Australians are increasingly dealing with less time on their hands, to do everything that they want to do. When they are so busy through most of the day, being handy is the last thing on their minds. While this isn’t great news for homeowners, for handymen, this is music to their ears.

Do you like fixing things? What about helping people? If you have general skills associated with home maintenance and repair work, then starting a handyman business can be perfect for you. You won’t have to work at a 9 to 5 job. Instead, you can run your own business and decide what your working hours are. You can select the tasks that you desire to complete, allowing for a more adaptable working schedule.

But how exactly do you start your handyman business? It isn’t just about purchasing all the tools and equipment you need and then marketing your business. Additionally, you must make sure that your handyman firm is operating in accordance with all regulations and laws. You’ll need to know how to create your business, and how to properly market yourself. For some people, they don’t even know where to start.

What Are The Certifications And Skills You Need To Start A Handyman Business?

If you have determined that launching a handyman business is the right path for you, let us explore the necessary skills, licenses, and certifications required to get started.

Knowledge And Skills

You should possess all the basic skills and knowledge associated with home maintenance and repair. You should know basic carpentry work, and should also know how to repair electrical systems. Remember that you can only do basic electric repair. For more complex repair work, you’ll need to get qualified as an electrician.

Let’s look at what some of the basic tasks that you can do are. Say you’re called in to do plumbing work. If the work simply involves changing the showerhead or replacing water filters, then you can easily do this yourself. A licensed qualified plumber ought to be brought in to handle more difficult problems, though. This applies to electrical work as well. You can handle basic repairs, but for more complex work, you need to be a licensed electrician. Failing to comply with these rules can end up getting you in trouble.

Licenses Needed

Unless you’re working on large scale projects, you usually won’t need a license to work as a handyman. What this means is, if the work is valued above a certain sum of money, then you’ll need to be licensed. For all jobs that are less expensive than that limit, you can offer your services.

What this limit is, can change depending on what state you’re based out of. If you’re in New South Wales, then all jobs that cost more than $5000 to do, need to be done by licensed professionals. In Queensland, this amount is $3300, while in Victoria, this amount is $10,000. Be aware of the restrictions in your home state before you start taking on jobs.

Consider investing in insurance for handyman as well. This is because working as a handyman can leave you exposed to certain risk factors, like getting sued by unhappy clients. When you have insurance for handyman, you can make sure that your career and finances are safeguarded. For more information about insurance for handyman, click here.

Business Registration

It is recommended to always confirm the registration of your handyman business. This is as simple as applying for your ABN. Often, handyman businesses tend to follow the sole trader business structure. However, you could also want to scale your business up and run a large handyman business. In such circumstances, it might be better to run the business as a trust or a company.

In case the amount of money that you make annually happens to be above $75,000, then you’ll also need to get your GST registration done. Consider approaching a professional accountant to help you pore over and understand your business statements.

Conclusion

Prior to opening your handyman business, you’ll need to purchase all the tools and equipment that you’ll be needing. You’ll need to purchase hand tools and power tools, painting supplies as well as plumbing tools. You’ll also need to have the right safety gear, so you can work properly.

When you have gathered everything you need to work as a handyman, and have also registered your business, you can start your handyman business.