| |
| |
| Introduction | |
| |
| |
| |
| So You Want to Start a Home-Based Handyman Business | |
| |
| |
| Congratulations---Or Should You Run for the Hills? | |
| |
| |
| The Eternal Handyman | |
| |
| |
| Turning Skills and Work Experience into a Business | |
| |
| |
| Self-Employment: Being Your Own Boss---Or Is Everyone Your Boss? | |
| |
| |
| What Can You Offer That's Unique or Different? | |
| |
| |
| Show Me the Money | |
| |
| |
| Personality Profile | |
| |
| |
| Meet Your New Partner, the Government | |
| |
| |
| Family Life | |
| |
| |
| |
| Envisioning Your Business | |
| |
| |
| Adjusting Your Rose-Colored Glasses | |
| |
| |
| Who Needs You? | |
| |
| |
| Role Models | |
| |
| |
| Your Headquarters | |
| |
| |
| Time Frame | |
| |
| |
| It Costs How Much? | |
| |
| |
| Your Competition---Friends or Foes? | |
| |
| |
| Picking and Choosing Your Work | |
| |
| |
| Hitting the Road...or Not | |
| |
| |
| Making Your Lists and Checking Them Twice (or More) | |
| |
| |
| Staffing | |
| |
| |
| Customers---The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly | |
| |
| |
| Put It on My Tab | |
| |
| |
| |
| Writing a Business Plan | |
| |
| |
| We Want to See Your Plans... | |
| |
| |
| Explain Yourself | |
| |
| |
| The Dreaded Marketing | |
| |
| |
| Organization and Management | |
| |
| |
| Off to Work You Go | |
| |
| |
| Selling Trinkets | |
| |
| |
| According to the Law... | |
| |
| |
| Starting Up | |
| |
| |
| Fixed Costs, Variable Costs, and Estimated Fees | |
| |
| |
| Plan B | |
| |
| |
| |
| Financial Planning | |
| |
| |
| The Big-Ticket Items | |
| |
| |
| Open Your Checkbook | |
| |
| |
| Insurance | |
| |
| |
| A Bonding Experience | |
| |
| |
| Let Me See Your License and Registration, Please | |
| |
| |
| Legal Eagles and Number Crunchers | |
| |
| |
| Smaller-Ticket Items | |
| |
| |
| Marketing | |
| |
| |
| Taxes | |
| |
| |
| Enough with These Expenses; Let's Talk Income | |
| |
| |
| Is It Enough? | |
| |
| |
| If the Numbers Don't Work Out... | |
| |
| |
| |
| Getting Started | |
| |
| |
| First Things First | |
| |
| |
| Licensing | |
| |
| |
| Banking | |
| |
| |
| The Tax Collector Cometh | |
| |
| |
| Dreaming of a Paperless Office | |
| |
| |
| Estimates and Contracts | |
| |
| |
| Marketing Materials | |
| |
| |
| Finding Suppliers | |
| |
| |
| Business Vehicles | |
| |
| |
| |
| Your Home Work Space | |
| |
| |
| Filling the Space | |
| |
| |
| Technology Rules...with Exceptions | |
| |
| |
| Office Printer | |
| |
| |
| Connecting to the Outside World | |
| |
| |
| Other Office Supplies | |
| |
| |
| Work/Repair Area | |
| |
| |
| Vehicle Storage | |
| |
| |
| |
| Financial Management | |
| |
| |
| Handyman and Collection Agency | |
| |
| |
| Paper Dollars | |
| |
| |
| Digital Dollars | |
| |
| |
| Snail-Mail Payments | |
| |
| |
| Mechanic's Lien | |
| |
| |
| Small Claims Court | |
| |
| |
| Collection Agencies | |
| |
| |
| Your Turn to Pay | |
| |
| |
| Cash Flow | |
| |
| |
| Bank Line of Credit | |
| |
| |
| Equipment Allowance | |
| |
| |
| Vehicle Maintenance | |
| |
| |
| Savings and Retirement | |
| |
| |
| |
| Taxes and Recordkeeping | |
| |
| |
| Good Accounting and Recordkeeping Lead to Easier Tax Filling | |
| |
| |
| Filing Tax Returns | |
| |
| |
| Who You Are Determines Which Forms to Use | |
| |
| |
| Reducing Your Taxes with Deductions | |
| |
| |
| About That Office Deduction... | |
| |
| |
| Do It Yourself or Hire a Tax Service? | |
| |
| |
| Employees | |
| |
| |
| |
| Legal and Ethical Issues | |
| |
| |
| Legal Requirements | |
| |
| |
| Policies and Procedures | |
| |
| |
| Employees | |
| |
| |
| Income and Taxes | |
| |
| |
| Cash | |
| |
| |
| Trade and Bartering | |
| |
| |
| Contracts Count | |
| |
| |
| Hourly Fees | |
| |
| |
| Client Confidentiality | |
| |
| |
| Up Close and (Too) Personal? | |
| |
| |
| Smile, You're on Candid Camera | |
| |
| |
| A Few More Job Concerns | |
| |
| |
| Substituting Materials | |
| |
| |
| Waste---Toxic and Otherwise | |
| |
| |
| Lead-Based Paint | |
| |
| |
| When It's About You | |
| |
| |
| When It's About the Customer | |
| |
| |
| |
| Marketing Your Business | |
| |
| |
| People Are Talking about You | |
| |
| |
| Blogs | |
| |
| |
| Crank Up the Printer | |
| |
| |
| Customer Targets | |
| |
| |
| Direct Mail | |
| |
| |
| Special and Seasonal Promotions | |
| |
| |
| Preferred Installer Status | |
| |
| |
| Charitable Work | |
| |
| |
| Internet Marketing | |
| |
| |
| Marketing a Niche Service | |
| |
| |
| Everyone Likes a Freebie | |
| |
| |
| Radio and TV | |
| |
| |
| Stretching Your Marketing Dollars | |
| |
| |
| |
| The Internet and E-Commerce | |
| |
| |
| Your Web Site | |
| |
| |
| Forums | |
| |
| |
| Craigslist | |
| |
| |
| Paying for Internet Advertising | |
| |
| |
| |
| Training and Certification | |
| |
| |
| Online Info | |
| |
| |
| Back to School | |
| |
| |
| Other Community Resources | |
| |
| |
| Industry Certifications | |
| |
| |
| Books | |
| |
| |
| Magazines | |
| |
| |
| Historic Preservation Training | |
| |
| |
| Safety Training | |
| |
| |
| Law School | |
| |
| |
| |
| Business Endgame | |
| |
| |
| You're Established; Now What? | |
| |
| |
| Time to Widen Your Vision? | |
| |
| |
| Lifestyle Choices | |
| |
| |
| Those Pesky Kids | |
| |
| |
| Employees | |
| |
| |
| Temporary Laborers | |
| |
| |
| Contracting Out | |
| |
| |
| Specialty Work | |
| |
| |
| Grunt Work | |
| |
| |
| Bigger, But Not Always Better, Customers | |
| |
| |
| Time to Close Up Shop | |
| |
| |
| What You're Selling | |
| |
| |
| Pre-Sale | |
| |
| |
| Setting a Price | |
| |
| |
| If Your Price Isn't Met... | |
| |
| |
| Letting Go | |
| |
| |
| |
| Hiring and Firing Employees | |
| |
| |
| |
| How to Figure Your Costs | |
| |
| |
| Resources | |
| |
| |
| Index | |