The Observer & Eccentric Newspapers
	OE Regional Thursday

Home services come in 'Handy' Professionals picking up around the house

BY TONY BRUSCATO

STAFF WRITER

Anne Frank of Plymouth owns her own home, but she doesn't have the inclination or desire to be handy around the house.

"I'm not particularly handy or interested in being handy," she said. "I could, if I wanted to be, but I've got better things to do.

"I work long hours and I want some leisure time," added Frank. "The bottom line for me is time."

That's not too unusual in today's world, with many people working long hours and attending to the needs of a family.

That's where HandyPro Handyman Service, Inc. of Plymouth comes in. Started as a referral service for home improvement contractors by Keith and Debra Paul in 1993, HandyPro has grown into 13 employees in Plymouth and franchised operations in Ann Arbor, St. Clair Shores, Dallas, Minneapolis and, most recently, in Honolulu.

"The adage that every home needs a handyman is true," said Keith Paul. "People don't have the time, but they have disposable income."

Which fits Frank's situation to a tee.

"They've always been good, always showed up on time, and I think competitively priced," said Frank, who had HandyPro clean gutters, do some bathroom plumbing repairs and had a faucet replaced. "They came when they say they would, and are really good about meeting me in the evenings after I get home from work."

HandyPro provides hundreds of home services, including carpentry, drywall, painting and ceramic tile work.

"Homeowners call us because they know we'll stand behind them; we're licensed, insured, have workers comp and are bonded," he said. "This year we'll probably have the best year ever."

Susan Koeppen of Canton Township has used HandyPro to have shingles replaced, a utility sink installed and an outlet put in for her microwave.

"I'm not climbing on the roof, I can't do electrical work, and plumbing is beyond me," she said. "When I need a job done, that's who I call."

The Paul's began their business careers by operating a take out and delivery pizzeria in Garden City.

"The year we bought it we tripled sales the first year, but within the next three months Little Caesar's and Pizza Hut delivery opened within a mile and cut our business a third," said Paul.

"My wife's grandmother had been overcharged $2,000 by a contractor who put in cabinets, so we decided to open a business to protect people from dishonest contractors," he said. "There weren't any in this area, and that's how it snowballed."

The Paul's then decided to expand by franchising HandyPro.

"We started out thinking about 10 franchises a year for 10 years for a total of 100," said Paul. "I think that's under-estimating the demand of the handyman service. I think we can double that."

Paul holds "Handyman 101" in his Main Street office, teaching franchisees how to deal with customers and employees. The franchise guarantees $100,000 in sales during the first year of operations, or Paul will refund the $25,000 franchise fee, as long as the owner follows the HandyPro plan.

"We have a proven system that people can make money from," he said. "Look at McDonald's, though I doubt we'll ever get that big."

tbruscato@oe.homecomm.net (734) 459-2700