The Handyman Startup Podcast · Dan Perry: Handyman | Small Business Owner

Colette Bell of Ace Handyman Services: The Costs and Benefits of Investing in a Handyman Franchise

·1 hr 24 min·5 clips

Ace moved from an Angie's List-style referral idea to hiring craftsmen as W-2 employees.

Dan Perry starts the show by saying he has not done an interview in a long time and that this one was especially good. He brings on Colette Bell, vice president of franchise development for Ace Handyman Services, and sets her up as someone with a lot of real operating history. Colette spent 18 years as chairman and co-owner of Handyman Matters with her husband, Andy Bell. That business was later acquired by Ace Hardware and rebranded as Ace Handyman Services in 2019. The brand now has 378 territories in 46 states. Dan uses the interview to point out how unsophisticated handyman marketing still is online. He says homeowners often struggle to find a reliable, consistent handyman result on the web and end up looking at Angie's List or HomeAdvisor instead. That gap still leaves room for someone starting a business. Colette then explains what the franchise model tries to protect. The company is serious about staying in what it calls the handyman lane. For most franchisees, that means focusing on small projects instead of trying to become a general home-improvement catch-all. The average project in the model is four hours. That is not a lot of time, but homeowners are often surprised by how much can get done in that window. Keeping the work small also makes licensing simpler. It keeps the business away from bigger plumbing jobs and general contractor work. The model leans more toward drywall, carpentry, basic carpentry, and tile work. Dan keeps asking what lessons and mindsets matter most for franchisees. The conversation keeps circling back to focus and scope, and to avoiding jobs that do not fit the model. That gives the episode a practical feel rather than a purely promotional one. Near the end, Dan thanks Colette for the interview and says he found it interesting and motivating. He also points listeners to a free report with 10 profitable handyman services that can be done without a contractor's license.

As heard by us

A practical look at staying small, focused, and workable in handyman services.

This episode stays on the handyman business model: keep the jobs small, stay inside the handyman lane, and do not drift into work that pulls in heavier licensing or general contractor territory.

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