Donna Shirey (left in photo) spun off Shirey Handyman Service from Shirey Contracting because she wanted to provide handyman services to past clients without having to interrupt Shirey Contracting carpenters working on whole-house projects. She needed to find a good manager for the new company, which, as a handyman service, has a specific business format. “I was looking for someone with an entrepreneurial spirit who could go out and find business and create strategic partnerships,” Shirey says.
She found that combination of skills in April Bettinger (right), who joined the company in 2004. “We needed to focus on sales and to capitalize on the name and the marketing that had been done,” Bettinger says. The company handles about 800 $1,500 to $2,000 jobs per year. The five field carpenters have service vehicles and usually go straight to jobsites, but participate in a daily call and meet once a week. The company’s 50% growth rate since 2003 ended in 2008, but the team is adjusting.
BEST PRACTICES
- The field crew has general knowledge across all trades, but the company works with subcontractors that have a strong service format or separate service divisions and can respond to strict schedules.
- Shirey says that it’s important to maintain the strong brand for both companies: “If you are not careful, you can dilute the brand by not making it consistent.”
- Employees of Shirey Handyman Service have a generous benefits package including health insurance, dental/vision, and a 401(k) plan, and most have been with the company five years or more.
Notable quote: “That is one of our specialties — the nimbleness of being able to move. We are fast on our feet and can adjust and move quickly [in] a changing market,” Bettinger says.
- Nina Patel