This guy claims he makes up to $1000 a day (gross) via making repairs at people's homes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rve3dqBEWpo
Sounds like an awesome ERE career - varied, deep in skill, involved in local community. It's a shame (or, alternatively, great, if you look from the wider perspective) that, in my area, very many people are still handy and take pride in fixing things themselves. Such business would still be viable where I live, but I suspect the net hourly rate (after taxes and expenses) would be not that attractive.
The Handiman
Re: The Handiman
In the US there is money for people who want to do this kind of work for senior citizens.
If you are an honest person who can do good work, there is an endless supply of jobs for you. Once you establish yourself in a community as trustworthy the clients will pour in. I guess this is the same in many trades. From what I saw of these home handymen I figured I could feed myself doing this stuff. But that isn’t my cup of tea.
Every community has these guys. The ones in my current neighborhood are the forty something alcoholics living with mom. As the population gets richer, older and more helpless the need grows. Old people overstaying in their forever homes creates a strong market for handymen. They do everything from install a doorlock, fix a drippy faucet, hang a picture, move a couch, clean a gutter, or assemble ikea shelves.
Sadly there are a bunch of ruthless scammers taking advantage of seniors for handyman work. My mother was a victim. So the need for a person dealing a straight deal is there. Once you build a reputation in a small community you’ll have more work than hours in the day.
I don’t think taxes and licensing is required for this under the table stuff. All the guys working for my mom took cash. They’d charge less than the legitimate businesses but her hope was she’d get a better deal. She was wrong but there was no telling her. I’m just saying if you can deliver a better deal you can make this work.
The more I think about it I realize my mom just wanted attention. I’d be livid when they’d leave an unfinished project at the house after they took her money. Then I’d finish it. So she bought the attention of some handyman and inevitably I’d take some vacation time to spend with her at her home when it was all over. I’d patch up their “work”. I think if you can understand the psychology you can satisfy a large number of older clients and take their money $20 at a time. You’ll probably get free tea a cookies too.
If you are an honest person who can do good work, there is an endless supply of jobs for you. Once you establish yourself in a community as trustworthy the clients will pour in. I guess this is the same in many trades. From what I saw of these home handymen I figured I could feed myself doing this stuff. But that isn’t my cup of tea.
Every community has these guys. The ones in my current neighborhood are the forty something alcoholics living with mom. As the population gets richer, older and more helpless the need grows. Old people overstaying in their forever homes creates a strong market for handymen. They do everything from install a doorlock, fix a drippy faucet, hang a picture, move a couch, clean a gutter, or assemble ikea shelves.
Sadly there are a bunch of ruthless scammers taking advantage of seniors for handyman work. My mother was a victim. So the need for a person dealing a straight deal is there. Once you build a reputation in a small community you’ll have more work than hours in the day.
I don’t think taxes and licensing is required for this under the table stuff. All the guys working for my mom took cash. They’d charge less than the legitimate businesses but her hope was she’d get a better deal. She was wrong but there was no telling her. I’m just saying if you can deliver a better deal you can make this work.
The more I think about it I realize my mom just wanted attention. I’d be livid when they’d leave an unfinished project at the house after they took her money. Then I’d finish it. So she bought the attention of some handyman and inevitably I’d take some vacation time to spend with her at her home when it was all over. I’d patch up their “work”. I think if you can understand the psychology you can satisfy a large number of older clients and take their money $20 at a time. You’ll probably get free tea a cookies too.
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Hristo Botev
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Re: The Handiman
I don't doubt this for a second. There's an older guy who everyone uses in my neighborhood for handyman sorts of things. The neighborhood is mostly older retirees with some busy young family types as well. It's almost impossible to get on this guy's schedule. People that use him like him because it's just him, and he'll take his time and chat with the older folks. I have no idea if his work is any good; I'd suspect it's fine.
Last edited by Hristo Botev on Thu Jan 06, 2022 4:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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jacob
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Re: The Handiman
Maybe provide technical service as a social service? Technical capital for social capital. Use the exchange to tie the local community together.
This is certainly a thing. I do [technical stuff] for free on request. I'm probably undercutting people who need or at least really want the monies. OTOH, I'll pay for more complex stuff that I don't want to spend time learning if I only have to do it once.
I know that around here lots of monies is made rerooting bathroom piping over and over. However, it would be better if the expertise in doing so would be redirected towards establishing better piping.
This is certainly a thing. I do [technical stuff] for free on request. I'm probably undercutting people who need or at least really want the monies. OTOH, I'll pay for more complex stuff that I don't want to spend time learning if I only have to do it once.
I know that around here lots of monies is made rerooting bathroom piping over and over. However, it would be better if the expertise in doing so would be redirected towards establishing better piping.
Re: The Handiman
Made me laugh because our last two handymen were exactly this.
The guy in the video works for property managers. We have been working with guys like him for years. Our guys charge exactly $50/hour so there is no way they are making $1k per day. Not even close. I'd be willing to bet he spends most of his day driving between jobs (unpaid) or making Home Depot runs (paid). If he pads bills too much or too often, they just stop calling him.
The best reason to do a job/business like this is for the skills. Solving a wide variety of wonky problems all day requires a great deal of creativity and MacGyvering. And a lot of tools.