Entrepreneur Idea Guide
How to Start a Home Improvement & Maintenance Business
Ready to realize your dream of starting a home improvement and maintenance business? We discuss the mistakes that sometimes come as a surprise to first-time entrepreneurs.
Thinking about opening a home improvement and maintenance business? We tell you what you need to know to get started.
Business Plans for a Home Improvement & Maintenance Business
One of the worst mistakes you can make as a small business owner is to not create a business plan.
A good business plan establishes both a framework and a roadmap for your business. The absence of an effective business plan inevitably results in impulsive leadership, choosing short-term opportunities at the expense of long-term benefits.
Start by defining your business mission. The process of writing a mission statement doesn't have to be complicated. From there, you can begin to build on it with goals, budget estimates, marketing plans and other elements that are typically found in startup business plans.
Investigate the Competition
Before you open a home improvement and maintenance business in your town, it's a good idea to see how many competitors you have. Use the link below to find competitors near you. After clicking on the link, type in your city, state and zip code to get a list of home improvement and maintenance businesses near you.
If there's too much competition, it may be wise to consider starting the business in a less competitive marketplace.
Finding a Non-Competitive Business Mentor
If you are interested in starting a home improvement and maintenance business, you really ought to learn from folks who are already in business. If you think owners of nearby home improvement and maintenance businesses will give you advice, think again. What's in it for them?
Thankfully, an owner of a a home improvement and maintenance business on the other side of the country will be much more likely to talk with you, once they realize that you are not going to directly compete with them in their community. In that case, the business owner may be more than happy to discuss the industry with you. It can take a while to find an entrepreneur who is willing to talk, but it's well worth the effort.
What's the process for finding a home improvement and maintenance business owner on the other side of the country to talk to?
We can help. Follow the link below, try a few city/state combos or zipcodes, and then start calling!
Advantages of a Home Improvement & Maintenance Business Purchase
On a percentage basis, more entrepreneurs intend to enter home improvement and maintenance business ownership through a startup than through a business purchase. Yet home improvement and maintenance business startups aren't easy - many fail within the first year.
There are a lot of factors that need to be considered in buying vs. starting a business. By buying a profitable home improvement and maintenance business, you'll shorten the amount of time it takes to achieve a return on your investment because you'll have the advantage of a proven operation and an existing customer base.
Don't Rule Out Franchising
The odds of achieving your primary goal of achieving your top business goals are much better when you join the ranks of franchisees in lieu of doing everything yourself.
If your goal is to start a home improvement and maintenance business, it's worthwhile to determine whether franchise opportunities in your space might make sense for you.
The link below gives you access to our franchise directory so you can see if there's a franchise opportunity for you. You might even find something that points you in a completely different direction.
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These additional resources regarding getting started as an entrepreneur may be of interest to you.
Consideration Before Buying a Franchise
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