Home Improvement Franchise Opportunity

Mike was the handy kid in the neighborhood growing up, doing lawns and leaves when younger, and eventually turned that into painting, drywall, minor drywall and roll roofing work on garages. He worked for a builder for two summers during college before doing his own handyman work his last summer before graduating. As a homeowner and hobbyist woodworker, he also updates bathrooms, painted every home he has ever owned, built furniture, shelving and the like.

He and Libby have an apiary and he builds their hives. He says he doesn’t have the skills to do the work his staff does day in and day out (not quickly anyway), but he has a good idea of how the work is done, and has the business background to operate and manage a business that does this type of work.

Additionally, during his corporate career he’d call on contractors and service providers when his busy schedule simply didn’t allow him to complete something that needed done, and it was always a miserable experience. In two different instances, home additions took much longer than the contractor promised. Weeks’ worth of work took 2 months. A 6-week room addition, took 4 months. His IT career was supporting call centers and customer service organizations and he lamented how badly the ‘trades’ needed a ‘white collar’ customer service approach.

“Mr. Handyman was my opportunity to bring this idea to fruition. 10 years later, this is still the backbone of our operating philosophy.”

JoAnn McCabe is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering. She also has an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University. McCabe spent 8 years of her time in the Navy in physical security, overseeing the Navy’s northeast region and managing 1,500 people. In 2008, she opened her Mr. Handyman business and has been growing it ever since. Since then she has been honored in several arenas, including the Angie’s List Super Service Award, Mr. Handyman President’s Circle, Customer Service Champion, among others. She is also a member of the Franchise Advisory Council and serves as a field training center for new owners.

Kim and Wayne enjoy the opportunity to connect to their community through Mr. Handyman. “Some days I think we could write a book on customer stories,” Kim reminisced. “On an annual basis, we participate in the National Day of Service where we provide one day of service to an organization. Last year, we provided a local Disabled Veterans and Homeless Shelter our day of service. Meeting the members of the organizations and the individuals who receive services really make you understand why we do what we do.”

Wayne also felt the impact of the National Day of Service within their Mr. Handyman family. “Every year I am amazed at how willing our employees are to donate their time for people in need,” he added. “Seeing the appreciation from the charity or family toward our employees, and the joy they get out of the experience is a wonderful thing.”

Allen Ellison served as a staff sergeant in the U.S. army for 14 years, and then went on to own and operate a flooring company in his home town—all before opening Mr. Handyman with his wife Penny. Mr. Handyman of West Knoxville has been one of the top performing franchises since they opened, having received impressive awards including the Rookie of the Year, Trailblazer Award and Franchise of the Year Award.