MY new handyman business finally launched :)

[Losos]

Too many helpful forum members wanting to give advice.......

He probably wishes we'd all get off his line and let some customers have a look in :lol:

 

[Joe Shmoe]

I like it. I'm sure many people have some small jobs they can't o, and don't want to call a builder as its too small a job etc.

Best of luck. Don't forget liability insurance if things take off. I think it's only 70£ for a handyman if you don't use heat applications or do gas etc.

 

[hopester101]

Chris

Being made redundant is not nice at any time but New Years Eve..........sorry to hear that.

If my first point of call was your website, I'm afraid I wouldn't be using your services.

It looks very amateurish, possibly because you have hurried it?

Your home page, right at the top the email address has the letters cropped at the bottom, Your Helping ????, Hand?, You Don't Have..........? I don't need to go on. As a potential customer I have to ask myself, 'will that be the standard of your work'.

Please don't get me wrong, I am not saying your work will be sub-standard, I don't think you are projecting a professional image.

I know this is not what you will want to hear, but I have tried to be honest.

I do however hope you are successful in your new business venture and look forward to lots of WIP pictures on this site.

Stew

Hi Stew, I'm assuming you viewed it on your phone? I'm still working on mobile optimisation, but viewed on a PC/ laptop it displays fine.

I built the website myself in a week as I don't have any money to pay someone to do it and I have a bit of experience in design.

I was left from company redundant and they didn't even pay me any redundancy or notice period pay, so walked out with £0 and I have 2 very young children. Hence the change of career!

Cheers
Chris

 

[hopester101]

I like it. I'm sure many people have some small jobs they can't o, and don't want to call a builder as its too small a job etc.

Best of luck. Don't forget liability insurance if things take off. I think it's only 70£ for a handyman if you don't use heat applications or do gas etc.

Hi yep I have £1m public liability insurance and thanks for the comments!

 

[hopester101]

Chris

With the greatest respect to Grayorm i think that he has missed some valid points of what you are telling us, you have quite clearly stated on your web site that you are not qualified for electrical or gas work, and that should you be offered a job that you think is beyond your capabilities that you will have no qualms in turning it down.

I think your web site is interesting and informative, with a clear and full breakdown of your charges displaying to my mind no intent to mislead at all. I would think most people would see an honest and open approach to business. One minor critique the photo of the picture hanging over the bed to my eye needs leveling up, as it makes it look as though you have hung the picture at an angle.

Do not worry to much about building regs most things can be sorted with a google search, also get to know your local clerk of the works and treat him/her with the respect that they deserve. They will answer any questions that you have, and are happy to do so after all it is what they are there for, and will appreciate an honest and open approach they know when they are being bull s*****d and consequently can make your life as easy or as hard as they would like.

Without wishing to sound patronizing filling cracks and drilling tiles is not rocket science, just be aware of any pipes or cables lying beneath, a half decent detector will help you with that.

You say that you were made redundant new years eve, what a terrible start to the new yew. Many people would have just signed on the dole and moaned, but i think in less than three weeks you have shown tremendous courage and determination. You have my respect and admiration and i for one wish you every succsess in your new venture, and if you are not to busy log on and let us know how it is going from time to time.

Regards

Berns

What a lovely message mate, genuinely thank you
Chris

 

[hopester101]

From Grayorm:
If you scroll down you'll see that he's offering every trade going including electrical work :shock: #-o which to be blunt tells me he hasn't got a clue what he's doing and fishing for anything to practice on. He says he was made redundant from a professional position, which I assume wasn't a trade. I've been in the job over 30 years and have been involved in all sorts of work but wouldn't try my hand at half of what he's listed.

He has stated in the grey panel that he will do 'minor electrical work' Is that the stuff that doesn't need a certificate ?

Hi Grayorm

Thanks for all your comments, I've taken time to read them all and come to the conclusion that you really didnt spend as much time reading mine.

I'm not offering "every trade going" - I've quite clearly listed that I dont do Gas, Electrics, Plumbing, Roofing, Double Glazing etc as I'm not qualified. But, I have 2 of my closest friends one of whom is a senior electrical engineer and one who lectures in plumbing, electrial and mechanical engineering at Salford Uni on hand to guide me, plus plenty of other people I know in the trades. So I know I can change socket and light fascias, lamps etc without being Part P registered - and there is a market for this. I have jobs booked on just this in fact from people who dont want to pay electrician prices but dont want to tackle it themselves.

I have 20 years experience of handyman type tasks, I've fully renovated 4 houses, a huge barn conversion plus much more, so I am more than capable.

I wish you all the best for the future and happy to chat, but please base your rants on fact.

Cheers, Chris

PS. "I've been in the job over 30 years and have been involved in all sorts of work but wouldn't try my hand at half of what he's listed." - better be on your game then, you've got competition

 

[hopester101]

First off, Chis, hard luck and Good Luck. I admire someone who picks themselves up, dusts themselves off, and steps up for a new challenge. Well done.

As for getting a website up and running so quickly - that smacks of determination.

I am not a web-designer, or a graphic artist, or a proof-reader, but I have a couple of observatiions to make. I mean these to be helpful, so please interpret my words in that light.

I find the website busy too. But I think that may be easily solved. For example, the side panels - maybe you could reduce the contrast. Make the background slightly darker - a light grey, and lighten the tool shapes a little. Make them look like a patterned cloth. People who look closely will see the tools, and the the effect will be better than a plain margin without dragging the eyes away from the real information.

Similarly the 'hand' logo. I see what you are after. But it did not strike me imediately - it looked like a 'text-explosion'. Try giving it a background in the shape of a hand to tie the details together into a whole? I might have done it as a thumbs-up hand - then most of the text would be horizontal and therefore easier on the eyes.

Your home page is called 'Home'. On a tab in firefox this is what is says. Make it say 'Helping Hand'.

Using Firefox on Linux I see problems with the alignment of the components:

I also think you should revisit the wording of the text. Nothing wrong with it - but it could be made be made better. You have to change your mindset. Do not write what you want to tell them. Instead write what they want to hear - obviously there is a lot of overlap, but the phrasing is different. You want them to think of the positives, not the negatives. An example:

I always aim to carry out jobs to the highest standards, however unavoidably there will be rare occasions when work I carry out doesn’t live up to expectations or you have a problem after I’ve left. Therefore I promise to always return as soon as I possibly can to rectify any problems, to leave you with the standard of work you expect.

You are drawing their attention to the possibility of failure. I think that I know what you want to say, but you are pointing at the failure when you should point at the success.

I always work to the highest standards of craftsmanship and customer satisfaction.

Anyway - hoping these thoughts help. I have a friend who was 'early-retired' a few (6? 7?). He set himself up as a handyman. He only does jobs he is confident at, charges fair prices, is reliable. His situatiion is likely different from yours - his kids have left home, his mortgage is mostly paid and so does not need as much work, but he has more work than he wants/needs. He wishes it had happened to him sooner.

Thanks Dr! Some very valid points and I have now updated my website with some of your suggestions... I still need to get it to look right in non-windows OS's but bigger priorities right now, changed my hosting provider so its back online.

If anyone needs a site hosting I'd recommend TSO Host, dead helpful, UK based and £2.99 a month, I searched for a while and these guys are great.

Thanks again
Chris

 

[Graham Orm]

From Grayorm:
If you scroll down you'll see that he's offering every trade going including electrical work :shock: #-o which to be blunt tells me he hasn't got a clue what he's doing and fishing for anything to practice on. He says he was made redundant from a professional position, which I assume wasn't a trade. I've been in the job over 30 years and have been involved in all sorts of work but wouldn't try my hand at half of what he's listed.

He has stated in the grey panel that he will do 'minor electrical work' Is that the stuff that doesn't need a certificate ?

Hi Grayorm

Thanks for all your comments, I've taken time to read them all and come to the conclusion that you really didnt spend as much time reading mine.

I'm not offering "every trade going" - I've quite clearly listed that I dont do Gas, Electrics, Plumbing, Roofing, Double Glazing etc as I'm not qualified. But, I have 2 of my closest friends one of whom is a senior electrical engineer and one who lectures in plumbing, electrial and mechanical engineering at Salford Uni on hand to guide me, plus plenty of other people I know in the trades. So I know I can change socket and light fascias, lamps etc without being Part P registered - and there is a market for this. I have jobs booked on just this in fact from people who dont want to pay electrician prices but dont want to tackle it themselves.

I have 20 years experience of handyman type tasks, I've fully renovated 4 houses, a huge barn conversion plus much more, so I am more than capable.

I wish you all the best for the future and happy to chat, but please base your rants on fact.

Cheers, Chris

PS. "I've been in the job over 30 years and have been involved in all sorts of work but wouldn't try my hand at half of what he's listed." - better be on your game then, you've got competition

Good luck Chris. :wink:

 

[defsdoor]

Chris - if you want your site hosting for free and full email services (use [email protected] if you own the domain - it looks less fly-by-night) etc.. drop me a line. I've my own dedicated hosted server running a bunch of other domains and adding yours to it wouldn't be any hardship.

Best of luck

 

[mseries]

Thanks Dr! Some very valid points and I have now updated my website with some of your suggestions... I still need to get it to look right in non-windows OS's but bigger priorities right now, changed my hosting provider so its back online.

Chris

First glance the website looks OK to me with Firefox on Linux. I like the gallery of your work too, even though a picture can't really show the standard it shows the jobs that you are prepared to take on.
Good luck, go for it.