Texas engineer builds successful handyman franchise

Following on from my other posts on some of our successful handyman franchisees allow me to introduce Dave Mauldin. Dave had spent most of his career in information technology with Texas Instruments and Compaq before becoming a House Medic Franchisee. House Medic is our sister company that we use in some States as an alternative to House Doctors.

Texas Engineer runs home repair business in Austin

Dave who has made a successful transition to become a House Medic Franchisee now offers Austin residents professional handyman services, home repairs and home improvement services.
Dave was born and raised in Texas and after his successful corporate career he took an early retirement package and is now building a team of professional handymen who work on busy homeowners to do lists. Dave thinks that the need for professional handymen is obvious. Our population and our properties are aging.
He admits that when he started looking for a business he didn’t even know that a franchise in home repairs existed. House Medic handyman service is growing nationally by giving people like Dave the opportunity to get into business for themselves.
Dave says that he bought his House Medic because of the growing market and the professional model. He immediately hired a professional CSR, a great guy he has known for years, Markus. Dave's handymen are experienced, insured and screened and then trained to provide excellent customer service. His customers are then confident that the work performed on their home will be completed to the highest standard.
Dave will tell you that he felt all of his skill sets were a great match with House Medic. The culture in House Medic is to follow through with what is promised and not to let people down. Dave is building credibility in his business, with that approach, with support of his community and neighbors. He is building a company that people in his community can trust to do what they say.

Do you think Dave's approach to business is the right one?

6.4 % Home Value Increase Good For Home Repairs

The third quarter Zillow Real Estate Market Report shows the U.S. Zillow Home Value Index standing at $163,000 as of the end of the third quarter. This is a good pace for the market and good for home repairs, home improvements and a handyman franchise.

Home value pace good for home improvements

Report shows the home value index up by 6.4 percent  year-over-year and up 1.2 percent from the end of the second quarter, but unchanged from August. This is a good pace for recovery and keeps us out of the boom and bust cycle. This new pace of home value appreciation has even brought a number of markets back from the edge of entering possible bubble territory again. This pace is good for handyman services and home improvements. When people are confident that we have a growth that we can sustain they invest in their properties.

A steady annual sustained growth is what we want. People get nervous quickly now if we grow too fast. It may seem strange to say but sometimes its better if the pace of home value growth in some markets slows down. Remember what happened when increasing home values got out of control before. The data shows some markets like California for example have already touched on the edge of bubble market territory again and expensive metro areas that experienced relatively modest declines during the crash have already shown very robust gains during the recovery.
Across the country as recently as July, all of the top 30 metro areas showed positive monthly appreciation, with none exhibiting a monthly pace slower than one percent month-over-month.

People need to feel that we can sustain our growth. Confidence effects our economy more than some realize. It certainly effects the level of activity in the home improvement market. When people feel things are heading in the right direction they spend more on home remodeling projects. I believe we have come off the bottom and are at a sustainable level of growth in home values that should now continue for sometime as people become more confident with their decisions to buy and sell.

What do you think?

General Contractor Builds Handyman Franchise

Justin Bates has been in the Construction industry for 15 years. He even owned his own construction business doing residential homebuilding, additions, and other large projects. He is a licensed general contractor..So why did he decide to become a salt lake handyman and buy a home improvement franchise.

From general contractor to professional handyman

Justin shared with us why he decided with all of his industry experience to buy a House Doctors franchise. "It was the House Doctors Brand and culture that attracted me. I was looking for a proven business model that would cater to smaller jobs and a Brand that I felt was poised for growth. I found it with House Doctors. House Doctors is growing nationwide and one of the reasons for that I feel is the culture of continuously pushing for excellence, sticking to our word, maintaining a high degree of professionalism, and always doing what we say we are going to do. I feel homeowners are searching for a company that they can trust today. This is a growing market but very few companies in it are actually licensed or accredited to do the work. When you’re letting someone into your home to do a job, you need to know that they are competent in performing the work and that they are someone that you can trust."

The National Association of Remodeling (NARI) stats show less people moving and more fixing up their homes so home improvements is in a high growth mode. The need for professional companies in the smaller job market is strong but a lot of people still have had bad experiences when being let down by a contractor or handyman. That's where House Doctors is different. The House Doctors handymen are trained to provide excellent customer service and are insured and scheduled to turn up on time.

The House Doctors model is definitely working for Justin. He's growing a business by building a team of technicians who work on small jobs on home to-do lists, and all the way up to larger projects. He is becoming known as the go to guy for a Salt Lake City deck  Justin is now a preferred installer for TimberTech decks.
His business is booming and with the support of his Salt Lake City customers his franchise is now one of the fastest growing in the network. He is continuing to expand by introducing more products and services like bathroom remodeling to Salt Lake City.

Handyman services made easy with technology

With improvements in communication, and other technological innovations and the advent of social media House Doctors aims to use the latest advances in technology to help make handyman services and home improvements easier for our customers. We have just launched our new website that is more inviting, easier to navigate, displays our products and services better and improves the process for our customers when they need to find a location and request service

Successful House Doctors site launch

All site launches don't go well. Last week the other major site launched by the Government didn't perform well. I'm glad to say ours was very successful. We have almost doubled our daily visits already.
The successful launch of the House Doctors website is just the first of a number of new initiatives that House Doctors Corporate is working on that will benefit the franchisees and the Brand in the future. Like a number of leading companies we are finding ways to use new technology to improve our systems and procedures.
Think about it we are in the business of helping people and making their lives easier. We maintain and improve their homes. We offer services that can simplify lives. We plan to use technology to help make the process of using us as seamless as possible. Hiring a handyman or contractor that you can rely on has been difficult in the past. Through our new website it's now easy for homeowners to find a trusted, reliable handyman or remodeler.
But our use of latest technology doesn't stop there. At House Doctors our franchisees use the latest on line scheduling software, smartphones and mobile presentation devices, to offer our customers the best home improvement customer experience in the market today.
Technology continues to increasingly impact our lives every day. Think about when you wake up to your alarm, then check your schedule, read your email or text, check the weather, traffic, flights, leave a message, and use your camera and your apps...and all of that from your phone!

In the business world, like House Doctors, many leading companies are introducing the new technology to help them better serve their customers.

Rising Rates Not Holding Home Improvements Back

The pent up demand for House Doctors handyman services, remodeling and home improvements means our franchisees are experiencing good growth as figures released just last week by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau show housing production nationwide continuing to rise despite rate increases. We maybe at the other end of the housing industry in that we improve and repair existing homes but we are always monitoring any changes in the market to see what impact they may have on our franchise network.We are finding that recent rate increases are not having a negative impact on remodeling or the need for handyman services either.

House production continues to rise

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau show housing production rose by 0.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 891,000 units in August. Increases in single-family starts, up by seven percent to 628,000 were the main reason behind the increased housing production in August. Regionally, single-family starts activity rose 9.6 percent in the Northeast, 7.1 percent in the Midwest, 2.3 percent in the South and 17.5 percent in the West.This report means builders are now seeing the pent up demand that we have witnessed in remodeling and home repairs for most of this year. We have seen an improvement over the year in homeowners confidence with many customers now interested in bigger projects.

This is all very encouraging with neither segment of the market being hindered by rising interest rates. With this pent up demand now is the time to consider a handyman services and remodeling franchise. Our top franchisees are growing at a fast pace with same store sales growth of 20 percent  With this strong market growth we are looking to open another 40 franchises over the next year.

Why do you think our market is so strong?

Improving home equity good news for remodeling franchise

Over the Summer as home values continued to rise, the national negative equity rate continued to fall.
This is more important for handyman franchises, home improvement franchises and remodeling franchises than many people realize. When the equity in homeowners properties increase they feel more confident in having the necessary home repairs and maintenance done and they start to consider remodeling and home improvements.

Negative equity rate falling good news for remodeling franchise

 

Negative equity dropped to 23.8 percent of all homeowners with a mortgage, according to the second quarter Zillow Negative Equity Report. This signals better times ahead for home improvement and remodeling franchises.
Median home prices are now increasing monthly in many areas reducing the size of the negative equity hole many people found themselves in. We have a lot of catching up to do but things are now heading in the right direction. This is good news for confidence, the economy and the home improvement market. At House Doctors many of our franchisees are already experiencing double digit increases this year.
The recent July data from RealtyTrac shows 2013 U.S. Residential & Foreclosure Sales Report, which shows that U.S. residential properties sold at an estimated annualized pace of 5.5 million in July 2013, up four percent from the previous month and up 11 percent from a year ago—the biggest annual increase in sales volume so far this year. California Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia posted the four biggest annual increases in median home prices in July: California (up 31 percent); Nevada (up 27 percent); Arizona (up 21 percent); and Georgia (up 20 percent).
A strong housing market can have such an impact on the US economy. We see it in our business. Handyman services, home improvements and remodeling increase as negative equity decreases. Improving home values can prove to be the kick start the economy needs.
According to RealtyTrac the national median sales price was $174,500 in July, up four percent from the previous month and up six percent from a year ago—the 16th consecutive month where median home prices nationwide have increased annually after.

Do you think improving home equity is good for our market? Please let me know.

Strong remodeling spending brings handyman franchise growth

House Doctors, our handyman and home improvement franchise, is growing at an unprecedented rate as a study from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University shows that the general strengthening in the housing market over the past 18 months is translating into increasing spending on remodeling.

Latest remodeling activity data and information 

The latest data from the leading indicator of remodeling activity (LIRA) continues to show improving spending trends that are solid and on an upward slope. Projections also show a continued strengthening of the market through the end of this year and into the first quarter of 2014.
The LIRA is released by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University in the third week after each quarter’s closing. The LIRA is a comprehensive study of the factors influencing the growth and changing characteristics of housing renovation and repair activity in the United States. The next LIRA release date is October 17, 2013.

Latest handyman and home improvement franchise data and information

At House Doctors we are seeing the fastest growth in years. Four new franchisees recently came through training for openings in Tennessee, Connecticut, Ohio and Michigan. Another six are already scheduled to come on board in the next couple of months and a number of others are already in the pipeline. Homeowners are more comfortable investing in their properties right now as consumer confidence returns and the growth in sales of existing homes increases. Continuing strengthening in the economy is leading to increasing spending levels on renovations and upgrades.

The growth in home sales and the rapid and steady growth in property modifications and maintenance we are seeing is providing more opportunities for our franchisees. Our model meets all of the requirements of busy professionals and aging boomers who need home repairs and home improvements done."

For more than 15 years we have brought homeowners and commercial property owners high standards of customer service, reliability, and quality workmanship. Every one of our locations is independently owned and operated. Today, we continue to expand throughout the United States by offering franchise opportunities

Time to start handyman & home improvement franchise

Now the Summer is here this is the ideal time to start your professional handyman & home improvement franchise. Many homeowners at this time of year turn their minds to long warm nights and indoor and outdoor recreation and fun. Now is the time they plan to enjoy their property but that often means first considering home repairs and home improvements.

Survey shows 60% planning home improvements

At this time of year everyone seems to need a reliable company to help them with their necessary home repairs and home improvements. This year that trend seems to be even stronger. Many of our House Doctors franchisees are experiencing double digit growth over last year.

A recent survey by Zillow Digs shows 60 percent of homeowners are planning summer home improvement projects.
The survey also provides some insight into the demographic and household makeup of the homeowners and what kinds of projects they have in mind:

•Younger homeowners and homes with children are significantly more likely to be planning a home improvement this summer and perhaps as many as three or more home improvements.

•Homeowners plan to spend a median of $1,200 on summer home improvement projects.

•Homes with children as well as homeowners 54 and younger plan to spend one-third more ($1,500) compared with homes without children and those 55 and older ($1,000).

•Some of the most popular summer home improvement projects are outdoor spaces (40 percent) and bathrooms (17 percent).

Today less people are moving. More homeowners are choosing to stay in their homes and invest in home improvements. Many of our franchisees are now booked two and three weeks in advance such is the demand at this time of year. If you are considering a handyman or home improvement franchise now is the time to start your business.

For more info on Zillow please visit http://www.zillowblog.com/research/
For more info on House Doctors franchises visit http://www.housedoctorshandymanfranchise.com/#

Reasons to start a handyman franchise

To help you decide if a handyman franchise is for you here are some great reasons for starting a handyman franchise? If you are deciding on which handyman franchise to choose here are some of the benefits for partnering with House Doctors?

 

Reasons to start a handyman franchise

Huge growth market
Business with great long term potential
Low investment
Can be started from home
9-5, 5 days a week
Executive management business
Fast ramp up potential

Benefits of partnering with House Doctors

Proven model
Proven lead generation program
Fast start program
Academy program
Operational support
Marketing support
National relationships

For more information please visit www.housedoctorshandymanfranchise.com

Baby boomers market for your handyman franchise

Baby boomers who drove the growth of the home improvement market, and the success of many handyman franchises, in their earlier years, as they looked to enhance their properties and give themselves a better lifestyle, are again a leading force to be reckoned with in their retirement years. 10,000 a day are turning 65 over the next 18 years and many of them are preparing to modify their homes to enable them to "age in place" more comfortably.

Majority of Baby boomers want to "age in place"

At a recent remodeling futures conference the Joint Center of Harvard University released a study that showed the strength of the growing market for home modifications for the aging homeowners market. Further information can be found here http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/jchs.harvard.edu/files/home_accessibility_modifications_will.pdf#overlay-context=remodeling-futures-conferences

Meanwhile here is a list of some of the modifications a handyman franchise could be working on.

Types of Home Accessibility Modifications

Ramps/Elevators

Kitchen - Door Handles/Levers

Sinks/Handles/Levers

Extra-Wide Doorways

Bedroom on Entry Level

Full Bath on Entry Level

Handrails/Grab Bars in Hallways

Kitchen Trays/Lazy Susan’s

No Step Thresholds

Handrails/Grab Bars in Bathroom

Wheelchair Accessible

Electrical outlets/Switches

Built-In Shower Seats

Climate controls

Kitchen cabinets/Countertops

Bathrooms/Raised Toilets

These services are only part of a handyman franchise. For further info on the House Doctors handyman franchise or home improvement franchise please visit our web page. http://www.housedoctorshandymanfranchise.com

Cincinnati, great city for a handyman franchise

The home repairs, home improvements and remodeling market is poised for growth in Cincinnati. That's why it's the perfect place to consider starting a Cincinnati franchise like a handyman franchise or a home improvement franchise. As the economy improves more people are considering fixing up their homes. Needed repairs and maintenance that have been put off over the last few years are now moving to the top of the to do list.

Cincinnati area great for a franchise

Consider the demographics of Cincinnati. Many busy professional people with little time to work on their to do lists. Lots of high end sub-divisions with homeowners who do not have the tools or know how to work on their properties. Busy dual income families who have no time to work on honey dos.
A growing number of seniors who are less and less likely to clean their own gutters.
As the Cincinnati properties and population ages there is a growing need for professional handyman and home improvement services.

House Doctors offers

A proven model
Full training
Marketing support
Operational support
An exclusive territory

Please visit http://www.housedoctorshandymanfranchise.com/cincinnati-franchise#!cincinnati-franchise/c7ip for more information

Fast start your handyman franchise

Getting your new handyman franchise off to the right start is a critical first step if you want to build a successful long term business. House Doctors has a program in place that has been developed over time based on having learned from successfully starting other businesses. The program initiated when the franchise agreement is signed is invaluable for new franchisees as they take their first steps with their new business.

Fast Start Program ensures you build the right foundation

The fast start program is made up of a checklist of over 100 items that should be completed before you start your new handyman franchise. New franchisees find it invaluable to have the support of the franchisor as they guide them through this comprehensive Fast Start Program. Many of the items on the list are completed before classroom training. Completing all the items on the program ensures the right foundation is built for the business to build on.

Here are some examples of 100 items plus that appear on the Fast Start Program.

Get telephone number
Order Van
Start looking for a technician
Check licensing requirements
Start business plan, completed during training
Start marketing plan, completed during training
Demographic analysis of territory
Competitive analysis

For more information on a House Doctors handyman franchise please visit http://www.housedoctorshandymanfranchise.com

Handyman franchise can make homes more secure

Another revenue generator for many handyman franchise or home improvement franchise owners is increasing home security for customers. According to the FBI there is one burglary every 15 seconds in the US. That means home owners are always interested in ways to make there homes more secure. Many of our handyman franchise owners are able to help with cheap home security improvements that can help their customers keep their property more secure.

 

Improving home security for customers is another revenue generator for your handyman franchise

 

Adding additional lighting and strategically placed motion detectors for customers.
Keeping trees and bushes well trimmed especially those near doors and windows for your customers.

Adding good-quality deadbolts at each entry door

Securing entry doors with door jams to wood-framed doors
Add a patio bar to patio doors
Securing windows
Installing peepholes in front doors
Installing home security systems  

For more information on House Doctors please visit http://www.housedoctors.com/

Handyman franchise can help make homes safer

Did you know that June is National Safety Month. Safety around the home offers handyman franchise owners an opportunity to offer additional services to their customers. With a handyman or home improvement franchise there are so many growth niches in the home repairs or home improvement market that franchisees can generate revenue from.

Handyman franchise revenue generators

It's great to know your helping people while your building your business. Many of our handyman franchise owners do home improvements and repairs that improve the safety of their customers homes and that can't be a bad thing. Here are just a few examples:-

Laying or repairing outdoor walkways
Repairing and installing lights and steps on pathways
Installing smoke detectors
Installing CO detectors
Fitting grab bars
Building ramps
Widening doorways

The National Safety Council's aims to encourage individuals to learn about safety education for the home and workplace. They provide safety advice designed to greatly reduce the risk of unintentional injury and death.
Visit the National Safety Council website for useful safety advice about making your home less hazardous by correcting situations that might cause falls, improving indoor air quality, poisoning prevention, and fire prevention.

Why start your handyman franchise now

June is here already. This is a great time of the year to start a handyman franchise or a home improvement franchise. Get your franchise off to a great start. At this time of the year many people are thinking about home repairs and remodeling so now is the time to consider starting your handyman business. Here's just one example of a service popular at this time of year that your handyman franchise could offer customers.

Use House Doctors handyman services to prepare your outside area for entertaining

Memorial Day marks the unofficial beginning of Summer.
This means many of your customers will want to spend lots of fun time outside, grilling and entertaining. Now is the time to get their decks and their outdoor areas ready for those relaxing evening meals and fun times that summer season brings.
Here are some jobs that your handyman services franchise could do for your customers to get them prepared at this time of year.

1.Repair, and stain deck
2.Build furniture, barbecue grills and kids play areas
3.Add water features
4.Build pergolas and gazebos
5.Install outside lighting
6.Fit plant containers, hanging baskets and container gardens.

For more information on starting a franchise please visit
www.housedoctorshandymanfranchise.com

For more information on House Doctors please visit

www.housedoctors.com


To see why customers use House Doctors please watch our video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVIGGzCLCGQ

Home improvement franchise made easy

The House Doctors franchise program gives would be business owners an easier route to starting a home improvement business than doing it on their own. The home improvement franchise program includes a demographic analysis of your territory, a fast start program that ensures that you have covered all bases before you start and full training in all aspects of running and managing one of these businesses. The program can take anything from 7-12 weeks so you could have your business up and running in as little 2 months.

Steps to starting a House Doctors home improvement franchise

1. Call or email House Doctors
2. Go through our Discovery Process (3-6 weeks)
3. Sign Franchise Agreement and secure territory
4. Initiate Fast Start program and agree training date (4-6 weeks)
5. Classroom training (1 week)
6. Hit the ground running

For further information please visit http://www.housedoctorshandymanfranchise.com

Discover a leading handyman franchise

What makes you a leading handyman franchise? How do you get to be a number one home improvement franchise? Why should our handyman franchise be one of the best? All great questions that we will endeavor to answer when you visit our Corporate Office. The final part of the discovery process that those interested in our franchise go through includes a Discovery Day that we ask prospective franchisees to attend at our Corporate office.

The House Doctors Handyman Franchise Discovery Process

1. Initial contact and overview of concept
2. Complete a brief confidential application to show serious interest
3. Attend a webinar explaining market, customer demographics, concept, marketing, support, national relationships, investment etc.
4. Review FDD
5. Speak with existing franchisees
6. Review your territory
7. Attend Discovery Day to meet your support team

For more information on a franchise with House Doctors please visit http://www.housedoctorshandymanfranchise.com/cincinnati-franchise

To see how our franchisees make House Doctors work please watch our video

Is now the time to start your franchise?

Timing is everything so they say. With the economy looking stronger and the Summer here many people have decided that now is the right time to start their own business. So if the time to take the plunge into business ownership is here why not consider a franchise. Franchising is considered a safer route to starting your own business.

Summary

You are not alone if you are considering business ownership. Statistics show that U.S. entrepreneurship has climbed to its highest level in more than a decade.
The percentage of U.S. adults either in the process of starting a business or who already are a new business owner has reached almost 13 percent in 2012 according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor U.S. Report released today. That is the highest level of entrepreneurship that the U.S. has seen since 1999 when the rate was 8.4 percent.

Interest in handyman franchise increases

At House Doctors we are seeing this same trend in our numbers. The number of people showing interest in our franchise this year is up by an amazing 20%. The resilience of America is there to be seen. Seems like people have had enough of the doom and gloom and are now taking control of their own destiny and making it happen.

For further details on the House Doctors franchise please visit http://www.housedoctorshandymanfranchise.com

A handyman and home improvement franchise in one

Opportunities! I have been asked what is different about business in America in comparison to the other countries I've lived in, the simple answer is the number of business opportunities here. The size of the market and economy is enormous compared to many other countries around the world. So if you take that fact then add that House Doctors offers a handyman franchise and home improvement franchise in one you can understand how these franchises are of interest to a growing number of entrepreneurs.

Summary

Find the world a place of opportunities and possibilities and if you don't, help make it so. At House Doctors corporate part of our mission is to source addittional revenue generators for our franchisees. House Doctors started in the 90's as a professional handyman company. Many of the original franchisees did the handyman work themselves. The company and the model have evolved with changing market conditions. This evolution has meant the introduction of new revenue generators and the opening up of many new markets. Our franchisees to day do not swing the hammer but manage teams of handymen who work on the to do lists of busy homeowners. The technicians will do everything from changing a leaky faucet to remodeling a bathroom.

Business opportunities are everywhere

In today's world the internet is a great driver of business opportunity. I came across a new site recently www.myclaimsource.com which is dedicated to improving the consumer experience when contacting insurance providers. The site provides free assistance on filing insurance claims. The founders built the site after several frustrating experiences filing insurance claims. Help and advice on how to file a claim, just wasn’t there.

Starting a business

That's how a lot of businesses start. Someone has a need and then frustrations with the existing service provider. They then decide that they could do better themselves. Think about House Doctors , it was started with the aim of bringing professionalism to the handyman industry. The industry was well known for its unrelaible service.

For more franchise info. please visit http://www.housedoctorshandymanfranchise.com
For more info. on House Doctors please visit http://www.housedoctors.com/

Best handyman franchise or home improvement franchise

At House Doctors our franchisees have a passion for making home improvements and property maintenance easier for home owners. The House Doctors franchise offers those interested in the exciting home improvement industry the opportunity to build their own business. Now is the time to consider a handyman franchise in this growing market with the aging property and the aging population having greater needs for repairs, maintenance and modifications to their properties thus increasing this already huge market.

Some of the work our franchisees technicians perform

Appliance Installations Assembling Basement Bathroom Installations / Repairs Blind / Curtain Installations Carpentry by a professional handyman Carpeting Caulking Ceramic Tile Countertops Deck Installations / Repairs Deck Maintenance Dimmer Switches Door Installations / Repairs Doorbell Installations / Repairs Drains Unclogged Drywall by a professional handyman Ductwork Fascia / Soffit Repairs Fan Installation / Repairs Faucet Install / Replace Fence and Gates Filter Replacements Flood Lights Flooring: hardwood, vinyl, tile Garage Maintenance

Grouting by a professional handyman Gutter Repairs and Cleaning Grab Rail Installations Handicap Accessibility Hanging Pictures Insulation Light Fixtures Locks Kitchen Installations / Repairs Molding and Trim Painting by a professional handyman Porches Pressure Washing Screen Door Installations / Repairs Shelving Shutters Shower / Tub Seats Siding Sinks Storm Windows Vents Weather Stripping Windows Yard Maintenance Wood Repair / Wood Rot And Much, Much MORE!