You must employ talented handymen for your handyman business to succeed. So you have to be very careful when hiring staff.

You must employ talented handymen for your handyman business to succeed. So you have to be very careful when hiring staff.

Find reliable and good people and give them enough work and a decent package so that they will make as much money as possible for you.

Have incentives to bring out the best in your staff. Above all, employ people who share your vision or you won't last long in business.

Advertise jobs to people in the trade, contact lumberyards for recommendations and talk to contractors who will know other small contractors.

Once you have found the candidates, interview them all - from manager to office coordinator to training director.

Ask questions about skills such as carpentry, electrical, plumbing, plastering and so on.

Also find out about prior jobs and the type and quality of work done, jobs that required supervising or dealing with people, administrative or selling skills, strengths and weaknesses in running the business, hours worked, money earned and so on.

Use services that test for empathy, ability to take and give orders and to work with people. This will tell you who not to hire.

Get information about background, education, family and previous work experience in detail.

Discuss in detail mark-up and margin in the business in interviews.

Candidates must accept your pricing strategy or it would be difficult for them to make a profit for you. If they do not accept your pricing strategy, don't hire them even if they meet all criteria.

Unconvinced staff will constantly whinge that your prices are too high and they cannot sell at that level.