427Vette
Recycles dryer sheets
I have been in business for over 20 years. From my point of view I am wondering why in the world would someone want to start a business after they retired. If you don't need the money there has to be something else that you can do to fill your time. Like mentioned people are mean and also weird. Working with the public has been getting increasingly more and more difficult, especially in the last few years. You have no idea what you are subjecting yourself to if you opt to go into business.
I was recently hired as an expert witness in a case where a handyman did a little wiring project that went drastically wrong. I got the first hand experience of watching the lawyers badger this poor guy. They hit him with questions like, are you an electrician, what is your electric contractor license number, are you qualified to do this type of work, what is the electric permit number? He of course sat there silent with a bewildered look on his face. I am telling you that you don't want to be that guy in that situation. I don't know how it worked out but it was a pretty significant fire with lots of widespread damage.
Like other posters have eluded to once you get all of the proper insurances (don't forget commercial vehicle insurance) and licensing in place it will be tough to part time it two days a week. you will need to work that much just to cover your operating expenses. The other side of this is that you will have to charge appropriately for your services because your high overhead cost. In other words you wont make it by charging the little old lady $20.00 to fix her screen door.
Just because you have done some of your own work and really enjoyed it I wouldn't assume that its a great business idea. There is a huge difference once you actually get into business doing it. When someone hires you they expect you to be the authority and an expert at what you are doing. You have to be efficient and have all of the proper tools to do the job. You might not even be any good at it and not even know it.
I like the idea of going to work for another handyman business like other posters have mentioned. It would give you the experience to see what the daily aspects of the business really involve. You wont have to worry about any of the nonsense at all. You can just focus on doing the actual work which you seem to enjoy without the stresses of the business side.
I was recently hired as an expert witness in a case where a handyman did a little wiring project that went drastically wrong. I got the first hand experience of watching the lawyers badger this poor guy. They hit him with questions like, are you an electrician, what is your electric contractor license number, are you qualified to do this type of work, what is the electric permit number? He of course sat there silent with a bewildered look on his face. I am telling you that you don't want to be that guy in that situation. I don't know how it worked out but it was a pretty significant fire with lots of widespread damage.
Like other posters have eluded to once you get all of the proper insurances (don't forget commercial vehicle insurance) and licensing in place it will be tough to part time it two days a week. you will need to work that much just to cover your operating expenses. The other side of this is that you will have to charge appropriately for your services because your high overhead cost. In other words you wont make it by charging the little old lady $20.00 to fix her screen door.
Just because you have done some of your own work and really enjoyed it I wouldn't assume that its a great business idea. There is a huge difference once you actually get into business doing it. When someone hires you they expect you to be the authority and an expert at what you are doing. You have to be efficient and have all of the proper tools to do the job. You might not even be any good at it and not even know it.
I like the idea of going to work for another handyman business like other posters have mentioned. It would give you the experience to see what the daily aspects of the business really involve. You wont have to worry about any of the nonsense at all. You can just focus on doing the actual work which you seem to enjoy without the stresses of the business side.