Did you know you can make a considerable chunk of change by starting a service-based side business? In fact, the average person with a handyman services business earns an average of $77 per hour. This may come as a shock to you, and it may even be more than you are currently making at your 9-5 job.
If you have grown up learning the ins and outs of fixing up houses, repairing appliances, doing maintenance, or if you know how to fix electronics, now may be the perfect time to put your talents to use and to start your service business side hustle.
This post will cover what’s involved in running a service business side hustle, how a website can help you launch your side business, and how easy it is to get your service business website up in no time.
What’s Involved in Running a Service Business Side Hustle?
The first thing that may come to your mind when running a service-based side hustle is providing handyman services. However, a service business side hustle can include turning any number of your service-based talents into a business.
Of course, this can include handyman services, but it could also include pest control services, mobile detailing, fixing appliances, and more.
Michael Espinal is one service business side hustler that turned a hobby into a business, with iTechFixIt. Espinal explains that he repairs cellular phones, tablets, and offers computer repairs. He says, 'My side business began as a hobby and slowly grew. I now have over 350 contacts, and my part-time business is slowly growing.'
Carl Larkin is another side hustler that provides a unique take on a service-based side hustle. He is a plumber and repairman by trade but found more monetary value in combining his plumbing knowledge and website acumen to create courses for other technicians.
Larkin explains how he created a special order system for his family business, which eventually led him to start Trade Masters Online.
He says, 'I’m a service and repair plumber. I graduated from college with an A- GPA. I did well in school, but I got married and needed a job, so I came back to work for the family plumbing business. The family business needed a system to make special order items, and we didn’t have an organized system.'
Larkin seized this opportunity to create a special order system himself. He says, 'On the side, after work, I spent more time learning how to create websites.'
He successfully created a website, and charges clients every month they use the system. He also has plans to expand this special order website into a service program for other service contractors on the internet.
His success with building the special order system for his family plumbing business led him to start online training courses for other technicians. Larkin says, 'I now have another website helping teaching other technicians how to get their licensing.'
Starting a service business side hustle involves identifying your key service-based talents, creating a website, and creating opportunities for yourself, just like Michael Espinal of iTechFixit and Carl Larkin of Trade Masters Online.
Why Do Service Companies Need a Website?
It’s safe to say that no matter what type of side hustle you are starting, the first step to success includes building a website.
Why?
The primary reason is that internet search is how the majority of consumers find businesses. In fact, 97% of consumers look for local businesses online. While it’s true that referrals go a long way and will be the majority of your business, it’s important to keep in mind that new customer acquisition will come from internet users using local search.
It may seem obvious to state that having a website is necessary to draw customers to your business, but less than two-thirds of small businesses (64%) have a website.
Let’s take a closer look at how having a HostGator website has helped various service business side hustlers experience success.
Websites drive revenue.
Another reason to have a website is that it can help drive customers and positively affect the bottom line of your business.
Mike Carpinelli, the owner and operator of American Italian Construction, explains that his website is a huge revenue driver. He says, 'My website is driving new customers to my side business, and I’ve gotten $320,000 worth of new business since Nov 2018.'
Imagine that. One platform-a website-is driving over $300K of revenue in under a year.
When push comes to shove, a website is a great way to drive visitors to your business, land new clients, and keep current customers coming back for more.
Websites are low maintenance.
Remember Carl Larkin? He is the creator of Trade Masters Online. A massive benefit of him having a website is he only had to create the system once and experiences residual income.
Larkin says, 'I invested 60 hours, and now I get a little bonus every week from my workplace as long as the system I made works and is maintained. Pretty much, I think about the website once every two months.'
Building a website, especially an automated system or a hub for online courses, requires you to dedicate time upfront. However, once your website is up and running, it’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Websites provide accurate contact information.
I recently had a personal experience with trying to find a handyman to fix my sink and some missing tiles in my bathroom.
Like 97% of other consumers, I use Google any time I need to hire help a service-based business. I Googled 'handyman near me,' and Google returned several third-party directories.
It took me hours to sort through the directories and find accurate information. Not to mention, I had a difficult time getting in contact with these vendors and zero understanding of their availability.
This failed search attempt doesn’t mean that Google search doesn’t work. It means that the handyman services in my area are severely under-utilizing one of the best marketing tools out there-a well-designed and search engine optimized website.
It seems unbelievable, but it took me three weeks to find someone to hire. The craziest part? The second I got a hold of someone, they came to my house the next day and fixed the problems. I also gladly shelled out nearly $400 for a few hours of work.
I know there are several service-based businesses in my area. I also know these side hustlers aren’t taking advantage of low competition when it comes to listing a website on Google.
If you’re looking to attract more customers and help customers find you immediately, you need a website. Consider building a website where you list accurate contact information, include your availability, and provide access to an online schedule so that customers can book your services as soon as they find your website.
How to Build a Service Business Website
Now that you know how critical it is to have a website for your service business, let’s talk about how easy it is to start a website.
As mentioned above, without the help of Google search, the success of your business will entirely depend on referrals. Referrals are an excellent way to capture new customers, but not the only way. To leverage your full potential, you also need a website.
Thankfully, it’s easy to get a website up and running with the help of HostGator’s Website Builder. You don’t have to know how to code, don’t need any design skills, and it won’t break the bank to build a website.
All you have to do is follow six quick steps, and you can get your website up in less than a day.
Step 1: Pick a hosting plan for your service business website.
The Gator Website Builder has three hosting plans for you to review. You can pick your plan depending on your needs and how much functionality you want your website to have.
The starter plan includes a free domain, 200+ templates, a drag-and-drop editor, cloud hosting, and website analytics, and is an excellent pick for someone looking to start a simple service business website.
If you are nervous about building your own service business website and want priority support, you’ll want to select the premium plan. This plan provides everything in the starter plan but includes extra priority support.
If you are planning on selling online courses like Carl Larkin, then select the eCommerce plan. This plan will help you set up an eCommerce store where you can collect payments online.
Once you’ve picked a plan, click 'buy now' and you can set up your account.
Step 2: Pick a domain name for your service business website.
Every Gator Website Builder package includes a free domain. To pick your domain, all you have to do is type something in the 'get domain' box. If your top choice isn’t available, select another.
When it comes to picking a domain name for your service business side hustle, you can choose anything that describes what you do.
For example, Carl Larkin chose the name 'Trade Masters Online' (www.trademastersonline.com) because it perfectly describes what he does. He provides online training to help people master a trade.
Mike Carpinelli is another excellent example of a service-based business side hustler with a great domain name. His domain name is https://americanitalianconstruction.com. This domain name aptly describes him and his business.
Here is an article on how to choose the perfect domain name for your business if you need help deciding.
If you already have a domain name, then you can connect it to your HostGator account by clicking 'connect it here.'
Step 3: Create your account.
Once you have a domain name, you can connect your HostGator account. All you need is an email address or Facebook account to connect. Then, enter your payment information, and you’re ready to go.
Step 4: Pick a template for your service business website.
Did you know the Gator Website Builder comes with templates, and all you have to do is pick the one that matches the vibe of your service business side hustle? That’s right! No coding involved.
Once you create your account, HostGator will direct you to the 'choose a template' page. You can scroll through more than 200 professionally-designed templates, and select the template that you love the most. You can also customize any of the templates to match the colors and theme of your service business.
Step 5: Add content to your service business website.
Once you have selected the perfect template, click 'start editing.' This will send you to your dashboard where you can add, edit, and delete pages. Pages you might want to include are an about page, contact page, description of your services, and a page that links to your various online classes (if applicable).
Gator Website Builder includes a drag and drop builder to make it easy to design your website. All you have to do is point and click. However, if you have any questions, Gator Website Builder also includes a free and easy step-by-step guide for reference that you can access at any time.
To access this guide, click the 'menu' icon next to the Gator by HostGator logo and select the 'getting started tour.'
Step 6: Review your content and launch your service business website.
The last step is to review your website and go live. By clicking 'preview,' you can see your service business website in full. This is when you can look at your website and make sure everything looks how you want it to look.
If everything looks right, then click the 'finish preview' button at the top and then 'publish website' at the top of the dashboard. Gator WebsiteBuilder will present a series of quick steps to help you go live.
Start Your Service-Based Side Hustle
Starting a side hustle is easier now than it ever has been before. This is especially true considering how many side hustle resources and online tools are available to you, and how easy it is to launch a website.
With the help of a website, you can attract the right clients, and start making money.
For more information on how to get started, check out Gator Website Builder today. The process of building a website is intuitive, and you’ll be pleased with the results.
Ashley R. Cummings is a professional freelance writer specializing in SaaS, tech, and advertising/marketing. In a previous life, she was a Russian teacher at Brigham Young University, a corporate trainer, and a grad student—all at the same time. When she’s not writing, you can find her traveling the world with her 2 kids and husband, reading poetry or taking a deep dive into the fabulous world of comedy. Connect with her on Twitter at @ashleyrcummings.