Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Blogging!
I just read through my blog postings from beginning to end and realized that it is neat to have a written record of some of the jobs I have done and how they went. Though I realize that few visitors make it to my blog, it's at least a good way for me to keep a record of what life as a handyman is like. For this reason, I hope to be a little more consistent with updates to this blog.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Gate Pictures
A while back, I got a call from a customer who ask me to rebuild some damaged gates. After looking at the gates he wanted rebuilt, I was at first a little bit intimidated. However, I decided to give it a shot anyway. Once all was said and done, they turned out pretty well.
I meant to take pictures, but forgot. Fortunately, he recently called me back for an additional project, so I was able to get the pictures after all.
I estimated the gates at $300 labor plus materials (materials were a little over $100). The customer thought that was fair. The gates took about nine hours to build (someone with a nice work shop could build them a lot faster, but working with limited space really slows you down). I thought I estimated pretty well, however, when I went to hang them, they decided to be difficult. Because of this, I spent an addition couple hours hanging the gates that I didn't anticipate.
I meant to take pictures, but forgot. Fortunately, he recently called me back for an additional project, so I was able to get the pictures after all.
Front View
Back View
I estimated the gates at $300 labor plus materials (materials were a little over $100). The customer thought that was fair. The gates took about nine hours to build (someone with a nice work shop could build them a lot faster, but working with limited space really slows you down). I thought I estimated pretty well, however, when I went to hang them, they decided to be difficult. Because of this, I spent an addition couple hours hanging the gates that I didn't anticipate.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Flower Bed Before/After Pictures
Some jobs are done are simply for the money. For example, when I am removing leaves for customers, it's not because I love the work. Leaf removal is hard, dirty work that doesn't provide me with much satisfaction (but it does provide me with lungs full of dust, dirty clothes, and a sore body). The only real positive thing about leaf removal is the fact that I get paid for it. Other jobs that fall into this category are gutter clean outs and sometimes (depending on the situation) lawn mowing. Apart from the pay, there is not much I like about these jobs either. Fortunately though, those kind of jobs currently only make up less than 50% of what I do. Thankfully, the larger percentage of what I do are jobs that I really enjoy.
The jobs I enjoy most are jobs in which I get to see visible results at the end. I an very happy anytime I get to repair something or make something nicer. It's for this reason that I get satisfaction and enjoyment even from jobs such as cleaning out a flower bed. Though the work can be a bit tedious, it can also offer visible satisfaction at the end. Here are some pictures from a customers flower bed I cleaned out last summer.
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
I was called to give an estimate for this job just a few months after I went full time. I honestly had no idea how to estimate the cost. I really couldn't tell if it would take 5 hours or even maybe 10. To me it looked like a lengthy job, but I really wasn't sure. Finally, I made the customer an offer. I told them that I would work for my rate ($35/hour) up to $225. I told the customer that if the job took less than $225 of labor, then they would only be billed for the amount I worked. But if it took longer, then they wouldn't have to pay anything above $225. The customer thought this was fair.
When I went to do the job the next day, I was surprised at how fast the job went. The entire job was completed in 3.5 hours. The final bill for the customer was for $135 (this included a debris disposal charge). I guess she was happy with the price because when I received the check, it was made out for $165. I assumed that the extra was a bonus, but looking back on it, I guess it possibly could have been a mistake on her part.
The jobs I enjoy most are jobs in which I get to see visible results at the end. I an very happy anytime I get to repair something or make something nicer. It's for this reason that I get satisfaction and enjoyment even from jobs such as cleaning out a flower bed. Though the work can be a bit tedious, it can also offer visible satisfaction at the end. Here are some pictures from a customers flower bed I cleaned out last summer.
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
I was called to give an estimate for this job just a few months after I went full time. I honestly had no idea how to estimate the cost. I really couldn't tell if it would take 5 hours or even maybe 10. To me it looked like a lengthy job, but I really wasn't sure. Finally, I made the customer an offer. I told them that I would work for my rate ($35/hour) up to $225. I told the customer that if the job took less than $225 of labor, then they would only be billed for the amount I worked. But if it took longer, then they wouldn't have to pay anything above $225. The customer thought this was fair.
When I went to do the job the next day, I was surprised at how fast the job went. The entire job was completed in 3.5 hours. The final bill for the customer was for $135 (this included a debris disposal charge). I guess she was happy with the price because when I received the check, it was made out for $165. I assumed that the extra was a bonus, but looking back on it, I guess it possibly could have been a mistake on her part.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
One of Those Days
Good grief!
It was supposed to be a simple door install. I was simply replacing an interior door that a dog destroyed. The customer had the replacement door on hand. All I had to do was line up to two doors and transfer the hinge and handle locations. Next, I would simply chisel out the hinge settings, attached the hinges then rehang the door before drilling out the handle hole. However, after chiseling out the hinge settings, things didn't go so well.
After I reattached the hinges, I went to hang the door. When I did, I discovered that the new door was just a little wider than previous door. Because of this, the door wouldn't close. To make the door fit I needed to shave off 1/8 of an inch. While I have a lot of tools at my disposal, I really don't have a good way of shaving a door down. My only real option was to use my skil saw. To do this, I would simply place a straight edge at the right location and run my skil saw next to it so that it would shave off the right amount. This works well if you have a good solid straight edge, the only problem was that mine wasn't a good solid straight edge. Because of this, as I ran my saw against it, it flexed. This flex allowed my saw to go way off course causing me to effectively ruin the door.
Fortunately, it was only a $28 door. Also, it was fortunate that Lowes was just a couple blocks away. The whole project should have only taken two hours, however, after two hours, I was basically starting all over.
I was much more careful shaving the door the second time. However, I was to conservative in my cutting and didn't cut off enough. Because of this, the door was still too tight. However, it wasn't tight enough to justify using the table saw again. I thought I could fix the problem by setting the hinges a little deeper and by using my grinder/sander to shave off the little extra necessary. Finally, after MANY trips of taking the door in and out to try it out, it eventually fit, but not until another 3 and 1/2 hours had passed.
So, today I was paid $70 (I estimated it as a 2 hour job). Take away $31 for the door (including tax) and I am left with $39. Let's now subtract $5 for fuel and I still have $34. The government will want 15% of this ($5.10) leaving me with $28.90. I will now divide my $28.90 by 5.5 which is the number of hours I was at the job site and find that I made a total of $5.25 per hour.
It's good to be self employed :)
Actually it is really good to be self employed. When things like today happen, I just count is as learning. When I consider the fact that many people spend thousand of dollars for a degree that they may or may not use, I realize that eating the cost of a $30 door isn't so bad so long as I learned something along the way.
It was supposed to be a simple door install. I was simply replacing an interior door that a dog destroyed. The customer had the replacement door on hand. All I had to do was line up to two doors and transfer the hinge and handle locations. Next, I would simply chisel out the hinge settings, attached the hinges then rehang the door before drilling out the handle hole. However, after chiseling out the hinge settings, things didn't go so well.
After I reattached the hinges, I went to hang the door. When I did, I discovered that the new door was just a little wider than previous door. Because of this, the door wouldn't close. To make the door fit I needed to shave off 1/8 of an inch. While I have a lot of tools at my disposal, I really don't have a good way of shaving a door down. My only real option was to use my skil saw. To do this, I would simply place a straight edge at the right location and run my skil saw next to it so that it would shave off the right amount. This works well if you have a good solid straight edge, the only problem was that mine wasn't a good solid straight edge. Because of this, as I ran my saw against it, it flexed. This flex allowed my saw to go way off course causing me to effectively ruin the door.
Fortunately, it was only a $28 door. Also, it was fortunate that Lowes was just a couple blocks away. The whole project should have only taken two hours, however, after two hours, I was basically starting all over.
I was much more careful shaving the door the second time. However, I was to conservative in my cutting and didn't cut off enough. Because of this, the door was still too tight. However, it wasn't tight enough to justify using the table saw again. I thought I could fix the problem by setting the hinges a little deeper and by using my grinder/sander to shave off the little extra necessary. Finally, after MANY trips of taking the door in and out to try it out, it eventually fit, but not until another 3 and 1/2 hours had passed.
So, today I was paid $70 (I estimated it as a 2 hour job). Take away $31 for the door (including tax) and I am left with $39. Let's now subtract $5 for fuel and I still have $34. The government will want 15% of this ($5.10) leaving me with $28.90. I will now divide my $28.90 by 5.5 which is the number of hours I was at the job site and find that I made a total of $5.25 per hour.
It's good to be self employed :)
Actually it is really good to be self employed. When things like today happen, I just count is as learning. When I consider the fact that many people spend thousand of dollars for a degree that they may or may not use, I realize that eating the cost of a $30 door isn't so bad so long as I learned something along the way.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Seven Months and Counting
Well it's been nearly seven months since starting this endeavor, and with these seven months behind I can say that for me it is hard to imagine a better way of making a living. Though this line of work can be stressful (when a project is not going as expected, or when I have too many customers lined up at once), hard (digging post holes or mowing in 100 degree weather), and aggravating (most customers are great, but their are a few that can drive you nuts), it is also a lot of fun.
I love the fact that the work I do changes on nearly a day to day basis. I am quite sure that if I had to do any one thing day after day I would get tired of it quick. But as things are, as soon as I get sick of doing one thing, a new type of job will present itself. Over the past six months I have...
Removed Leaves - labor intensive and dirty work
Cleaned Gutters - Some times this is very easy work, but other times it is a very slow process. If the pitch of the roof is not too steep and the gutters are not packed with "muck" and do not have leaf guard, then you can just walk along the roof with a leaf blower and blow them clean. However, if they are full of decomposed "muck," then you have to scoop it out by hand foot by foot. If the pitch of the roof is too steep to safely walk on, you then have to do this by ladder which means constantly climbing up and down to move it a couple feet at a time (makes my knees hurt). And then to make matters worse, some times you have to remove leaf guard to get to the "muck."
Laid Sod
Poured Concrete - A very small section
Painted
Hauled Trash
Plugged Rodent Holes
Installed Gutters
Installed a Dead Bolt and a Peep Hole in a Door
Installed Light Fixtures
Installed Mini-Blinds
Replaces Electrical Outlets
Repaired Fascia -the trim along the roof line of a house
Installed Window Screen
Repaired a Riding Mower
Replaced a Rotted Bathroom Floor - As I was removing the old floor, I accidentally cut through a water pipe. Water went everywhere (this is one of those stressful moments I referred to earlier). Fortunately, it was a copper pipe, and I was able to repair it myself. I will certainly be more careful with my sawzall in the future.
Installed and Repaired Fences - three new installs and several repairs.
Weeded Flower beds
Mowed Lawns
Trimmed Trees
Trimmed Shrubs
Repaired a Rotted Soffit - the wood on the underside of a roof
Installed a TV Antenna
So as you can see, the work I do varies quite a bit. For me, this is a very good thing. The constant change keeps the job interesting. I have recently considered investing in better equipment and going heavily into lawn care this next spring. However, the more I think about it, the less I like the idea. Though I think it would be good to have work that is constant throughout the summer, I am not sure that I could handle doing the same thing day after day. I will wait a few more months before deciding on this.
It is really interesting the way business comes. It's either busy or it's not. Once the phone starts ringing for work it seems to then continue for several weeks straight. But all of a sudden, business will go completely dead and remain that way for a few weeks. After a couple of weeks, the phone will start ringing and I will be busy again. It's a really interesting thing. It's as if everyone gets in the mood to get something done at the same time.
I used to fret during the slow times, but now I am starting to just enjoy them as a perk of the job. Do to the fact that my families living expenses are low, I can usually make enough in a busy week to carry us for a full month. Because of this, I can handle a sudden slow down.
Business drastically dropped off during the holidays. Slowly it is picking back up. I must admit though, that I don't mind things being slow during the cold. As long as I have a little money in the bank, I am quite content to be home where it is nice and warm. Just the same, the cold weather also affects my customers actions. For if my recollection is correct, I have yet to have a call for work on a really cold day. Fine with me :)
While I doubt I will ever make a ton of money doing this, I do believe that I should be able to make a decent living while remaining free from the bondage of a time clock. If you are considering going into such a business as this, then my advice is simplify your life and make your living expenses as low as possible. By doing so, you can survive the lean times. If you have lots of monthly bills and have no discipline to save during the good times, then this type of up and down work could be very stressful.
I love the fact that the work I do changes on nearly a day to day basis. I am quite sure that if I had to do any one thing day after day I would get tired of it quick. But as things are, as soon as I get sick of doing one thing, a new type of job will present itself. Over the past six months I have...
Removed Leaves - labor intensive and dirty work
Cleaned Gutters - Some times this is very easy work, but other times it is a very slow process. If the pitch of the roof is not too steep and the gutters are not packed with "muck" and do not have leaf guard, then you can just walk along the roof with a leaf blower and blow them clean. However, if they are full of decomposed "muck," then you have to scoop it out by hand foot by foot. If the pitch of the roof is too steep to safely walk on, you then have to do this by ladder which means constantly climbing up and down to move it a couple feet at a time (makes my knees hurt). And then to make matters worse, some times you have to remove leaf guard to get to the "muck."
Laid Sod
Poured Concrete - A very small section
Painted
Hauled Trash
Plugged Rodent Holes
Installed Gutters
Installed a Dead Bolt and a Peep Hole in a Door
Installed Light Fixtures
Installed Mini-Blinds
Replaces Electrical Outlets
Repaired Fascia -the trim along the roof line of a house
Installed Window Screen
Repaired a Riding Mower
Replaced a Rotted Bathroom Floor - As I was removing the old floor, I accidentally cut through a water pipe. Water went everywhere (this is one of those stressful moments I referred to earlier). Fortunately, it was a copper pipe, and I was able to repair it myself. I will certainly be more careful with my sawzall in the future.
Installed and Repaired Fences - three new installs and several repairs.
Weeded Flower beds
Mowed Lawns
Trimmed Trees
Trimmed Shrubs
Repaired a Rotted Soffit - the wood on the underside of a roof
Installed a TV Antenna
So as you can see, the work I do varies quite a bit. For me, this is a very good thing. The constant change keeps the job interesting. I have recently considered investing in better equipment and going heavily into lawn care this next spring. However, the more I think about it, the less I like the idea. Though I think it would be good to have work that is constant throughout the summer, I am not sure that I could handle doing the same thing day after day. I will wait a few more months before deciding on this.
It is really interesting the way business comes. It's either busy or it's not. Once the phone starts ringing for work it seems to then continue for several weeks straight. But all of a sudden, business will go completely dead and remain that way for a few weeks. After a couple of weeks, the phone will start ringing and I will be busy again. It's a really interesting thing. It's as if everyone gets in the mood to get something done at the same time.
I used to fret during the slow times, but now I am starting to just enjoy them as a perk of the job. Do to the fact that my families living expenses are low, I can usually make enough in a busy week to carry us for a full month. Because of this, I can handle a sudden slow down.
Business drastically dropped off during the holidays. Slowly it is picking back up. I must admit though, that I don't mind things being slow during the cold. As long as I have a little money in the bank, I am quite content to be home where it is nice and warm. Just the same, the cold weather also affects my customers actions. For if my recollection is correct, I have yet to have a call for work on a really cold day. Fine with me :)
While I doubt I will ever make a ton of money doing this, I do believe that I should be able to make a decent living while remaining free from the bondage of a time clock. If you are considering going into such a business as this, then my advice is simplify your life and make your living expenses as low as possible. By doing so, you can survive the lean times. If you have lots of monthly bills and have no discipline to save during the good times, then this type of up and down work could be very stressful.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Still At It!
Well, it is probably obvious by my lack of post that the newness of all this has finally worn off. Yes, I still enjoy what I do, but slowly it is becoming normal life versus something I want to sit down and write about all the time.
The news paper add was a pretty good investment. For the first four weeks it ran, it generated a little over $3000 in labor. Because of the results, I decided to run it an additional four weeks. So far the results haven't been quite as good, but it is still a worthwhile investment. When time allows, I will try to build a web site, or possibly look into having one built. I don't know if it will generate much business, but I think it's worth a try. Eventually, I expect word of mouth to keep me busy, but so far that is not the case. Up until now, all of my business has been generated from advertising of some sort.
I am finally getting comfortable with telling people my rate. At first I had a really hard time telling people that I worked at $35 per hour. Though I could see the need to work at that price, it just seemed like a really high price to pay. However, I am glad that I stuck with it. For I can now truly see that it is the price I need to work toward to really stay in business. If my rates were only $20 per hour, I wouldn't have room to buy new tools and cover my down time, expense and pay my self a decent wage. However, $35 per hour make this possible. There are people in town doing what I do who work for $20 per hour and even a little less. But I honestly don't know how that can really make it. There is just too much down time, drive time, and little expenses that eat into your profits.
It is possible that I am the most expensive handyman in my area, but so far, I don't think it has cost me much work. Many customers don't even ask a price. They just say come fix this. If a customer calls and I can tell that they are price conscious, I will tell them my rate and explain that that is what I have to charge in order to provide my service to them. Must customers seem to understand this. If a job sounds as if it is going to take several hours, I will try to look at it and give an estimate. But if it sounds as if it is a small job, I tell the customer that I can't come and give an estimate first.
It's funny how this business works. For the past four week I have been quite busy. But this week, the phone has been nearly silent. It rang today for the first time. It was a customer who needed her lawn mowed. While setting up a time to mow, she also let me know that she would soon be needing me to do a lot of little projects around her house. Later this evening, I recieved another call from a customer wanting me to give them an estimate to install 344 feet of chain link fence. If I get that job, it should be nearly a weeks worth of work. Well see what happens.
Actually, it has been quite nice to have a slow week. It has allowed to rest my body a little and get a few things done that I need to get done. I pulled a muscle in my back almost two weeks ago. However, it hasn't fully recovered because I couldn't rest it completely. This slow time is helping.
Though my add says nothing about hauling and property cleanup, I have received several calls from customers asking me to haul stuff away. So far I have just used my truck for doing this, but seeing the potential for this kind of work, I recently invested in a 16 foot trailer. Though the trailer is a little long for daily use, it should be good for hauling big loads when needed.
Well, I guess that's it for now.
The news paper add was a pretty good investment. For the first four weeks it ran, it generated a little over $3000 in labor. Because of the results, I decided to run it an additional four weeks. So far the results haven't been quite as good, but it is still a worthwhile investment. When time allows, I will try to build a web site, or possibly look into having one built. I don't know if it will generate much business, but I think it's worth a try. Eventually, I expect word of mouth to keep me busy, but so far that is not the case. Up until now, all of my business has been generated from advertising of some sort.
I am finally getting comfortable with telling people my rate. At first I had a really hard time telling people that I worked at $35 per hour. Though I could see the need to work at that price, it just seemed like a really high price to pay. However, I am glad that I stuck with it. For I can now truly see that it is the price I need to work toward to really stay in business. If my rates were only $20 per hour, I wouldn't have room to buy new tools and cover my down time, expense and pay my self a decent wage. However, $35 per hour make this possible. There are people in town doing what I do who work for $20 per hour and even a little less. But I honestly don't know how that can really make it. There is just too much down time, drive time, and little expenses that eat into your profits.
It is possible that I am the most expensive handyman in my area, but so far, I don't think it has cost me much work. Many customers don't even ask a price. They just say come fix this. If a customer calls and I can tell that they are price conscious, I will tell them my rate and explain that that is what I have to charge in order to provide my service to them. Must customers seem to understand this. If a job sounds as if it is going to take several hours, I will try to look at it and give an estimate. But if it sounds as if it is a small job, I tell the customer that I can't come and give an estimate first.
It's funny how this business works. For the past four week I have been quite busy. But this week, the phone has been nearly silent. It rang today for the first time. It was a customer who needed her lawn mowed. While setting up a time to mow, she also let me know that she would soon be needing me to do a lot of little projects around her house. Later this evening, I recieved another call from a customer wanting me to give them an estimate to install 344 feet of chain link fence. If I get that job, it should be nearly a weeks worth of work. Well see what happens.
Actually, it has been quite nice to have a slow week. It has allowed to rest my body a little and get a few things done that I need to get done. I pulled a muscle in my back almost two weeks ago. However, it hasn't fully recovered because I couldn't rest it completely. This slow time is helping.
Though my add says nothing about hauling and property cleanup, I have received several calls from customers asking me to haul stuff away. So far I have just used my truck for doing this, but seeing the potential for this kind of work, I recently invested in a 16 foot trailer. Though the trailer is a little long for daily use, it should be good for hauling big loads when needed.
Well, I guess that's it for now.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Week Five Recap
Typically, I would not consider myself a fickle person. My emotions are pretty constant, and I am usually continuously confident regarding the decisions that I make. However, with that said, I must be honest and admit that my emotions have been a little bit up and down regarding my decision to go full time as a "handyman."
Most of the time I am pretty confident and very happy about my decision. But, let me go several days in a row with no work, and I start to doubt my decision. This is the situation I was in when my doubts reached a climax last Tuesday (July 20th). With the exception of a few small jobs, I had been almost eight days without any significant work. This situation would not have been so bad if it were not for the fact that I had just spent $80 to advertise in our local paper. The ad started on Sunday, and as of Tuesday, I had not received a single call. In addition to this, a guttering estimate I prepared was rejected that same day for being too high. Now, take these facts and add them to the fact that my wife's hours were being cut way back at her job, and you ended up with a man who was starting to be overcome with doubt. With the safety net of my wife's hours disappearing, and with the phone not ringing, I was starting to already consider the possibility that I might have to once again become an employee to someone else.
Fortunately, this season of doubt didn't last long. Though I sat in it for the better part of the day, I was eventually reminded of some important things (These "important things" were in regards to my faith. While I am in no way ashamed of this these things, I make a point not to mention them here. If you look at my profile, you will see another blog spot of mine that is devoted to the topic). And after this reminder, everything was once again well. While these "important things" didn't guarantee me success as a handyman, they did guarantee that everything would workout for our eventual good.
It was the following day (Wednesday, July 21st) that everything began to get busy. The day started with a call from a lady wanting me to paint her bathroom. However, before I could leave for that job, I got my first call and job from the newspaper ad. The job involved weed-eating a fence line. After returning home from these two jobs, I found an email from the guy I gave the gutter estimate to. He sent the email to let me know that he wanted me to do the guttering after all. He also mentioned that he needed me to move another load of books (I mentioned this guy in my last post). I moved the books on Thursday and bought the materials for the guttering job. When I returned home, I received my second call and job from the newspaper add. The call was from an 80 year old man who was frustrated because the area around his mail box was ugly. He didn't ask about rates, he only said "come fix it."
I left Friday morning to install the guttering. As I was installing the guttering, the man I was working for introduced me to his brother-in-law. His brother-in-law gave me his phone number and address and ask me to stop by at some point to look over some work he was needing done.
I finished the guttering a little after 1 pm. I then went to look at the mail box situation. The mail box was simply a little patch of ground, surrounded by a sidewalk and curb that was filled with lava rock and some kind of evergreen growth. It was also full of weeds. The customer simply let me know that he wanted it all cleaned out and that he wanted new sod laid down. Just as before, price seemed to be the least of his concern. Shortly after starting the mail box project, I received my 3rd call and job from the news paper add. This job involved repairing some doors at a rental property.
On Saturday, I finished the sod job. Having never once discussed price, I was a little nervous about presenting my bill. The total came to $220. Materials cost $45, and the other $175 was for five hours of labor. There was no need to be nervous. When I presented the bill, they only seemed to be concerned that all my expenses were covered. After writing the check, they took me out to show me a flower bed that the wife wanted cleared out at a later time. The husband also inquired as to whether or not I mowed lawns. He then let me know that if the "kid" taking care of their yard ever quit, I would be the first person he would call.
I left the "mail box" job to meet with the customer at the rental property. We agreed on a price, and I went back later that evening to complete that job. I then took Sunday off.
Today, I went to clear out the flower bed. While there, I got my fourth call and job from the newspaper add. This call was from a real estate company who had a rental that needed some junk cleared out of the back yard. After finishing the flowerbed, I went to look at the job. After agreeing on a price, I went home, cleaned out my truck and loaded up my family so that we could all work on the job together. The job paid $100, and with all of us working together, we had it finished in just over an hour.
While I'm sure I am likely to have seasons of doubt again, today I feel like the most blessed man alive. I am absolutely loving what I do, and I am getting paid to do it. I can get started early, or I can sleep in a little and get started late. If the job allows, I can take my family with me. This all seems too good to be true.
Week Five Total: $602.50 ($25 mowing, $80 painting, $100 fence-line clearing, $35 hauling, $122.50 gutter install, $175 sod job, $65 door repairs)
Most of the time I am pretty confident and very happy about my decision. But, let me go several days in a row with no work, and I start to doubt my decision. This is the situation I was in when my doubts reached a climax last Tuesday (July 20th). With the exception of a few small jobs, I had been almost eight days without any significant work. This situation would not have been so bad if it were not for the fact that I had just spent $80 to advertise in our local paper. The ad started on Sunday, and as of Tuesday, I had not received a single call. In addition to this, a guttering estimate I prepared was rejected that same day for being too high. Now, take these facts and add them to the fact that my wife's hours were being cut way back at her job, and you ended up with a man who was starting to be overcome with doubt. With the safety net of my wife's hours disappearing, and with the phone not ringing, I was starting to already consider the possibility that I might have to once again become an employee to someone else.
Fortunately, this season of doubt didn't last long. Though I sat in it for the better part of the day, I was eventually reminded of some important things (These "important things" were in regards to my faith. While I am in no way ashamed of this these things, I make a point not to mention them here. If you look at my profile, you will see another blog spot of mine that is devoted to the topic). And after this reminder, everything was once again well. While these "important things" didn't guarantee me success as a handyman, they did guarantee that everything would workout for our eventual good.
It was the following day (Wednesday, July 21st) that everything began to get busy. The day started with a call from a lady wanting me to paint her bathroom. However, before I could leave for that job, I got my first call and job from the newspaper ad. The job involved weed-eating a fence line. After returning home from these two jobs, I found an email from the guy I gave the gutter estimate to. He sent the email to let me know that he wanted me to do the guttering after all. He also mentioned that he needed me to move another load of books (I mentioned this guy in my last post). I moved the books on Thursday and bought the materials for the guttering job. When I returned home, I received my second call and job from the newspaper add. The call was from an 80 year old man who was frustrated because the area around his mail box was ugly. He didn't ask about rates, he only said "come fix it."
I left Friday morning to install the guttering. As I was installing the guttering, the man I was working for introduced me to his brother-in-law. His brother-in-law gave me his phone number and address and ask me to stop by at some point to look over some work he was needing done.
I finished the guttering a little after 1 pm. I then went to look at the mail box situation. The mail box was simply a little patch of ground, surrounded by a sidewalk and curb that was filled with lava rock and some kind of evergreen growth. It was also full of weeds. The customer simply let me know that he wanted it all cleaned out and that he wanted new sod laid down. Just as before, price seemed to be the least of his concern. Shortly after starting the mail box project, I received my 3rd call and job from the news paper add. This job involved repairing some doors at a rental property.
On Saturday, I finished the sod job. Having never once discussed price, I was a little nervous about presenting my bill. The total came to $220. Materials cost $45, and the other $175 was for five hours of labor. There was no need to be nervous. When I presented the bill, they only seemed to be concerned that all my expenses were covered. After writing the check, they took me out to show me a flower bed that the wife wanted cleared out at a later time. The husband also inquired as to whether or not I mowed lawns. He then let me know that if the "kid" taking care of their yard ever quit, I would be the first person he would call.
This is a picture during the project after the old stuff was cleaned out.
After
I left the "mail box" job to meet with the customer at the rental property. We agreed on a price, and I went back later that evening to complete that job. I then took Sunday off.
Today, I went to clear out the flower bed. While there, I got my fourth call and job from the newspaper add. This call was from a real estate company who had a rental that needed some junk cleared out of the back yard. After finishing the flowerbed, I went to look at the job. After agreeing on a price, I went home, cleaned out my truck and loaded up my family so that we could all work on the job together. The job paid $100, and with all of us working together, we had it finished in just over an hour.
While I'm sure I am likely to have seasons of doubt again, today I feel like the most blessed man alive. I am absolutely loving what I do, and I am getting paid to do it. I can get started early, or I can sleep in a little and get started late. If the job allows, I can take my family with me. This all seems too good to be true.
Week Five Total: $602.50 ($25 mowing, $80 painting, $100 fence-line clearing, $35 hauling, $122.50 gutter install, $175 sod job, $65 door repairs)
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