Handy is starting to look dandy to many full-service remodelers, but the profitable execution of small projects is just part of the challenge. There’s also the matter of how best to announce and market a new small-jobs or handyman service to a clientele that associates you with higher-end work. As one remodeler said, “How do we change our image without damaging it?”
A few full-service remodelers’ recent small-jobs debuts:
Titus Built, of Wilton, Conn., launched “Honey-Do Services” exclusively for existing and past clients. Announced in its fall e-letter, services range from basement cleanups to outdoor kitchens.
The core message emphasizes clients’ limited free time and desire to protect the investments in their homes “with proper upkeep.” President Jeff Titus rejected a suggestion to call it a ‘concierge service,’ noting: “We don’t want people to think their job is too small for us.”
D.G. Liu Contractor, in Dickerson, Md., is promoting its Home Services division with the assurance “even your smallest jobs” in marketing materials.
Other remodelers are dabbling with small jobs experimentally. Manley Enterprise, in Bethesda, Md., announced the “testing” of “Manley Men Handyman” in a letter mailed to 165 clients. Some remodelers have purchased small-projects franchises to simultaneously branch into new markets and preserve their brands.
In fact, the smaller-is-fine ethos is playing out in subtle ways too. Consider the high-end remodeler whose Web site once showed him wearing a suit and tie. Now he’s wearing denim.
