Owner Mitchell Sanders opened My Handyman Can in May 2012 and works hands-on in homes.[/caption]
For My Handyman Can in Magnolia, no home improvement job is too large or too small. Owner Mitchell Sanders said he aims to take on nearly any project while maintaining a high standard of craftsmanship.
"I used to work for the big guys in Houston, and I got really tired of unfair pricing and marginal work and not having the control," Sanders said. "So [in May 2012] my wife and I started the company. We joined the [Greater Magnolia Area Chamber of Commerce] and started getting some referrals. We tried to do the best job we could for a reasonable price."
Sanders and his family moved to Magnolia four years ago looking for a small town in which they could start their business. My Handyman Can now has 15 employees and handles everything from common jobs, such as cleaning ceiling fans and bathroom remodeling, to more unique requests, including installing Murphy beds or creating a climate-controlled cat room.
"It's My Handyman Can, not My Handyman Can't, so if they call us, we try to help them," Sanders said.
The business was awarded the 2014 Super Service Award from Angie's List, a website that ranks local businesses by customer reviews. Sanders said he was initially unaware he was listed on the site and had won the award until a customer notified him. But even with the positive online publicity, Sanders said he prefers word of mouth to garner new business.
"The focus of the whole thing was to make sure the customer got exactly what they were expecting," Sanders said. "And I knew that I did not want an advertised-driven company—I wanted a customer-driven company. I knew the only way to obtain that was to have our work be worthy of referrals."
Magnolia resident Sharon Tarbett hired My Handyman Can earlier this year to build a new addition on her house and create living quarters for her parents with a full kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and sunroom. After five weeks the Tarbetts' home had an additional 1,100 square feet of space, and the crew was preparing to install the electrical wiring.
"I've really been amazed with the progress so far," Tarbett said. "I have friends that have had renovations that take eight to 12 months. But this has all come together in weeks."
For projects that take less than eight hours to complete, Sanders' crew charges by the hour. For more complex projects like Tarbett's, the company will provide a cost estimate prior to beginning the project. Typically customers pay as the job progresses, rather than having to pay a large deposit upfront.
"We try to create a two-way relationship of trust, where I have to trust [customers] to pay me, and they have to trust me to do the good work that I say I'm going to do," Sanders said. "What's happened now is that the guys that trusted us with the little jobs now trust us with the big jobs."
Although some contracting companies are busiest during peak construction times in spring and summer, My Handyman Can has a steady stream of ongoing projects throughout the year, Sanders said. The crew takes on jobs in Magnolia, Conroe, Tomball and Spring. Sanders attributes the business' success to its open availability and the personal connection he brings to each customer.
"I try to meet every single customer," Sanders said. "I have to pinch myself sometimes because my wife and I worked so hard on this, and in our wildest dreams we didn't think the company was going to grow like this."
Owner Mitchell Sanders opened My Handyman Can in May 2012 and works hands-on in homes.[/caption]
For My Handyman Can in Magnolia, no home improvement job is too large or too small. Owner Mitchell Sanders said he aims to take on nearly any project while maintaining a high standard of craftsmanship.
"I used to work for the big guys in Houston, and I got really tired of unfair pricing and marginal work and not having the control," Sanders said. "So [in May 2012] my wife and I started the company. We joined the [Greater Magnolia Area Chamber of Commerce] and started getting some referrals. We tried to do the best job we could for a reasonable price."
Sanders and his family moved to Magnolia four years ago looking for a small town in which they could start their business. My Handyman Can now has 15 employees and handles everything from common jobs, such as cleaning ceiling fans and bathroom remodeling, to more unique requests, including installing Murphy beds or creating a climate-controlled cat room.
"It's My Handyman Can, not My Handyman Can't, so if they call us, we try to help them," Sanders said.
The business was awarded the 2014 Super Service Award from Angie's List, a website that ranks local businesses by customer reviews. Sanders said he was initially unaware he was listed on the site and had won the award until a customer notified him. But even with the positive online publicity, Sanders said he prefers word of mouth to garner new business.
"The focus of the whole thing was to make sure the customer got exactly what they were expecting," Sanders said. "And I knew that I did not want an advertised-driven company—I wanted a customer-driven company. I knew the only way to obtain that was to have our work be worthy of referrals."
Magnolia resident Sharon Tarbett hired My Handyman Can earlier this year to build a new addition on her house and create living quarters for her parents with a full kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and sunroom. After five weeks the Tarbetts' home had an additional 1,100 square feet of space, and the crew was preparing to install the electrical wiring.
"I've really been amazed with the progress so far," Tarbett said. "I have friends that have had renovations that take eight to 12 months. But this has all come together in weeks."
For projects that take less than eight hours to complete, Sanders' crew charges by the hour. For more complex projects like Tarbett's, the company will provide a cost estimate prior to beginning the project. Typically customers pay as the job progresses, rather than having to pay a large deposit upfront.
"We try to create a two-way relationship of trust, where I have to trust [customers] to pay me, and they have to trust me to do the good work that I say I'm going to do," Sanders said. "What's happened now is that the guys that trusted us with the little jobs now trust us with the big jobs."
Although some contracting companies are busiest during peak construction times in spring and summer, My Handyman Can has a steady stream of ongoing projects throughout the year, Sanders said. The crew takes on jobs in Magnolia, Conroe, Tomball and Spring. Sanders attributes the business' success to its open availability and the personal connection he brings to each customer.
"I try to meet every single customer," Sanders said. "I have to pinch myself sometimes because my wife and I worked so hard on this, and in our wildest dreams we didn't think the company was going to grow like this."
