/ BLOG

5 Handyman Business Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Nov 16, 2022 · 6 minutes to read

Making mistakes is a part of life, but when you’re running a small business, the stakes are often high. A mishap or accident could derail your handyman business before it has the chance to really take off. Fortunately, some mistakes can be avoided with a bit of planning.

Two persons looking at home renovation blueprint

Here are five handyman business tips to help you avoid small business mistakes that are common to the trade:

1. Undercharging for your services

Charging too little is a common mistake that many handymen and handywomen make. Setting prices is often difficult and confusing, especially when you’re a new small business owner. However, undercharging could make it impossible to earn a decent living in your trade.

Why do handymen undercharge for their services? There are a few reasons:

  • Guessing at what you should charge rather than using a proven formula or guide
  • Forgetting to factor in all job expenses, such as travel time, job time, materials used, and business overhead
  • Trying to win business by undercutting the competition

Undercharging can hurt your business. You may end up throwing in the towel early because it seems unprofitable when you might have a great business on your hands! Charging too little may also put off customers who look elsewhere when you start hiking up your rates.

Setting your prices correctly from the start helps you build a more realistic picture of your handyman business. It can help you set goals for growth, better understand how profitable your business could be, and ensure you aren’t devaluing your skill and expertise.

2. Accepting jobs above your skill level

Attempting work that you’re not properly trained for is another common handyman mistake. There are a few reasons why you might be tempted to do this too:

  • To fill your schedule during slow periods
  • Overestimating your current knowledge and skills
  • Mistakenly believing you can learn a complicated new skill on your own
  • To impress a customer who might lead to larger jobs or referrals

Accepting work beyond your skill level is often a recipe for disaster. Costly or dangerous mistakes and long project delays will likely get you fired from the job. Bad word-of-mouth and online reviews could devastate your professional reputation. In a worst-case scenario, you could be hit with an expensive lawsuit.

Honesty is usually the best policy if you’re called out to a job you can’t handle. The homeowner may appreciate your candor, especially if you can refer them to someone who can do the work. They might be more likely to contact you for future jobs that are in your skill set.

Recommended reading: Essential Handyman Skills to Grow and Grab Opportunities

3. Working without handyman insurance

A lot can go wrong when you’re working in other people’s homes or businesses. Even if you work carefully, accidents and mistakes do happen, such as:

  • Accidentally causing a customer or other contractor to injure themselves
  • Unintentionally damaging someone else’s property or belongings
  • Damage to your tools or having them lost or stolen on the job

Any of the above scenarios (and plenty of others) could greatly impact your business finances.  Compensation claims, lawsuits, and necessary repairs are often expensive. These unexpected bills chip away at your bottom line and may even lead to bankruptcy if an incident is serious enough.

Handyman insurance, such as a General Liability policy or coverage for your tools, help protect your business and bank accounts. Instead of paying for claims yourself, your insurance takes care of the expenses for you. Handyman insurance helps create a safety net, so you can more easily bounce back from incidents that might otherwise damage your small business.

4. Not taking customer service seriously

You might not think of handymen as working in a customer service role, but they are! You’re providing a service to busy home and business owners, one that they expect will be completed skillfully and professionally. It’s essential that you live up to their expectations.

Common customer service mistakes include:

  • Turning up late to jobs
  • Providing an inaccurate or incomplete quote
  • Leaving a mess behind when you leave a customer’s home or business
  • Neglecting to follow up with the customer after the work is done

Keeping your customers happy is a key part of running any successful business. As a handyman, this might mean taking extra care when entering and exiting a property, alerting customers of potential issues that could cause delays, and answering their questions about the work you’re doing for them. Small steps often go a long way!

Recommended reading: 5 Customer Service Tips for Handyman Businesses

5. Forgetting to ask for help

With hard work and a little luck, your handyman business may soon be thriving. This is great news—until it isn’t. There is such a thing as having too much work, and it could lead to mistakes such as:

  • Errors that cause delays or work to be redone
  • Missing deadlines, such as paying your bills or filing business taxes
  • Neglecting other parts of your business, like bookkeeping, marketing, or replying to customers

You might consider getting help to run your business as it grows. This may mean taking on an apprentice to lessen the workload, hiring a professional bookkeeper to stay on top of invoices, or getting part-time help to respond to emails and phone calls.

Letting others take control of parts of your business could help it grow even more. It will help free up your time to focus on additional customers, learn new skills, or focus on areas that have been overlooked.

Avoiding small business mistakes

Now that you understand some common small business mistakes, you can plan ahead and hopefully avoid them. With time, your handyman business could thrive as you provide an essential service to your local community.

BizInsure makes buying handyman insurance simple. In as little as 10 minutes, you can compare quotes and buy coverage for your small business. Get started now!

As with any insurance, coverage will be subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions contained in the policy wording. The information contained on this web page is general only and should not be relied upon as advice.The number of quotes provided varies between products, occupations and other underwriting factors determined by the insurers.
© Copyright 2022 BizInsure LLC, 2015 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BizInsure LLC; CA DBA: Simple, Smart, BizInsure Insurance Agency LLC; NY DBA: BizInsure Services LLC; NH DBA: Simple, Smart, BizInsure Insurance Agency; PA DBA: BizInsure Services LLC. 2950 Buskirk Ave Suite 300, Walnut Creek, CA 94597. License #0H81929

Get Free Online Quotes and get coverage instantly

The coverage you need for your business.

Business insurance is divided into different policies. We offer 4 types so it's easy to design the coverage that fits your business.

Professional Liability Insurance

Get a quote

General Liability Insurance

Get a quote

Business Owner’s Policy (BOP)

Get a quote

Workers Compensation Insurance

Get a quote

Let's find

The coverage you need for your business

Professional Liability Insurance

Get a quote

General Liability Insurance

Get a quote

Business Owner’s Policy (BOP)

Get a quote

Workers Compensation Insurance

Get a quote

Very easy and affordable!
Volanda H.
1711024298
Very easy to work with, cost effective, prompt renewal and easy to get certificates of insurance instantly. I use them exclusively for my professional and general liability insurance needs as a consultant.
Larry (.
1710956598
Responsive and professionalCompetitive price. I highly recommend Bizlnsure as an insurance provider
Zynab B.
1710433556
Your service is easy to renew as needed and your company informs the client in advance for renewal.
Henry B.
1710352389
It has been a pleasure doing business with Biz Insure Llc.Their representatives are very courteous, helpful and customer service oriented.
Shonta I.
1710297732
Quick and easy....
Tammy K.
1710172643
I follow the instructions & would prefer to paid every month. I did not have the options to pay every month.
Alamo H.
1709935830
Thank you, Amy, for making my experience enjoyable and funny. Thank you so much for your kindness!!!
George J.
1709840615
I'm pleased with the business quote I received from Bizinsure LLC. Thank You!
Shanda J.
1709586997
Very satisfied with the online experience
Nicole h
1709238653
Been a happy customer for years! Easiest company to receive a quote and get insured. No hassles! Easy payment! Finance plans, if needed!
jodi H.
1709226367
Love it
Hanna R.
1708272180
Every year, BizInsure is my go to for general and professional liability insurance! Thenrates are unbeatable.
Calandra K.
1708044666
The agent was quick and efficient in generating a quote for my needs.
Theresa F.
1707895796
I enjoy working BizInsure they always answer all my questions and make sure i have the correct coverage for my business.
Prompt and professional service from Biz Insure. Thanks Leslie and Liza!
Bev G.
1707524454
Very easy to sign up for insurance.
Great company
Brown G.
1706896003
Fast and efficient!
Kim C.
1706746693
عالی
alireza J.
1706727364
It was great being able to get a policy that suits my company's need in less than 30 minutes. They were vey thorough. Very competitively priced.
Lynette C.
1706621476
I worked with Andrea for another start up business. She was very knowledgeable and help me pick the correct policy. Amazed at how quickly the process went.
Representative was very kind, helpful, and educated me well. I appreciated today's prompt service with confirmation that I was satisfied with what was provided to me.
Tina P.
1706224051
Great company for.your low cost business insurance needs.
constantin T.
1706156911
Staff was very fessional and friendly. I was able to get a quote and move forward within 20 minutes.
Pebbles S.
1706126428
Wonderful
Complete C.
1705788054
MUY BUENO
Super easy process.
Ashley G.
1704830227
It’s very easy to understand and at a very reasonable price.
Mary M.
1703780096
Professionalism, Quality, Responsive and budget friendly
B D
1703029371
Great rates, easy to understand and select appropriate coverage, can get in a jiffy
Brie C.
1702775397
I have been a customer of BizInsure for a few years now and I love it. There customer service is awesome and the prices are affordable.
Danyale W.
1702132165
Quick easy experience! The rep was knowledgeable & pleasant. Customer care was awesome to respond and clarify my concerns.
Kathy Ann A.
1702059151
bizinsurance makes purchasing Business Insurance...SIMPLE!
Andrea W.
1701380391
Great quality of Service ,faster and convenience way to pay at most. Thank you for your Service to my Healthcare Facility .
Quick and easy!!!!
Terry
1701319042
Great service! Easy process and very informative representative. Andrea was great and very patience with our process. I would recommend using them!!
Terrance R.
1700848536
Always and easy process. Thanks!
Gerald S.
1700244544
js_loader
Google Rating
4.7
Based on 255 reviews
×
js_loader