handyman costs – Bill the Handyman by David Grozny
Bill the Handyman
My friend Bill is a handyman, in a big city. His work involves advertising of his business, receiving responses and dealing with them, booking visits to prospective future jobs and quoting, sometimes re-quoting as someone has undercut him and he has a bit more space in his original quote, he can go lower. So, about 70% of his time is spent on all this I just mentioned. He drives around, he talks on the telephone, he receives faxes and then he sends faxes, emails, phones back and so on. Driving alone in big city is not a desirable thing, you often get stuck in endless gridlock, so you not only can't proceed with your work - you are actually costing yourself money. Then all the registry and bookings, chasing money outstanding to him...
Sometimes he has to drop everything and go quickly to the other side of town to look at another job because it belongs to one of his better clients, he can't let them down.
So, he efectively looses a lot of time, cutting his productivity down to next to nothing. If he only could avoid or at least automate everything else but the actual work.
To, for example, replace a lock on a unit's door after someone has moved out and left it broken, Bill needs to go and see what type of lock and door it is, go buy the lock - sometimes even repair or replace the door, come back with all the material and get on with it.
But he never can work uninterrupted; phonecalls are comming in and he really doesn't even want to answer the phone, knowing that there is 90% chance that it will be just another useless annoying request to 'do it cheaper' or something similar.
Sometimes he hires help, mainly for painting jobs and simpler repairs, ripping out of old carpet, old furniture and similar. That's when he can get a bit of space to do other things to keep his business going, like banking, making those long overdue phonecalls, visiting important clients.
On top of all that, there is a constant danger at work: getting hurt while working with power tools, inhaling toxic substances from paint and thiners, Working at hights like cleaning gutters, replacing broken roof tiles, replacing wall panels close to electricity switchboards - you name it.
But even then he sometimes receives a phonecall that he can't ignore,he has to answer it and the day goes on again, slowly progressing towards the 'stress hour' when Bill summons everything he (didn't) do today.
Bill is not a big business, he is one-man-business, so he can't afford to have much material bought upfront knowing he will definatelly use it. He can't afford to have his money sitting and doing nothing, being invested in material.
But if he had access to a place where the jobs would come to him with all description, pictures, communicating options for questions etc...that would make his life a lot easier. Half the work done, most of the running around eliminated. In fact, his staying-at-home wife could do most of it. 'Hey Bill, I am just looking at a job at such and such, re-painting of a whole house inside and out, has pictures of all of it, measurements etc. Has even a budget posted and it says it is empty, ready now.You want me to ask them something about it? I will post your quote you just told me, see how we go..and ask if it has any cracks or damages that are not visible in pictures they posted...okay." - thinking to herself: "a lot better that that other place where they send him sms with the guy's name, but he still needs to go all the normal procedure, and it costs him money too"...
Yes you guessed it - that place is at BidForJob. Free for all - the ones that find out about it, that is.
Have fun with it,
David
About The Author
Founder of http://www.bidforjob.com.au
I hope you've been enjoying my posts lately. I thought I might do something different today and rustle up a few bits of info from around the WWW. These are some of the news items and blog posts that have been popular over the last few weeks. Leave me your thoughts.
Handyman testifies against boss in blaze that killed firefighter
Detroit --The man accused of paying a handyman $20 to torch a house in a bungled insurance scam that ended in the death of a city firefighter will stand ... Read More...
Man eyed in prostitute deaths still feels targeted
The former handyman denies having anything to do with the killings, but despairs that authorities won't issue a statement clearing his name. ... Read More...
Man to stand trial in slaying of father
Lee was arrested in October 2006 after police found his father's remains in the backyard of a home where Lee worked as a handyman and at his father's home ... Read More...
That's all the news for today guys, so until next time, thanks for stopping by.
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