Where do i start to be a handyman?

[Touareg-8]

Is there anyone out there who has expierienced being self employed or being a handyman of all trades, and what do i have to do first?

Thx.

[homerthegrea]

contact your local tax office and ask to be registered as self-employed, they will send you out all the paper work and secondly advertise yourself but don't go for things like yellow pages as they are expensive, places adds in your local free papers, post offices etc.. a mate of mine said that most of his work comes from advertising on the notice boards in old folks homes as most visitors are at an age where they a/ can't be bothered to do little jobs or b/ can't manage them any more. You could also advertise on the net for free by setting up your own site on things like myspace, orange or lycos then they will ask you for some key words so when somebody searches you should be found - your key search would be something like -plummer, painter, leeds, anytime, weekends, anything to get you noticed

[Touareg-8]

Thats good advice thx homer.

[andy-hughes]

If you are good, reasonably priced, and turn up when you say you will, you'll be beating customers off with a stick!

The biggest bugbear for tradesmens' customers is that they are unreliable. They take on six jobs at once, go off for days at a time, and don;t come on the day they say they will.

Start as you mean to go on. Calculate the time for one job at a time, and complete it, and only take on something else if you can schedule accurately. If you can't get to a job, ring and tell the customer with as much notice as you can. Don't take on more than you can handle - yes you may loose a job, but your reliability will ensure word-of-moyuth gets you more.

Follow those rules and you will always have work - promise!

Good luck!

[Touareg-8]

Thx andy and homer , i think ive got to make the jump and go on my own as i cant stand working for a company lol.