Handyman Assist… Assisting Handymen All Around The Globe

Well I guess yes, you could do that.

And many before you already have done.

In fact, I did just that myself. And there really is nothing to stop you from doing it too.

However when I first started, I had informally been doing handyman and construction work in one form or other for quite a while beforehand. Therefore, I already had some considerable experience within this area. But even with that experience, I still made mistakes along the way.

Now don’t get me wrong, reading a book or even this website will not keep you from making mistakes. However, it is my goal here to ensure that your being a part of this website will drastically help shorten your learning curve and give you some ideas that you may not have even thought about.

Plus if you have never run a business before, then you really do need to participate before you do anything else. And that in essence, is what this website will be all about…

Getting help… when you need it… fast!

What I have learned is that more than knowing the trade basics, the on the tools skills, the mechanics behind how we go about our daily schedule of actually doing stuff, a lot of wannabe handymen need some form of help in actually getting their businesses started, how to find customers, keep customers coming back, and how to handle all the paperwork. These guys still have yet to properly establish themselves as bona fide business owners.

This website therefore has been written to specifically assist anyone with the desire to take this path. Whatever your personal goals may be for starting a business: More independence, personal achievement, respect, a change in lifestyle or even making money.

And within these pages I will take you through all the necessary steps needed to run, maintain and grow a successful business and help you to more quickly achieve your goals. I’ll even help you decide whether owning and running a business is actually right for you.

Did you know that almost 60% of all businesses fail within their first 3 years?

And that’s mainly because they haven’t properly followed a few simple steps.

Don’t let your business be one of them…

Within the depths of this website, you will learn all the necessary steps to take that are needed to help you start, grow, maintain and fully take ownership of your own handyman business.

Therefore it is the purpose of this site to over time, fully provide you with all the necessary tools, knowledge, hints and tips to help your handyman business stand out head and shoulders above the competition. And help you identify and use your competitive advantage to fully prosper and grow your own successful handyman business in the fullness of time.

Here’s just a small sample of the kind of content and subject matter

you can expect to find inside:

1. Standing Out From the Crowd

Your competitive advantage or unique selling point (USP) is what will help set your business apart from your competition. It highlights the benefits a customer will receive when they do business with you. Your competitive edge could be your products, service, reputation, or even your location. Get this bit of your business right and you’ll never have to compete on price again.

Identifying your competitive advantage!

To identify your competitive advantage, you first need to fully understand your competitors and your customers.

Ask yourself:

• Why do customers buy from me?
• Why do customers buy from my competitors and not me?
• Why do some potential customers not buy at all?
• What do I need to do to be more successful in the future?

Market research will help you to answer these questions. Good market research will reveal how your business is different from your competitors, and what you have to offer that appeals to your customers. In-depth customer research will help you identify your customer’s needs and help further increase your competitive edge.

3. Marketing 101

In this section, I’ll help analyse the marketing mix with you.

Once you understand how to market your product or service effectively – you’ll be unstoppable.

Every business needs to successfully market their products and services. Marketing is a critical tool for establishing awareness, attracting new customers and building lasting relationships. The most successful companies of today are generally the companies that spend the most time, effort and money on attracting new customers. Gone are the days when you can rely solely on word of mouth.

When done effectively, marketing can help you increase sales and establish your competitive advantage. Today’s customers are often spoilt for choice so it’s your job to show them why your company is king.

Marketing uses both communication and advertising tactics to help persuade customers that your brand, including your products and services, are exactly what they need. Even though you are marketing your brand, every aspect of your marketing strategy should focus on satisfying the current and future needs of your customers. Your approach to marketing will inform your sales techniques, so communication and collaboration within your team is critical, and everyone in your organisation should have some ownership of your marketing campaigns.

Marketing is a crucial aspect of your business and requires research, time, planning, and appropriate budget allocations.

The Marketing Mix

A set of recognised marketing tactics, which you can use in any combination to satisfy customers in your target market.

There are 7 Ps in marketing and they are all controllable, but subject to your internal and external marketing environments.

Combining these different marketing tactics to meet your customer’s needs and wants is known as using a ‘tactical marketing mix’

• Product

Product refers to what you are selling, including all of the features, advantages and benefits that your customers can enjoy from buying your goods or services.

When marketing your product, you need to think about the key features and benefits your customers want or need, including (but not limited to) styling, quality, repairs, and accessories.

• Price

This refers to your pricing strategy for your products and services and how it will affect your customers.

You should identify how much your customers are prepared to pay, how much mark-up you need to cater for overheads, your profit margins and payment methods, and other costs.

To attract customers and retain your competitive advantage, you may also wish to consider the possibility of discounts and seasonal pricing.

• Promotion

These are the promotional activities you use to make your customers aware of your products and services, including advertising, sales tactics, promotions and direct marketing.

Generally these are referred to as marketing tactics.

• Place

Place is where your products and services are seen, made, sold or distributed.

Access for customers to your products is key and it is important to ensure that customers can find you.

You can set yourself apart from your competition through the design of your retail space and by using effective visual merchandising techniques. If you are not a retail business, place is still an important part of your marketing.

Your customers may need a quick delivery turnaround, or want to buy only locally manufactured products.

If you are starting a new business, finding the right business location will be a key marketing tactic.

• People

People refer to the staff and salespeople who work for your business, including yourself.

When you provide excellent customer service, you create a positive experience for your customers, and in doing so market your brand to them.

In turn, existing customers may spread the word about your excellent service and you can win referrals.

Give your business a competitive advantage by recruiting the right people, training your staff to develop their skills, and retaining good staff.

• Process

Process refers to the processes involved in delivering your products and services to the customer.

It is also about being ‘easy to do business with’.

Having good processes in place will ensures that you:

• Repeatedly deliver the same standard of service to your customers time in and time out.
• Save time and money by increasing efficiency.

• Physical Evidence

Physical evidence refers to everything your customers see when interacting with your business.

This includes:

• The physical environment where you provide the product or service
• The layout or interior design
• Your packaging
• Your branding.

Physical evidence can also refer to your staff and how they dress and act.

Consider how your store’s layout, fixtures and signage can build your brand and increase your sales.

Promotional Activities for Success

The goal of all good marketing is to stand out and be noticed.

Good marketing keeps drawing your customer’s attention to your products and services. Your clearly defined, well-packaged, competitively-priced products and services are the foundation of all your marketing efforts.

The newer you are in your market, the harder you have to work to attract and retain new customers.

Many of your marketing activities will focus on communicating to customers the features and benefits of your products (i.e. compared to your competitors).

Consider which promotional activities will best meet your marketing needs.

Types of Promotional Activities

Product and service promotion is the most common form of marketing.

Promotional activities can include:

• Advertising – you can advertise your product, service or brand in newspapers, radio, television, magazines, outdoor signage and online.
• Personal Selling or Telemarketing – effective personal selling relies on good interpersonal skills and communication skills, excellent product and service knowledge and the ability to sell product benefits to prospective customers.
• Publicity – created by sending media releases to print and broadcasting media, giving interviews to the media and from word-of-mouth.
• Short-term Sales Promotions – market your product or service using coupons, competitions and contests.
• Direct Marketing – involves sending letters, emails, pamphlets and brochures to individual target clients, often followed by personal selling or telemarketing.

You can use any combination of these methods to target your customers. The right promotional mix will help you satisfy your customer’s needs, increase sales, improve your results and increase your ability to reach multiple customers within your target market.

Online Marketing

Online marketing is often the most cost-effective and is becoming increasingly important to businesses.

Developing a separate online marketing plan to evaluate your options and help implement your strategy is vital in the modern marketplace.

Be aware that your online marketing may require different training to other forms of marketing.

Depending on the type of business you run and your own particular marketing strategy, you and your staff may need to prioritise learning how to run or edit a website or effectively use social media, before learning how to communicate over the phone, or face-to-face.

Remember that, as the internet develops, what customers want to see online will also change.

Many online marketing tools of the past – such as pop-up advertising are no longer acceptable to internet users.

5. Sales Techniques

The goal here is to move a potential customer from just looking to – I want to buy!

The final sale may be the goal, but getting your customer to buy a product or service is just one step in a long process.

Successful selling involves:

• Developing relationships with people
• Discovering their needs
• Matching your products and services to these needs
• Communicating the benefits of buying your products and services.

Having a sales plan before you start selling will help you set sales goals and document ways to achieve those goals. To achieve your sales goals you may need to acquire some sales skills.

Learnt skills such as effective communication and product knowledge can give you confidence in your ability to sell, which will make your customers more likely to buy your products or services. Before you start selling anything, you also need to be aware of your legal obligations. The consequences of selling illegally could force you to close your business.

7. Good Record Keeping

Protect yourself & your business – maximise performance & profits.

Good record keeping can help you protect your business, measure your performance and help you maximise your profits.

Records are the source documents, both physical and electronic, that specify transaction dates and amounts, legal agreements, and private customer and business details.

Developing a system to log, store and dispose of records can benefit your business by allowing you to:

• Plan and work more efficiently
• Meet legal and tax requirements
• Measure profit and performance
• Generate meaningful reports
• Protect your rights
• Manage potential risks

Most businesses use an electronic record keeping system to make it easier to capture information, generate reports, and meet tax and legal reporting requirements.

If you are unsure whether to keep certain records, retain them anyway and seek advice from your accountant or financial adviser.

9. Business Insurance

Choosing the right insurance cover is an important part of managing your business, as it helps you manage and reduce potential risks.

Being uninsured or underinsured is risky, as it exposes you to potential losses if something goes wrong in your business.

Equally, having the wrong kind of insurance can also be a waste of money.

You should regularly review and update your insurance, especially when your business grows or changes.

While some decisions regarding insurance have already been made for you (such as those required by law, customers, clients or other businesses), it is your responsibility to identify risks in your business and decide which ones to insure against.

Here’s a short list of some of the insurances you might want to consider:

• Public Liability (this one’s a must have)
• Vehicle Insurance (another must have)
• Workers Compensation (if you employ others)
• Tool Cover against theft
• Health and Life Insurance
• Income Protection

11. Legal & Ethical Conduct

Protect yourself & your business from legal risk. Build your reputation & earn customer loyalty.

Businesses that demonstrate legal and ethical conduct can quickly build a strong reputation and earn long-term customer loyalty.

Legal and ethical conduct also protects your business from legal risks.

The consequences of unfair or illegal trading can ruin a business.

The Australian Competitor and Consumer Commission (ACCC) can fine, penalise or even close businesses that breach the fair trading and selling terms set out in the Australian Consumer Law.

Conducting your business ethically allows you to:

• Build a reputation for fair and professional conduct
• Foster repeat business and higher sales over time
• Develop a loyal, lasting customer base
• Earn the respect of peers, competitors and customers
• Minimise complaints about your business
• Remove legal and consumer-rights risks
• Develop peace of mind.

This is a guide for legal and ethical obligations and helps you maximise the benefits of ethical practices.

And There’s Much Much More Besides…

I now want you to imagine something if you will…

You’re shaken from your sleep one morning by the sort of deep booming voice you normally only hear on action movie trailers…

 “You are about to go on an epic journey.  It will be long,

it’ll be precarious and you’ll start out all alone.

Your vehicle awaits!”

So with bleary eyes, you throw on some clothes, stagger downstairs, and there it is… your chariot for the journey!

You’re not really happy with what you see. It’s not the best looking vehicle in the world, and you wonder whether it will even survive the trip. You’re disappointed with the bodywork and have a strong feeling that the engine could let you down too. What’s more, you’ve only the vaguest idea where you’re supposed to be going and no real idea how to get there!

You’re running your own business now…

You start to panic – just a little bit. Mr Movie Trailer has intimated that this journey isn’t going to be straightforward or easy. You don’t want to just rely on instinct and make it up as you go along, and the questions begin to fire-off in your brain, one after one after the other…

• Where are you heading?
• Where are the shortcuts?
• Where are the dead ends?
• Where are all the super-fast toll roads and what will it cost to use them?
• Where are the potholes and crumbling tracks that could scupper your journey altogether?
• How will you deal with the strange and varied habits of others along the way?
• Where are the best places to stop and explore as you go?
• Should you pick up passengers, and if so, who should they be?
• Where might it be dangerous to stop?

And How Can You Find Out About All

This Stuff Before You Set Off?

Our Movie Trailer Man has rudely interrupted the slumber of just about every human being to walk the planet at some point or other, and told them about this journey. It has happened to you, your parents, the people around you and it has even happened to me. Most people just rolled over and went back to sleep. It didn’t excuse them the journey, but it certainly made it a lot less enjoyable, fulfilling and successful than it should have been.

 It’s The Journey That Is ‘Running Your Own Business’…

Perhaps your wake-up call came many years ago. Maybe your kids are on the cusp of theirs. But what I’m writing about here has been created with all of you in mind. Look on it as your hindsight in advance … and it can be a timely slap around the face for you too. You see, what I’m talking about here … well let’s just say, most 40 and 50 year olds haven’t even begun to figure it out yet.

Many will never figure out all of it. And most have turned around at some point and said…

 Why Didn’t Somebody Ever Tell Me This Stuff?

You see this site is the combined knowledge, wisdom and insights of many people who have made this journey before you – not just those who’ve made a success of it, but also those who’ve got lost, side-tracked and even given up along the way.

 And who wouldn’t want to take advantage of that?

They don’t teach any of this stuff in schools… no matter how much you pay to go there. Schools are for breeding factory workers not business owners. They don’t teach it in college or University either. In fact they don’t teach these secrets and shortcuts anywhere.

You usually have to amass them the hard way… through no other means than painful, costly and time consuming trial and error.

 But now there’s an easier way… And you’re already here.

Imagine what a huge unfair advantage you’ll be giving your business, by getting it in on the inside track now – while it’s still early enough to milk the benefits for all they’re worth.

Well welcome to…

         This website

Let me give you some idea of the sort of other head-start business building information you’ll find in this brand new website… Other than the bricks and mortar stuff I have mentioned before:

• How school has prepared you for a world that doesn’t exist – and what you must do now. (Most ‘clever’ types never get this.)
• The beach test. How to tell if your life is on track… or ebbing away towards depressing mediocrity. One question tells you all you need to know.
• The truth about the way you look which is going to shock you. Most people over thirty know this, (and almost everyone knows it by fifty) but by then it’s usually too late.
• Why a fair days work for a fair days pay is for losers – and what to do instead. The lie that has doomed millions to defeat – and will do the same for you if you fall for it.
• Why doing things the right way could be holding you back, and what you must do instead if you want breakthrough success.
• What a John F Kennedy speech can teach you about getting other people to do exactly what you want. Telling them what it is usually doesn’t work – but this does!!
• What an old seaside postcard can teach you about winning in the real world. How to overpower skill, knowledge and education with a single ‘blow’.
• The six word question to ask yourself whenever you’re scared or worried. Banishes 95% of all worries and fears like magic!
• How to avoid becoming a pathetic pawn in someone else’s plans… and be a ruling king in your own plan instead.
• How the incredible success story of a cancer-stricken bare knuckle fighter could transform your life… but only if you take action right away!
• The ugly (but honest) truth about cheating, and whether you should do it. No moralising here. Just the truth.
• The key to turning your life from where it is now to where you want it to be. It’s laughably simple, so why does everybody look for something more complicated?
• Why being selfish is essential – and how to do it and still have people love you!
• How to quickly identify who is really having a negative impact on your life, and then banish them for good. The results of this will probably shock and disturb you.
• The dirty secret about luxury homes, cars and boats which the wealthy would rather you didn’t know. This could save you years of blood sweat and tears – if you pay close attention.
• How to cash in on an unfair world – no matter which side of the financial fence you’re currently standing on.
• The one secret the super-successful like to keep between themselves. You’ll find it so much easier to join them when you know what it is. (If you really want to!)
• How to force people to see you as you want to be seen – and they won’t even know how you’re doing it.
• How your parents may have accidentally sabotaged your life, and what you can do to put things right now.
• The real key to a happy life – it’s just four words long and it’s got nothing to do with health, wealth or love. Take this to heart and everything else will fall effortlessly into place.
• Why achieving goals will never make you happy… and what you need to focus on instead.
• The one thing you must do before any success is possible – and it has nothing to do with work or effort. It’s a lot easier than that!
• A simple trick to find out what you really want – and why it probably isn’t what you think it is today.
• How what really sunk the Titanic could sink you too if you don’t take immediate action. And no, it’s not an iceberg!
• How to instinctively read the thoughts and motivations of those around you. It’s a lot easier than you might think. No hocus pocus needed!
• Why education can be the kiss of death if you want to be a big success. You must read this if you’re in higher education and think it’s going to be your route to the top.
• When lying, cheating and bluffing can be smart – and when they will get you fired, locked up or ostracised. Everyone needs to know the crucial difference.
• Why Liverpool and Bristol football teams are so different – and why the difference holds the key to you making a major success breakthrough. If you’re a fan of football or popular music there will be a light bulb moment here.
• The Schwarzenegger secret. How Arnie used a single ‘magic bullet’ to overcome multiple seemingly impenetrable barriers. Anyone can copy this. No muscles required!
• Why you must never chase money if you ever want to be rich – and what to do instead. Paradoxical and illogical, but true.
• Why conforming is bad and rebelling is good – but only if you do it right.
• A trick from the movies you can use to make sure you never miss out on an opportunity – no matter when, where or how it comes.
• What two nightclub bouncers (and a distracted maths teacher) can teach you about first impressions. How to make the most of your one and only chance.
• Why failure is good… provided you do it right and you do it well. Here’s how to fail your way to huge success.
• Why it’s essential you become rich… and how to get it over with so you can get on with what’s really important in life.
• The myth about wealth and poverty which will screw you up like millions before – unless you know the truth.
• What every 30 year old finds out about their parents – but it’s usually too late.
• Why the best thing in life is far from free – and what you need to do to get it.
• Why thinking is hugely over-rated – and what you should be doing instead. If you like a lay in, you’ll love this!
• The mega success secret hiding in Albert Einstein’s lunch.
• A simple trick you can use to negotiate the price of anything, This will make or save you thousands if you use it wisely.
• What you can learn from Al Capone that won’t get you locked up. This is critical if you want to effortlessly keep people on side.
• What Sir Isaac Newton can teach you about making serious money – and not an equation in sight!
• Why saving money is for suckers – and what to do instead. This is so obvious, but very few seem to get it.
• How to uncover the hidden talent that could transform your life forever. Think you don’t have one? You’re wrong!
• How you’re probably sabotaging your own chances of success with something you do every day without thinking about it. Find out what it is – and stop!
• How to become interesting and fascinating to anyone you meet. It’s easy, but hardly anyone does it. No charisma or funny stories required.
• The shocking truth about diet and exercise the ‘fitness industry’ doesn’t want you to know about. 95% of people get this disastrously wrong and never recover.
• The one thing you must do every day which is guaranteed to keep you in good shape. It takes less than a minute and has nothing to do with diet, exercise or self hypnosis.
• The ugly side of success. The dark forces that will swarm in to spoil your party, if you don’t prepare well in advance. Every successful person is hit by this. Few are ready for it.
• How to decide when to ‘go to war’ and when to simply walk away. You’ll waste huge chunks of your life (and a mountain of money) if you get this wrong.
• The painful truth about your friends that you will struggle to accept – but it will cost you massively if you don’t.
• How to permanently dump any negative habit in 21 days or less.

And a great deal more besides.

You know this I’m sure, but I want to hammer it home…

Hard work, intelligence and education simply aren’t enough these days – not nearly enough! The system is churning out hordes of young people with straight A grade degrees only to find themselves working at MacDonalds. It’s simply not an edge any more, in fact it barely buys you a place on the start line, let alone a head-start in the business race.

To get that, you need to do things a little bit differently, and that means thinking, acting and working smarter. Do what the masses do and you’ll only ever get what the masses get. But carve yourself an edge and the rewards can be totally out of all proportion to the actual effort involved.

This Website has been created to help give you that edge.

I’ll make no bones about it – some of the shortcuts and secrets are unconventional. Some of them are even controversial. But they all have one thing in common – they’re all battle-tested in the only arena that matters – the real world! The business world! They all exist and they have all been proven to work!

If your sons or daughters are still in education, they too will need to see this site. If they’re trying to get established in a career, but haven’t got as far as they’d like, they need to see this site today.

 Heck even YOU need to see this site today!

It’s never too late to start making big positive changes. I’ll wager that there isn’t anyone alive who will read through this site and not find at least something which will make a huge and significant difference to their life, their business or fortunes. In fact I’ll even guarantee it!

Plus for the higher the level of commitment you make, there are massive savings to be made too.

How AWESOME is that?

There are four levels of entry to the site which are:

The Chai Latte

A one off purchase allowing you continuous access to the site’s content for life

Please note:

If the training within this website is in any way linked to your business operations, these payments can be offset against your tax liabilities as a legitimate business expense. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD) and will be made via secured payment through PayPal. Where recurring payments have been enabled, you can cancel payments at any time. In which case your site access will end at the next scheduled payment date. No refunds can be given for any prepaid access not utilsed.

So get started now… you won’t be disappointed

Subscribe to the site today. Read it from cover to cover. Revisit it as many times as you like. Try out some of the ideas, downloads, work sheets and shortcuts if you like. And then, if you don’t think it’s worth many times the price, or you aren’t totally satisfied for any reason whatsoever, simply cancel your subscription. It’s as easy as that, no questions asked.

I don’t believe in get-rich-quick programs. I believe in hard work, adding value and serving others. And that’s what this website is designed to help you do. As stated by law, I cannot and do not make any guarantees about your own ability to get results or earn any money with my ideas, information, downloads or strategies. I don’t know you and besides, your results in life are up to you. Agreed?

I’m simply here to help by giving you my greatest learned strategies to help move you forward, faster.

However, nothing on this page or any of my websites or emails is a promise or guarantee of future earnings. Any financial numbers referenced here, or on any of my sites or emails, are simply estimates or projections based on past results, and should not be considered exact, actual or as a promise of potential earnings – all numbers are illustrative only.

If you have questions, email andrayrob@gmail.com

Thanks for stopping by. And until next time, remember: Getting things right as early a possible can seriously change your life.