No job too small
Aylesford business consultant reinvents himself as handyman, helps seniors stay at home
Editor’s Note:
Second life. It can represent a chance to do over. To reset and refocus your life. To shake off the past and give yourself an opportunity to change and grow. In our series, Second Life, we took a look at how those in the small business world, out of necessity or desire, reach beyond their comfort zones to re-create themselves and their world. These stories celebrate those who saw potential in being something else or creating something that wasn’t and were brave enough to take the plunge into the deep, dark waters of entrepreneurship. One story appears on this page today and others will run in The Guardian this week to salute Small Business Week.
Reinventing himself was as much about helping others as starting a new career for Aylesford businessman Ray Savage.
With his company No Job Too Small Handyman Services, Savage said his primary goal is to help seniors stay in their homes longer, although the company also aims to help single mothers and others in need of assistance. It’s an idea that’s been floating around in his head for about 15 years.
Helping his father and mother as they grew older, it resonated with him how much of a need there is in terms of helping seniors deal with odd jobs around the house that they’re no longer able to do. With Savage living in Kings County and his parents in Moncton, he found that they’d have quite a to-do list for him whenever he visited.
He said his parents, like many seniors, were determined to stay in their own home.
During his door-to-door campaigning for a county council seat in 2016, Savage again saw the need and demand for seniors to get help with home maintenance.
“I said, if I’m ever going to do this, now is the time to do it.”
He’s been getting a call or two each day from people who want him to do work. The business has taken off “unbelievably” and he is much busier than he anticipated.
Savage said that although the uptake has been fantastic and he’s hired a couple of people on a part-time basis, the business is on a bit of a cusp. He’s almost too busy for a one-person operation but not yet busy enough to hire a full-time staff.
He said there wasn’t a lot of investment needed to start the business, as he already had most of the tools. The biggest expenses were a used Ford Ranger and marketing costs.
Savage started his working life in the trades and has always been handy.
He said it’s very physical work that he thrived on and loved. However, “one thing led to another” and he got into the business world.
“You get into a sedentary lifestyle and then as the years go by you’re doing less and you’re putting on weight and you’re not eating as healthy.”
Savage said when he goes home after a day working the handyman service, he’s physically tired but it’s a different feeling than being mentally drained by spending a day doing office work.
He feels great knowing that he’s really helped someone.
He said he still has his other company, Excel Consulting Services Inc., on the go and he’s still doing business coaching and training. Savage said time would tell if No Job Too Small becomes his full-time occupation. He anticipates a slowdown over the winter months and he still enjoys business coaching and consulting.
No Job Too Small has been nominated for the 2017 New Business of the Year Award from the Annapolis Valley Chamber of Commerce.