How often do we wish that we could just call a handyman to fix that gate that won’t close or to install a new light in the bathroom? And during this season in particular, how often do we want to sit down and watch the Chargers more than completing a handful of tasks on any given Sunday?
Like the old adage of the movie “Ghostbusters” in the 1980s: “Who ya gonna call?”
Now, you can call on John Schmidt, the new Mr. Handyman in town.
Mr. Handyman is a national franchise that recently became the number one handyman service in the U.S., according to Schmidt.
“I spent several months researching a sound business model that would essentially help people in need,” he said. “We presently have two vans on the road and will expand as we grow.”
Combined with other Mr. Handyman franchises established in San Diego, there are about 15 vans on the street to meet the needs of the greater San Diego population.
“It took me about three months to organize the grand opening, from the time I made the decision to proceed through the opening in June 2006,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt says his skills are primarily in management and human relations. He enjoys building long-term relationships with the people Mr. Handyman will serve as well as others in the community.
“I do want to provide the best handyman service possible and I also want to satisfy the great need for an honest, up-front handyman business,” Schmidt said. “I have hired the best handymen I can find and spend time training them.”
Each craftsman on staff has 10 to 15 years of experience.
“We do an extensive background check to help provide a safe, worry-free environment for our customers,” Schmidt said. “We do guarantee our work, so if a mistake is made, we go back and fix them until the customer is satisfied.”
With the average age of the U.S. single-family dwelling at 32 years ” up from 27 a decade ago, according to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies ” today’s homes are aging and there is a lot of fixing to be done, or at least some basic repairs that come about every so often.
And these days, when home repairs often take the forefront, more and more people are calling independent handymen to take care of them.
Doing repairs around the house takes up a lot of time. Schmidt makes it easier for those who maybe don’t have the correct tools or the expertise or patience to complete basic home upkeep.
“We have professionally trained and bonded technicians that can tackle most of your maintenance and repair needs,” Schmidt said. “We enable homeowners to relax and enjoy themselves in their free time. We’re high quality and reliable and here for families and businesses.”
Before starting Mr. Handyman, Schmidt worked as a minister and also in real estate. In fact, he is still active in church affairs.
“I am still very involved in the calling of the ministry,” he added. “I work with wounded shepherds who are in transition from their present church. The ministry reaches out to pastors all over America and helps them as a practical life coach to help them discover their next place in life.”
Essentially, he helps ministers in transition from one church to the next.
“As you can see, I have not left my calling,” Schmidt said. “The Mr. Handyman business is my way of taking care of my financial needs while I help others. You do have to pay bills, and helping pastors in their time of need is not a moneymaker. So, I help people fix their home needs during most of the day and guide ministers through their troubled waters in my off time.”
Mr. Handyman’s target customers are both residential and commercial. The areas Schmidt covers are the Golden Triangle/UTC, University City, La Jolla, Clairemont Mesa, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Point Loma and the airport areas. Other Mr. Handyman franchise owners cover the remainder of San Diego County.
“Surveys say that each home or business has between 17 to 22 items to be repaired,” Schmidt said. “The to-do list is growing and you never get around to fixing them. We do the small jobs that take a couple of hours to those up to two to three days. Most contractors just don’t have the time to do them “¦ That, coupled with the average person’s increasing demands on time, I’m confident that the business will thrive in the San Diego area.”
Mr. Handyman, 7770 Regents Road, No. 113-559, has a live call center that is open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, call (858) 578-7700 or visit www.mrhandyman.com.