handyman Business Into a Corporation as a Single Dad

A handyman can mean a lot of different things.

Basically, they can do any type of construction or home improvement that doesn't consist of electricity or plumbing.

Another rule that a handyman must abide by is the maximum dollar amount per job that the state will allow handymen to perform.

For example, in Arizona, a handyman can do up to $1000 jobs max. Any job costing more than that, or if it needs a permit, will require a licensed contractor.

In California, the maximum job price allowed for handyman work is $500.

Some of the jobs that you can do if you start a handyman business as a single dad are:

• Doggie Doors

• Mounting T.V.s

• Trash Hauling

• Landscaping & Yardwork

• Baseboards and Trim

• Doors

• Painting

• Drywall Repair

• Hanging Shelves, Pictures, & Mirrors

• Furniture Assembly

• Tile

• Flooring

• Shingle and Roof Repair

• Window Installation

• Glass Repair

• Honey Do Lists

My business started out as The HoneyDo Dude. I did anything and everything within reason.

I simply made a company name and logo, opened a bank account under my new business name, stuck by my hourly rate, and found a perfect place to advertise my new business.

Here are the exact three steps that I took to start my handyman business as a full-time single dad.

Step One: Name Your Handyman Business

I decided to start my own handyman business when I got full custody of my children.

I was an electrician by trade. Every time I did work at someone's house they would ask me if I did any work on the side.

Most of the jobs they would ask me to do was handyman type work. A lot of my customers were "snowbirds" and were usually 65 years of age or more.

They would ask me if I could come over and take care of their honey-do lists.

I enjoyed knocking out a bunch of small jobs so I decided to use Honey Do in my name to attract the older demographic. I decided to add the word dude to attract the younger crowd. To my surprise, the older people loved the Dude part of the name too.

In the long run, my handyman business name, The HoneyDo Dude, got me a lot of attention and stood out amongst the sea of other handyman businesses.

Don't worry if you can't think of a super unique name. Or if you intend to use a family name, that will work great too. Later I will talk about advertising. At that point, you will see that the name doesn't matter at all.

Adding a logo and colors is just added joy to starting your own handyman business as a busy single dad. Take your time and do this part right.

Once you have a business name that you are happy with, it's time to get serious.

Go to your Secretary of State's website and Apply for a Trade Name Certificate. It will cost you $10 and will be sent to your email almost immediately.

A Trade Name Certificate is a legal form of ID that allows YOU to go by a fictitious name. The name of your new business. With your business name certified, you can add your handyman business to Google.

Type in "Google My Business" and enter all the necessary information. If you are using a physical address, like a brick-and-mortar shop, you will receive a number in the mail that will verify your business on Google.

With your business name certified through the state and verified on Google, it's time for Step two of starting your handyman business as a busy single dad.

Step Two: Start Your Handyman Business Bank Account

Now its time to head to your bank with your trade name certificate in hand.

You may think that you need a business license or a tax ID number to start a business bank account.

Nope.

That's for when you are ready to start an LLC. What you are starting is a sole proprietorship.

A sole proprietor is a business owned by a single person. The business profits and taxes are all linked to your social security number.

By starting a DBA, or doing business as, bank account, you take all legal responsibility for the business.

It is crucial to keep all of your business earnings completely separate from any other money in your life.

This way you won't run into any complications at tax time.

It is best to find a financial advisor to get a good idea of how much you should save for taxes.

With your business bank account started you can get now get a debit card reader and accept checks in your business's name instead of your own.

Step Three: Advertise Your Handyman Business

The final step to becoming a handyman as a single father is to let the world know you are open for business.

Some business ideas take time and a lot of marketing to finally get a paid customer. Not a handyman. I can walk into any gas station in the middle of the day and announce that I do home repair and run my own handyman business.

Someone would be interested or need some work done.

Still, we need consistency as single dads. We need to make sure we are scheduled for a week or two out but should also leave a day or two open in case of emergencies.

How do we fill our work schedule for two weeks out when just starting our handyman business? There are many places to advertise but they keep getting more and more expensive each year. Some of the most common ways to advertise your handyman business are:

• Pass out business cards/flyers

• Google Ads

• Facebook Ads

• Yelp

• Newspaper Classified Section

• etc.

I am not sure how well all of these options work but I can tell you that Yelp got my phone ringing consistently every day for the lowest-priced advertising plan they offered. It cost me $300 per month and I was making about $650 per day working six days per week.

This is how Yelp helped my handyman business thrive on the very first day of opening my doors.

When a person uses yelp to find a service, they type in two things.

1. The type of service they need. In this case a Handyman.

2. Their location. City and State.

When people would type "Handyman in Apache Junction, AZ, they would get a list of about 80 businesses.

When you pay Yelp to Advertise, they get rid of any other business like yours in that area from the list.

They have to click a button that says "more options" to see the other 79 handymen in Apache Junction, AZ.

One other dude paid Yelp in Apache Junction to advertise his handyman business.

So when anyone went onto Yelp and typed in Handyman in Apache Junction, they would only get a list of two businesses.

Me and the other guy. His company was called something like J.D.'s Handyman Service and he was just as busy as I was.

It was 7:00 pm when I decided to pay Yelp the $300 to advertise my business. The next morning I woke up to messages from potential customers.

I was mounting a T.V. that morning at 6 am. Yelp literally had my business running at full steam in less than 24 hours.

I still get around 30 calls per day when I use Yelp to advertise.

I am sure there are many great ways to show off your business and get the word out. This is just the path that I chose and it worked.

Good luck and Godspeed.