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Are You Cut Out to Be a Handyman?

Working for yourself brings up images of big income and big freedom, great clients and solid self-esteem from running your own shop. Unfortunately, the reality can be a bit different.

While it is true that most of the skills you'll need to do handyman work are the same skills you need to just be a homeowner, there's a big difference being doing handyman work and running a business. Here are the basic skills you will need to really make a go of it as an independent handyman.

1) Do you really enjoy fixing things?

Are you considering becoming a handyman because you think that's the only option you've got left for finding work, or because you really do get pleasure out of seeing things work again, or seeing something around the house restored to good condition. You really need to enjoy the work, because other parts of having a handyman business are less than than doing the actual handyman work.

2) Can you handle the details of running a business?

Being a business owner means having to handle a lot of small, annoying little things that have nothing to do with the work your business was created to do. You will need to be good at keeping your licenses renewed, at keeping good tax records, at remembering to pay your bills on time, and dozens of other little administrative tasks. If you are very lucky, you may someday be able to hire someone to do this for you, but even then, as the business owner, you will have to ultimate responsibility to make sure all those administrative "to-dos" actually get done and get done right. In other words, can you be your own office manager and secretary?

3) Are you good with people?

Not all your customers are going to be easy to work with. And even if you do good work, not all your customers are going to appreciate it. Not all your customers are going to pay you when and how much you expect them to, or how much they said they would pay you. Some of them may be overly emotional, lie or just be unwell people who do not handle life well generally. You need to be the sort of person that can calmly and professionally deal with people who are not calm and not nice.

4) Are you a responsible self-starter?

Here's the good news about becoming a handyman: You are going to be your own boss. And here's the bad news about becoming a handyman: You are going to be your own boss. You need to be enough of a boss of yourself to get to the job on time, to do what you say you're going to do. If there's a problem with the job, or with the client, you are the one that's going to have to figure it out. Nobody is going to step in and bail you out. And if you really screw it up, you may not get paid.

5) Are you smart about money?

If you are the type to blow your whole paycheck on Friday night, you are either going to have to change that habit, or you are not going to last long as a self-employed person. You need to not only budget for taxes and overhead, but you also need to be able to set aside money for when there is not a lot of work, for when you get sick, or for when your family puts there foot down and demands you take a vacation. In short -- do you budget well?

More articles about starting a handyman business:

How to Start a Handyman Business

Are You Cut Out to Be a Handyman?

Tools for a Handyman Business

Payment Options for Handymen

How To Advertise a Handyman Business

Customer Service Tips for Handymen

Choosing a Name for a Handyman Business

Record Keeping Basics for Handymen

Being a Handyman Versus Having a Handyman Business or a Franchise

Getting a Website for Your Handyman Business

Getting Paid Upfront: Deposit Policies for Handymen

How Much To Charge Per Hour

Should You Charge by the Hour, or by the Job?

Insurance for Handymen

The Handyman Guide: How to Fix and Build 1000s of Things Around the House