@maxilinko What are you looking for the contractor to do? Is it replace a carpet? Or remodel a kitchen. One of those options takes 1 day and they make $100. The other option is 2 months and they make $20,000. Which option do you think the contractor would prefer.
You should get with a contractor and see if you can exclusively use that one. That way they would get consistent income, not just one offs.
@vickig I don't know what kind of rental properties OP has, but if it's just rental houses I don't bid those jobs. I would never just not show up, but I will tell them on the first call that we don't do rentals and they'd be better served by another contractor.
@maxilinko I put a craiglist ad as a handy man for stuff and my phone blew up. I might start a side gig on it. I don't think you're crazy but you should have some DIY skills if you're doing it yourself.
@maxilinko Generally speaking, there's a reason why these companies act a certain way. Typically it boils down to a lack of resources. There are only so many hours in a day.
@maxilinko I started an IT business and have all 5 star reviews. My secret? I sell service and solve problems. I just so happen to provide IT stuff.
I went to a car garage for an Mot last week and they have a customer for life now. Reception was friendly and welcoming, they didn't over charge me they offered me a lift and advice on where I could go for a meeting with my laptop and the little things at the end like thanking me for my business.
@maxilinko Like your idea… but it’s always more difficult to do in reality. Just DO what you say your going to DO. Start with showing up.
Most contractors do not have good business
accumen. If your smart and organized and you show up,
you just might be successful.
@maxilinko Stay focused on your property management company. Partner with 3-4 others like yourself and form an s-corp that runs a maintenance operation for all of you property owners. Split their salary. If they’re ambitious they can hire a helper and do side jobs for other customers. If they stay busy, they become the foreman and start building crews, but at the heart of it is a property management business. It’s a steady good job made from dozens of shitty jobs. And leave the contracting to the experts.
@maxilinko You should do it, your a girl boss who can do anything.
News flash the contractors don't like working for you for whatever reason. So they blow you off. I do it all the time. Don't like the way you speak to me? Find somebody else good luck
@613jono
i’m talking about people i’ve never hired before. i have a few guys that are on property working pretty regularly and have become personal friends with. have a great day!
@maxilinko You’re not crazy at all. Are you down South? We moved down from NY to NC and noticed that a lot of the people we called never returned calls or even showed up to do the job. They must have a lot of work or are just laid back. My guess is there’s a lot of work in the Charlotte area and not enough workers. Another guy in our neighborhood noticed the same thing. He was a retired cop from Long Island. He started his own contracting/handyman business and is doing quite well for himself now.
@fullfillingpurpose Good to know… I am in the northeast. A lot of people saw this as a dig to contractors which it wasn’t, just an observation of experience. My guess is that they are just killing it and don’t mind saying yes to everything, since if they don’t show, they’re at another job anyway. Seems like opportunity for competition
@maxilinko That's the majority of my landscape business.
I show up and do b+ work.. but I show up regularly.
I might not always call you back, I drop the ball often on quotes and scheduling jobs. But 80% of the time I show up on time and do what I say I would do.
@maxilinko If you were my customer and paid promptly, i would prioritize you. If this was weekly tasking, you would have no worries.
I have one customer who insists on 30 day net. I literally always solve their problem the VERY NEXT day. After three such occurrences i have decided to not be so prompt with my service. They may always pay me, but they do not appreciate me.
My primary GC has a 21 day net but he gives me 30% of my work, so i show up promptly, but do not jump when he calls.
My smaller individual customers get the most attention because they pay at the end of the day.
