Hometown

 

The Northville Record

April 8, 2004

HandyPro offers Handyman for Homeowners



By Duane Ramsey
Special Writer

What began as a local handyman service, HandyPro Handyman Service of Plymouth has evolved into a business that is now offering franchise opportunities nationally. The business continues to provide affordable handyman services to homeowners in the metro Detroit area.


A local couple, Keith and Debra Paul of Canton, began the business in 1993 as a referral service for home improvement contractors. Having received so many calls they couldn’t keep up with the demand for a handyman, they hired a handyman and now have 12 full-time employees to provide those services directly to customers.

With the slogans, “every home needs a handyman” and “let us finish your ‘to do’ list,” HandyPro has provided home improvement and repairs for more than 15,000 residents in southeastern Michigan with locations in Plymouth, St. Clair Shores and Ann Arbor.

 

“The handyman service appeals to the growing white-collar society of people who are not inclined or equipped or don’t have the time to do it themselves,” said Keith Paul, president of HandyPro Handyman Service, Inc. “Cable TV shows like ‘Trading Spaces’ make people realize they can get this kind of work done for them.”

HandyPro provides nearly everything from carpentry, drywall, painting, remodeling, minor electrical and plumbing for home improvements and repairs in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw counties. It offers free estimates and guaranteed on-time service for all work that is bonded and insured.

“The work completed at my home was truly professional. I would recommend this company to all my friends and neighbors,” said Matthew Keil, a banker from West Bloomfield.

HandyPro also cleans and repairs gutters on homes or will install new seamless gutters to prevent leaky gutters. It offers year-round, 1 to 2-day gutter installation service.

“We also do a lot of insurance repair work for homeowners,” Paul said.  HandyPro is a member of the Better Business Bureau with no complaints and participates in CARE, the BBB’s Customer Assurance Program.  It was voted one of the “101 Best Companies to Work for in Detroit” in 2002.

The handyman business has been referred by Joe Gagnon, the “Appliance Doctor” on television and in newspapers.

“We couldn’t do it without the dedicated people on our staff,” Paul said. “We put our customers and employees first.”

HandyPro now offers
Home Seller Program

The handyman service recently began offering HandyPro’s “Home Seller Program” for people who are selling their home and need to fix it up first. HandyPro will fix and repair things for the homeowner who doesn’t pay for those services until they close on the sale of their home.

HandyPro offers a list of the top low-cost, highest return improvements and repairs before selling a home. They will provide free estimates with no obligation to anyone interested in the Home Seller Program.

Paul pointed out that homes sell faster and for more money if they are well polished and maintained, according to the National Association of Realtors. HandyPro is currently promoting the Home Seller Program through local real estate firms.

“HandyPro is a company you can trust. I’ve even used them on my own home,” said Sandy McKolay, a real estate agent in Canton.

Franchises now available
for handyman service

HandyPro also offers franchise opportunities for individuals to operate a proven, professional handyman service. The business franchise is developed for entrepreneurs with a drive to succeed using a complete turnkey operation, Paul said.

“We worked with a management and franchise consultant who helped us set up our program and we only have a few territories left in Michigan,” Paul said.

HandyPro opened its first franchise in Ann Arbor in March 2001 and the business continues to grow there. Paul is traveling to Honolulu on April 5 to open its first franchise in Hawaii and fifth overall. It also has franchises in St. Clair Shores, Dallas and Minneapolis.

HandyPro was featured among the listing of Top Low Cost Franchises of 2003 in Entrepreneur magazine’s “Be Your Own Boss.” annual edition.

Information about the HandyPro franchise is available at 1-800-942-6394 or at www.handypro.com.

5 Things to know before Hiring a Contractor

 

1.  Verify Insurance

2.  Get Estimates in Writing

3.  Check References

4.  How long has company been in                                                

business.

5.  Verify State License
 

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HandyPro Handyman Service                                                                                          
995 South Main                                                                                                                                   
Plymouth MI                                                                                                                        
734-254-9160                                                                                                                        
Farmington Hills                                                                                                                  
248-476-4435                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                               


 
 For more details, see HandyPro’s
web site at www.handypro.com

Keith and Debra Paul stand in front of one of their HandyPro vans that are fully equipped to provide home improvements and repairs to people in southeastern Michigan.

The HandyPro logo and sign, designed by Debra Paul, represent the work the handyman service provides.