When exploring low-cost franchises with unlimited potential, Ace Handyman Services tops the to-do list. Colette Bell, vice president of franchise development for the Colorado-based, home-repair and maintenance franchise, said a shift from the “Do It Yourself” to the “Do It For Me’’ consumer is propelling the franchise forward. By Patty Horansky
When exploring low-cost franchises with unlimited potential, Ace Handyman Services tops the to-do list.
Colette Bell, vice president of franchise development for the Colorado-based, home-repair and maintenance franchise, said a shift from the “Do It Yourself” to the “Do It For Me’’ consumer is propelling the franchise forward.
Bell and her husband, Andy, founded Handyman Matters in 1998 and partnered with Ace Hardware Stores in 2019, becoming Ace Handyman Services. Today, the franchise boasts 317 territories in 42 states.
“The ‘Do It For Me’ trend has to do with the changing mindset in multiple generations of homeowners in the U.S.,” she noted. Most baby boomers grew up “having the knowledge to pretty much fix everything in their home’’ and didn’t regularly pay someone to do the work, she said.
Now into their 70s, boomers are becoming less able physically to maintain or update their homes. “As this generation continues to age, the number of home services they must purchase continues to increase,’’ Bell said.
Also, because millennials came of age in the computer and video-gaming era, “They did not learn how to do trade projects, nor do they own the tools to do those kinds of projects,” she said.
With a high demand for repair services and consumers’ affinity for the Ace Hardware name, many turn to Ace Handyman Services for their needs. The franchise employs experienced craftsmen, who are background checked and screened, and never subcontracted, which results in repeat customers.
Erin Woods, originally started in the business with her father and then took over full ownership of their Ace Handyman Services of South Central, Pennsylvania, in 2015. She was joined by her husband, Bill, in 2019 to expand to three territories. She sees another factor in the brand’s growth: the pandemic. Many people stayed or worked at home, becoming aware of necessary projects or ways they might enhance their surroundings, she said.
For less than $150,000 in startup capital, you too can help people better enjoy their homes. Handyman experience isn’t necessary, but having an interest in home repair, design or architecture is helpful. “It’s an adventurous, exciting ride,” Woods said.
Patty Horansky