Why Us

Why Us

Why you? Why us? Why now?

The quick case for an opportunity in a segment that you probably have not considered – how business people, not traditional craftsmen, are winning big.

When you are evaluating different franchise opportunities, the trendy brick and mortar opportunities get a lot of attention. We get that. But many have high-risk profiles. Trends come and go. The consumer is fickle.

When a trend changes, your performance can be downright terrifying.

We are offering a reasonable cost of entry in a booming segment that is not just a fashionable trend, but a strong consumer need – as essential as utilities for a home. Oh, and it has a sexy side, too. But let’s talk business first.

Here are the quick facts on a growing, enduring marketplace:

Over the past 20 years, the basic consumer needs for home improvement have grown.

The trends in home ownership and home improvement spending are compelling for our segment of the industry. The Do It Yourself (DIY) client is declining because the Baby Boomer generation who knows how to work on their homes is aging out of being able to actually get on a ladder and do the work. They are turning into Do It For Me (DIFM) clients out of basic need. Meanwhile, Millennials have begun purchasing homes at a greater rate, and their basic value proposition for how to spend time does not include spending all weekend working on their homes.

Serving a new “do it for me” (DIFM) marketplace.

The “do it yourself” (DIY) market is shrinking. Why? Because busy, younger homeowners are not following in their parents’ and grandparents’ legacy of fixing things themselves. They choose not to own the depth of tools or to set aside the time it takes, so they hire us.

A partnership that has tremendous name recognition, trust and power

The original Handyman Matters, founded by Andy Bell in 1998 has taken more than 20 years’ experience in home improvement services and partnered with Ace, the most trusted hardware brand in America.

Our Awards

You may not see yourself as handy and might easily discount the power of service brands altogether.

Franchise Dictionary Top 100 Game Changers
Franchise Dictionary

2019 Top 100 Game Changers

Franchise Dictionary Top 100 Game Changers
Franchise Dictionary

2020 Top 100 Game Changers

Franchise Dictionary Top 100 Game Changers
Franchise Dictionary

2021 Top 100 Game Changers

Newsweek Best Customer Service
Newsweek

2019 & 2020 America’s Best Customer Service

Entrepreneurs Franchise 500
Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500

#6 Entrepreneur Magazine’s 500 List

Entrepreneurs Franchise 500
Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500

#6 Entrepreneur Magazine’s 500 List

Franchise Direct Top 100
Franchise Direct

#22 on Franchise Direct Top 100 Global Franchises

Franchise Times Top 200
Franchise Times

#5 on Franchise Times Top 200+ List

Temkin Experience Ratings
Temkin Experience Ratings

Ace Hardware tied for the top position in the retail category, and No. 7 overall across all industries

NCB Co-op 100 List
NCB Co-op 100 List

#9 on the NCB Co-op 100 List

Frantastic 500
FranServe 500

2020 FranServe Fran-tastic 500

National Franchise Directory
The Franchise Directory

Find us on The Franchise Directory

National Franchise Directory
Franchise.com

Find us on the Franchise.com Sales Index

The handyman industry has piqued the interest of many larger strategic businesses over the last decade because they have come to understand that a craftsman is the first person in the door of residential and commercial properties. Ace Hardware identified that the “Do It Yourself” (DIY) market was on the decline and what’s emerging is the “Do It for Me” (DIFM) economy. This trend is easy to understand, as the tail end of baby boomers can’t work on a roof or ladder safely anymore, and most millennials simply don’t choose to spend their time working on their homes.

Ace Hardware acquired Handyman Matters in September 2019. With stringent due diligence, Ace pressure-tested all phases of our business model.

Our delighted repair customers who rated us of 4.6 out of 5 stars helped seal the deal. This, coupled with reliable revenues, the manner in which we improve employees’ and customers’ lives, and our passion for redefining home improvement for the better made our acquisition one of the most notable strategic “Game Changers” in franchise history.

 
Ace Handyman Services’ processes and systems allowed my wife and I to quit our jobs and start our own business.
 

Paul Hammer

Columbus, OH

Timing

Why this year is an even better year to become an Ace Handyman Services Franchisee

Now that we are Ace Handyman Services, we are leveraging the brand power of Ace Hardware. With an annual domestic marketing budget of over $100 million, Ace Hardware is a brand that is recognized by 95% of the US population. There is an Ace Hardware Store located within 15 minutes of 75% of American households. Ace has over 4,700 domestic hardware stores, with a long history of being a helpful neighborly brand – a stark contrast to the big box experience.

Plus, our Ace Handyman Services franchisees purchase products from Ace’s nationwide network of participating stores at competitive prices that include local discounts and a national rebate program.

We have been tasked with bringing helpful handyman services to all of their customers’ homes.

Culture + History

Business people — not traditional craftsmen — optimize these trends.

The next thing you are likely saying, is: “But I’m not handy, or a craftsman!” Right?

When you run a successful Ace Handyman Services franchise, you work on your business, not in your business.

So many of our current owners simply realize how much value their corporate background had in owning and running their own business, let alone being successful in a category they knew nothing about.

If you are a high-performance, customer-minded executive who is ready for a change, ready to live by values based in ethics and integrity, then you owe it to yourself to find out why so many non-construction individuals have invested in running their own Ace Handyman Services.

We serve homeowners, solve their challenges and partner with them so that they love their most sacred place – their haven – their home. We support them in protecting one of their most valuable investments and work with them to add value to the enjoyment of their home life.

Why Andy Bell started this business 22 years ago

Directly put, the utter lack of ethics and integrity in the construction industry.

Sounds like ad copy, right? It’s not. In fact, when I started this business out of my garage, I only understood swamp coolers. That’s true. I wasn’t a craftsman. My father was a small- town butcher in a small-town butcher shop.

But what I learned in the early days is that if I fixed a swamp cooler when and how I promised, homeowners asked me to do more. So I learned how to do more. And I heard, time after time, how different my attitude and ethics were. That’s when the light bulb came on and I started Handyman Matters. Not based solely on the best craftsmanship, but based on making promises and keeping them in a professional way.

This recent toast at the unveiling of our new directions with Ace covers the Culture and History:

“It is fascinating to recall, this all started on a mere whim. Those early Swamp Boy customers who demanded Handymen I had no idea what I was doing or getting myself in. I recall this one early Swamp job—‘cause, you know, I was all in.

It was a two-story house, dining room, kitchen behind. Nice place, I thought, cute little find Started that Swamp Cooler up, in record time I even found a leak and made it sure was fine

Three days later, a call from the lady of the home. “I’m in a terrible bind!” she explained on the phone. “My ceiling is on my table,” she said in a tone. Aw, that darn leak — it was all mine to own.

She didn’t deserve to have this in her hair. Every one of you has a similar story you could share. This is the METTLE of our company, and shows how deeply we care. Letting everyone know that integrity is still there.

Some of you just met us and wonder what it is that we do. 1,162 home repairs, yes, it is true. Thank you, Ace Hardware, for seeing this through. Because together we will ALL tell stories, shiny and new.

Handyman Matter, for the love of Pete, will always be the solid foundation under our feet. Always in our hearts and sung loudly in the street; for not a finer bunch of folks will ever you meet.

Now raise your glasses, because you’re all simply awesome. And I, for one, can’t wait to see this all blossom.

With success as our only option, I’d like to welcome you all to our latest concoction.

Andy Bell

Fast forward to today – we are experts in the home improvement space.

Since then, we have amassed a team and a franchise community with ethics and integrity that match the original vision. And it’s not just a sales story. For two years running, we have been awarded the Customer Satisfaction Award from Newsweek’s annual consumer survey.

Today do we offer the services of skilled Craftsmen? You bet.

When you buy an Ace Handyman Services franchise, you get everything you need, with the know-how from 20 years of experience, to quickly tap into this runaway growth marketplace.

  • Staffing and training the right people
  • Proprietary systems and processes
  • Instant estimate (a proprietary algorithm that captures 20 years of experience)
  • Technology-driven efficiencies
  • Marketing at the ready

This alignment with Ace was not easy.

After a stringent due diligence process, Ace Hardware acquired Handyman Matters on September 5, 2019 after pressure-testing all phases of our business model. Ace had been looking to get into our marketplace for years. They found a match in us.

Our customer satisfaction rate of 4.6 out of 5 stars sealed the deal. This, coupled with the opportunity for reliable revenues, the manner in which we improve employees’ and customers’ lives, and our passion for redefining home improvement for the better, made this one of the most notable strategic “Game Changers” in franchise history. We think that’s sexy.

Sounds too good to be true?

Take the next step.

Pick up the phone. Call us. Email us. You can quickly figure out if our opportunity should earn a place on your short list. If you like what you hear, and we can identify your skill set as a fit, we’ll have you join us in Colorado to complete your due diligence. We are certain you’ll be surprised at how we might align with what you are looking for—even though you never thought to look in the home improvement segment—and how much power this segment has to help you build a long-term, high-equity business of real value.

You know you want to change what you are doing today. Let us be the catalyst for your future success when you break out on your own and work with us to realize your true potential.

 

 

 

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