People are always needing their yard cut, bushes trimmed, windows washed or minor repairs done around the house. You can make fifteen to thirty dollars or more an hour by filling these needs on a regular basis without paying for expensive advertising or incurring heavy start up costs. All you need are some basic tools, an inexpensive vehicle and maybe a cell phone to get started.

Call yourself a fix-it man, yard man or window washer as you will, but not a home repair specialist or handyman. Most states require contractor's licenses for repairmen and handymen. Unless you want to become a contractor, don't advertise yourself as one. The intent here is to start up an easy, profitable business that can make you quick, easy money when you need it. Of course, if you like the work, by all means pick up an appropriate contractor's license, expand your business and go for the gold.

Dress like a workman, and look like you know what you are doing. A mini van and some tools helps a lot too. You can buy all kinds of mini vans these days for very little money, and they are an ideal work vehicle that is cheap on gas, has lots of room, is easy to park, and will carry your tools locked up so they won't disappear every time you turn your back. Choose a light colored or plain white or gray van as they are more professional looking. A delivery van with no side windows is best, but if you get a smoking deal on a van with windows, just paint them out by painting them a matching color on the inside. You don't want people looking in and taking inventory of your tools. A ladder rack can be hung just under the roof to keep everything inside as much as possible. If you can't afford a van, just use whatever vehicle you have to get started. You can do without the cell phone too, but without it, you'll lose a lot of come-back, referral or residual business. The next best choice is a regular house phone, but you will miss a lot of calls, as when people want something, they want it now. They will call around until they get a live one to talk to them. Believe it, the cell phone will more than pay for itself. Too, it is lot easier to have people come to you, rather than going out and hustling up business. Take your advantages where you find them!

The basic idea is to go from door to door, handing out your flyer and business card to drum up business, but we have a different twist that will pay off in spades! While introducing yourself to your customer, offer to do a simple job for $5.00 while you are there. That simple job can be as basic as painting their house address numbers on the curb in black and white paint. The job will only take you ten or fifteen minutes, using easy-to-make plastic templates and is an important feature of this plan. It will help get your foot in the door and begin a working relationship with the people. Once they get to know and trust you, the work will come pouring in. Start small and grow large!

Get a three pieces of 0.30 thousands, stiff but flexible transparent or translucent sheet plastic about 12"X 18" and cut a 6"X10" rectangle out of the center of one with a razor knife to use as a background mask. Cut a 6"X12" rectangle out of the other for longer addresses. The plastic sheeting doesn't need to be thick or clear, as you just need to be able to see outlines through it for positioning- you want your numbers lined up straight and properly spaced.

Take another piece of the same plastic and cut out 10, 4"X6" rectangles, all the same size. Draw or trace a set of 4" high numbers, 1 through 0, about a half in inch in from the left of each clear plastic rectangle and cut out the individual numbers for use as stencils for painting your numbers.

Now, all you need is some paint and odds and ends. Get one quart each of good exterior white and black acrylic paint and a couple of cheap, 1" synthetic paint brushes and a plastic bucket with a lid to hold wash-up water. The lid keeps the water from splashing around on the inside of your vehicle. Also, collect some old towels or rags to use as wipes. A wire brush, whisk broom or stiff brush is handy in case there is dust or dried mud on the curb. You want to paint on a clean, dry, warm surface.

Find a place on the curb near the edge of your customer's driveway and brush the cement clean. Place your background template, square and level on the curbing and apply your white paint within the rectangle with one of your brushes. Make sure the concrete is clean, warm and dry so the paint will stick and dry quickly. Two thin coats are better than one thick coat. You want this job to last, as it as a reminder of the good work you do and will bring you more work in the future. This is one reminder your customer won't lose. Water base paint dries quickly on a warm, dry surface.

As soon as your white paint background is dry to the touch, paint on your black numbers. Be sure and get the address correct the first time. Ask what it is, if you are not sure, then write it down for luck. Don't take chances!

Position the first number a bit in from the left and an inch down from the top. The idea is to end up with a white background upon which the address in black numbers is centered, top to bottom, left to right. A couple of practice tries will make you an expert. Make the job look good, as it is your advertisement for future business. Your customer will see it every day, and so will their neighbors. They are all potential, future customers, and you want their business.

In actual use, you will lay down a 4"X6" stencil with the proper number cut out of it and brush in the number, up to the inside edges of the template with black paint. When finished, lift the template straight up so as not to smear the painted number. You will then take the next number template and position it next to the first painted number, paying attention to the spacing and paint the second number and so on There should be about a half inch of space between numbers. That's why you need the half inch space or leader on the left edge of your number stencils.

A basic tool kit is all you need. This might include a hammer, saw, pair of pliers, broad knife, putty knife, a crescent wrench or two, a set of screw drivers, a pocket level, plum bob, broom, dust pan and tape measure. A set of files and chisels, an electric drill, a 50' cord, a circular saw and whatever else can be added later along with plastic sheeting, a step ladder, bucket, squeegee, sponge and cleaning supplies. If you are going to do painting, you'll need some brushes, a mixer, sand paper and so on. Of course, a few fasteners, nails, screws and so forth would be of use and good to have on hand. There are many good books on home repair at the local library, so studying them will get you up to speed fast even if you are a bit out of practice.

A couple of plastic buckets or a professional window cleaning bucket, a squeegee or two that will fit on a pole, a sponge, some spray glass cleaner, some newspaper, some white vinegar, some liquid glass cleaner, and a ladder for second story work is about all there is to it. You are not planning on doing tall buildings, so scaffolding probably isn't needed. The glass cleaner will handle most dirt and dust, and the vinegar will remove hard water spots. To remove stubborn calcification, mix some corn starch or flour with white vinegar into a paste, spread it on the afflicted area and let it sit while you do something else. Later wash it off.

Should you live in an area where gutters are common, they will need to be cleaned periodically. One can buy a gutter spray wash tool for about twenty dollars that screws onto a hose and cleans the gutter by water pressure. It has a long handle, so you don't even need a ladder when using it on a one story house. The same tool or other long reach spray tools will clean siding and screens. Often, tools of this type can be found in the auto washing section of auto supply stores. Siding stores or big building supply stores are a good bet too. Some, tools even have liquid soap dispensers built right in. For really hard jobs, one can rent or buy a pressure washer, but be careful with those as they can remove paint as well as dirt.

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step." Get yourself and your tools together. Make up a street address template set and go from door to door passing out your flyer and business card. Chat people up and offer to paint their house address on the curb for $5.00. Tell them you'll do it right now, cheap and cheerful- all work guaranteed! This ploy will soon get you working and establish a working relationship with your customer and everyone they know! This step is invaluable to the overall process. OK, while your customer is reading your hand bill, go out and paint their address on the curb in 4" black numbers on a white background. Do it neatly with good, long-lasting paint, as every time they see that address, they will think of you. When finished, clean up, go back and ask them if there is anything else they need done.

Tell them you have special running on window washing, gutter cleaning, crack fixing, cooler cleaning, front door painting, tree trimming or whatever it looks like they might need. Or, look for something obvious that needs fixing and offer to do the job for a reasonable price. Right! Keep your prices friendly to start. You can raise them later when you get busy. Chances are, after they have had time to read your flyer while you were painting the address on their curb, they will have thought of something else for you to do while you are there. Ask for that job! When you finish one job, ask for another. Never be bashful. Being at the right place at the right time can be a winner! Often, you can turn an introductory visit into a full day's work or even more! That is where it's at and what you are looking for! At $15.00 an hour, you can make $120.00 a day, at $30.00 and hour, you are good for $240 for a day's work. That sure beats working at the car wash!

When your customer has given you all the work they have for you to do at this time, hand them a few of your business cards and ask them to tell their neighbors and friends about your service and offer a reward for doing so. The reward can be anything you want from a commission to a service or a half hour or more free repair labor, depending upon the size of the new job. You can buy casino coupon books for a small price to cover the printing. A coupon includes a bus trip, a room, a couple meals and a handful of chips. They are promotional devices, handed out by casinos, so make use of such complementary gifts. "If you get me a job, I'll give you a free trip to Las Vegas or the nearest casino or whatever the coupon includes." Hey, it sounds good to the customer!

After you have completed all the chores you or they can think of for you to do, make out your bill. List each item and price separately, total them up and present the bill. Be friendly, and leave on a pleasant note. Tell them you are pleased to have worked for them, and are looking forward to working for them again in the future. Tell them when they or any of their friends or family need something done to call you any time, and you'll be glad to work for them again. On the way out, check to make sure you have cleaned up any mess you have made. Leave a good impression. A good fix-it person is an asset, and before long, you'll have all the business you can do. Play your cards right, and you might even have to hire a helper.

Make up a hand bill that lists your services with a memo box at the bottom that shows your phone number. As you drive around neighborhoods and see something that needs fixing, stop and write an estimate for that job, give a price and hand it to the property owner or leave it on their door. Being in the right place at the right time can be rewarding. Never leave money laying on the table. If you don't get it, someone else will.

Once you are working for someone in the neighborhood, and they are satisfied with your work, move on to the other houses, and tell them that you have been working for Ms. Johnson or whomever, and would like to work for them. Offer them your flyer and business card and offer to paint their house number on the curb in front of their house. Then repeat the process.

In years past, I have turned such simple tactics into a six figure income, became a contractor and went the whole route. Once you set the process in motion, you can make your business as large or as small as you like. It's all up to you, like Will Shakespeare once said, "As you like it."

The author of this web site, William L. Lampe is available for
Business Communications, Technical and Copy Writing assignments
through his Editorial Services Consulting Agency,
The A-Company, established 1970.