Had a talk with a retired plumber at the hardware store that changed how I see side work

I was grabbing some cleaning supplies for a client's house and this older guy next to me started talking about how he built his plumbing business doing small jobs nobody wanted. He said he made more money fixing one leaky faucet for $75 than chasing big contracts. That hit me because I've been hustling to land these huge cleaning contracts and burning myself out. Now I'm thinking about offering add-on services like organizing pantries or deep cleaning singles rooms for people in my neighborhood.

2 comments

2 Comments

mason28317d agoMost Upvoted

The part people miss is that small jobs build loyalty way better than big ones. When you show up for the little stuff people remember you. That faucet guy probably gets called back every time something breaks because he was the one who fixed it right the first time. Those big contracts you're chasing? One bad review and you're done. But a neighbor who sees you clean their pantry and do a good job will tell their whole street about you. Plus those add-on services don't have the overhead of a full cleaning crew. You get paid faster and keep more of it.

palmer.henry17d ago

Yeah but here's what I'm wondering. How do you price those little add-on jobs without looking like you're nickel and diming them? Like if you're already there cleaning their pantry and they ask you to fix a shelf or organize a closet. Do you just tack on a flat fee or what? Because I've seen guys lose repeat work over a stupid $20 charge that pissed someone off. And the other side of that coin is you undercharge and now you're working for nothing. Curious how you handle that part. Small jobs have tight margins so one wrong price and you're in the hole.