Handyman's Handbook : The Complete Guide to Starting and Running a Successful Business [Paperback]

David Koenigsberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 23, 2003

This is the only book available that provides a blueprint for running a successful handyman business. Filled with hands-on, how-to information and dozens of time-saving tips, this resource is valuable to anyone who enjoys working with their hands and wants to be happily-and profitably-self-employed. It includes: where and how to learn what you need to know; acquire the necessary tools and materials; adapting your car or truck; and how to find and keep customers.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Launch a profitable second career!

THE NUTS-AND-BOLTS OF RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL HANDYMAN BUSINESS

Building a sustained career as a handyman demands more than just a toolbox and a winning smile. If turning an ability with tools into a profitable vocation is your goal, the Handyman’s Handbook is the book you need to do it right.

Written in clear language by a veteran handyman with a quarter- century’s experience, the Handyman’s Handbook is filled with hands-on, how-to information and time-saving tips of the trade. You'll gain a firm understanding of how to run your own successful business, including:

* Where and how to learn all the skills you need
* How to get the necessary tools and materials
* Which jobs are most frequently requested
* How to adapt your car or truck
* How to find and keep customers
* And much, much more!

No matter if you're an established handyman with a growing business, a newcomer looking to get established, or a weekend warrior who wants to add efficiency to home projects, the Handyman’s Handbook is the one resource you need within arm’s reach at all times!

You get coverage of:
* What a handyman does
* Acquiring knowledge and skills
* Adapting your car
* Items to carry in your car
* Your toolbox
* Tools, hardware, and materials you should have
* Other items to have at home
* Organizing and storing hardware and materials
* Ladders
* Finding customers and keeping them happy
* How much to charge
* Working efficiently and safely
* Record keeping and finances
* Handyman mysteries
* And much, much more!

About the Author

David Koenigsberg of Roslyn, Pennsylvania, is an electrical engineer, technical writer, and professional handyman with 25 years' experience in the field.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional; 1 edition (May 23, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071416706
• ISBN-13: 978-0071416702
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #990,687 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Big Hat, No Cattle, February 28, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Handyman's Handbook : The Complete Guide to Starting and Running a Successful Business (Paperback)

This book is weak. It's billed as "The complete Guide to Starting and Running a Successful Business". Actually, there's not much info on starting or running a business.

Most of the book is filled with lists of different categories of tools and hardware and their descriptions. Pages 43 to 171 out of 253 (chapters 7 thru 39) of the book just list different tools and harware with descriptions.

I'm thinking of starting a handman business. I'm most concerned with the business side of things - i.e. how to estimate costs so that I don't lose money on jobs or leave money on the table. What kind of insurance I need. Where to find customers. What records I need to keep... The info in this book on the business end of things is woefully inadequate. The author devotes a whopping three pages to "how much to charge" - chapter 42. The first of two paragraphs on 'fixed price' jobs starts out "You look at a job and try to guess how long it will take.", and goes downhill from there in my opinion. HELLO!!! There are estimating manuals for handymen that have accurate costs for virtually any job.

He devotes a whopping two pages to "record keeping and finances".

Maybe 30 pages of 253 address issues related to "starting and running a handyman business". You could bump that number up closer to 40 if you want to include chapter 53 - "Clothing for the Handyman" and chapter 54 - "Food and Excersize".

On the plus side, I do like his suggestion for cleaning paint roller covers. I'll use that idea.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars pipe dream, June 15, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Handyman's Handbook : The Complete Guide to Starting and Running a Successful Business (Paperback)

If you think you are going to run a contracting business with no overhead forget it.Go ahead and try and find jobs without advertising.Hmm why without advertising.Because if you try and advertise ,and don't have a contractors license and liability insurance.All those people who do have them and pay thousands a year for the privilege will be turning you in so fast your nail gun will spin.Unless you live in the Boonies ,most Counties and Towns require rafts of paper work and other license, before you can pull a nail in someone's home.The days of Gommer the fixit man are over because we live in such a litigious society,liability insurance is a must and it costs thousands.There is really no way to start a contracting business on the cheap and run it in a professional manner.this seems to be the case with most of these start your own contracting or repair business books out there.They forget about or gloss over the whole liability issue, like it's no big deal.You damage someone's home or property and you will see what a big deal it becomes.I am not a contractor ,I have a small 3 bay auto repair shop , and my liability runs almost 20 thousand a year.That's quite a big bite for a guy just starting out.Even if you stay away from large jobs,say a customer wants you to install a new window ,in most towns that would require a contractors license,check it out well before you just jump in.It takes a lot more then just the tools and the knowledge of how to use them to run a home improvement business.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointment, November 30, 2005

By 

Jonathan L. Goss - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Handyman's Handbook : The Complete Guide to Starting and Running a Successful Business (Paperback)

This book will not help you start a handyman business. It is all about the authors ramblings concerning his work clothes, tools, hardware and not at all about how to run the business. Anyone interested in running a handyman company will already know the technical side, and really what the author even provides there is useless. The business side is why I bought the book and it is not there.