Author: Creative Programs and Systems - page 326

Improve Your Online Presence With Search Engine Optimization

For all businesses it is important to have an online presence.  Having a website is one step of this valuable process however not an end all.  In order to have success your website needs to be easily found, attractive and easy to navigate.  Search engine placement is the one thing that allows your site to be easily found when using major search engines.  SEO will not come from having a site up and running.  Your search engine placement will only come out on top with consistent upgrades and consent changes to match your site to current algorithms to increase recognition on major search engines.

The basics in search engine come down to four basic steps; finding keywords, optimize individual web pages, current and high ranked pages that contain inbound links to your site and submission of your site to search engines.  It sounds fairly simple however it is truly better to set yourself up with a professional search engine company.  This will help ensure your site does not become black listed.  Blacklisting often happens when a company uses “illegal” tactics to get ranked quickly which causes Google to blacklist the site.  Search engine rankings can only come from consistency and progressive upgrades.

The first issue to deal with is keyword optimization.  This is incredibly difficult.  I know it sounds like a simple step, if you are working on fixing computers you would think simply all people type computer repair in Google.  This is not always true.  Yes computer repair is a real term that should be connected but there are others to consider as well.  There are specific repairs people often think about when visualizing what needs to be done to their computer.  For instance, virus removal, screen repair, internet connection issues and so on.  The same happens in every distinct field.  When you are close to the field your website is designed around you often forget about the non-technical aspects that people will use to find you.

Each page within your website should be directed at a keyword phrase up to four phrases can be included to maximize the effectiveness from search engines.  It is important to include the key word you are after in the text, headings and code within the pages.  Another important trick to the trade, if you are not a global company is to also work the area you are working within into the back end and on page keyword optimization.

Next is to think about the inbound links.  These are the pages that you use to promote your keywords.  This can be done through article marketing, business listings, blog post or several other options.  It is important that your inbound links come from pages with increased page ranks.  It will not help if you use pages that are not ranked or ranked below a two for your inbound links.  It is possible to find page ranks of every page you are considering using by checking with a page ranking tool that can be found on Google.  Your inbound links are better received by Google if they are ranked in the range of three to six.

Lastly the issue of submitting your website there are several ways you can do this.  The best, but most time consuming is to hand list your website individually throughout different search engines.  Hiring a company to do this for you will save you a ton of time plus they are aware of each and every search engine that will benefit your site.

Finding The Right Roofing Material For Your Home

What do people want most when spending money on a product and service?  If you answered something around the arena of getting the best bang for their buck you are thinking along the right track.  This is exactly what homeowners looking into replacing their roofs are looking for.  They want to get a reliable option in materials and labor at a realistic cost.  When looking into replacing a roof consumers are interested in something inexpensive, few, simple maintenance requirements and longevity.

When looking into replacement roofing there are many options available to homeowners.  The roofing materials that are available to you will also depend a lot on the region in which the home is in.  For instance, in Michigan we find that clay roofing tiles are not a feasible option in roofing material.  The cold temperatures and drastic climate changes would not play well with this fragile option.  However, in a southwestern climate clay roofing tiles are a popular option because they don’t dry rot, burn or are not easily damaged by insect wear and tear.  They require a small amount of maintenance helping to maintain their popularity within certain regions within the United States.

Popular options for Michigan homes tend to lean towards materials that are viable in the changing climate.  Shingle roofs and metal roofing remain a solid choice for homeowners within this region. Shingle roofs are by far the most common material used in roofing within the region. There are several types of composition shingle roofing materials including higher quality, more durable asphalt shingles and fiberglass shingles which also may include recycled content.

Shingle roofs, often known as composition or asphalt shingle roofs, offer many advantages over other roofing materials especially for those of us that live within a climate such as Michigan where the season changes are inevitable.

Advantages:

  • The style of home that the material can be used on is a wide range. Whether the home is historic, contemporary, modern or classic shingles are aesthetically pleasing.
  • Shingle roofing material tends to be a less expense option when compared to other roofing material such as metal.
  • The durability can be increased using higher quality architectural shingles.  Although many homeowners find the low-cost 3-tab shingles a viable option for their needs and desires.
  • The variety of colors, types and manufactures also make this option popular.  Complementary shingle colors should be sought out using your existing siding color as a guide.
  • Shingle roofing is easy to repair and fire resistant which also makes it incredibly desirable to homeowners seeking to install a new roof.  Roof repairs are not unheard of. Shingles make the repair a bit easier which save the homeowner time and money.   Wind damage is the number one cause of roof repair and in states such as Michigan that is not unfamiliar territory.

Disadvantages:

  • Unlike other roofing materials composition shingle roofs last a relatively short amount of time.  The average life span varies between fifteen to thirty years.  Depending on how long you plan on being in your home may convince or detour you from purchasing this type of roofing material.
  • Extra hot temperatures can cause damage such as scarring.  Although this is a rather minor roof repair and the temperatures would have to be way above average for a good portion of time for people in the North-East region.
  • Given the right conditions moss and mildew can grow on shingle roofs.  This again is a fairly simple fix but something to think about.  If you live in an area with very little sunlight getting to the roof it might be something to consider when choosing a shingled roof.
  • A disadvantage of some shingles is that they are considered environmentally unfriendly.  They do not decompose rapidly if placed in a landfill.  Many shingle suppliers are starting to sell recycled shingles to improve the environmentally friendliness.

 

Improve Your Business’s Freight Management Systems With These Four Solutions

Freight management is a current hot spot within the logistics industry.  Often time businesses have a disadvantage when looking into ways to reduce freight costs.  They think in the box to often looking at the obvious cost saving techniques.  Individuals working within a company have a hard time separating themselves to look at what is and has always been in order to find new and unique ways to change and in turn reduce costs.

This is the exact reason supply chain, logistic consulting companies are hired.  When an outside consultant is able to look at the current freight management of a company they see everything for what it is at the point of analysis.  This makes it easier for them to determine areas that are proficient and those that are not.  Consultants take the not so obvious and suggest putting actions into place within small parcel, ground parcel and international post freight management that will improve service, customer satisfaction and reduce freight costs.

The obvious way to decrease freight costs is by seeking a lower shipping rate with carriers.  This is often an area where businesses are lead to believe they are already receiving steep discounts and the room for negotiation is zero.  This however is often not the case.  Many carriers will lead customers to believe that their steep discount of say 75% is the highest they give anyone.  While this may be the case it is important to realize that their lowest price is not always the industry’s lowest price.  Carrier A may think their 75% discount is incredible but when Carrier B is offering the same service without any discount at all at a lower price that is obviously not the best deal you can be negotiating.  Negotiate with Carrier B for a discount on their already lower price is the answer to cost savings in this situation.

Important Freight Management Money Saving Tips

1)      Discounts verse Actual Rates:  As proven in the above situation a discount is not always leading a client to the lowest actual rate.  Even if a carrier is offering a steep discount look to see how overly inflated the original shipping rate is.  It is important to determine a firm’s typical shipment fees rather than their discount. A typical fee schedule lower than other carriers discounted fees shows how jaded discounts or percentages off can really be.  It is not a deal to buy a twenty-five dollar crate at a 50% discount form Carrier A when the same crate and service from Carrier B is originally only ten dollars.

 

2)      Fuel Surcharges:  This is another area in which companies often get handed extra fees.  Many firms think that fuel surcharges are fixed at a certain rate.  This is not something that should be assumed.  Unless it is written in your agreement with a shipper the freight fuel surcharge they are charging your company could be double what could have been negotiated.  This is often an area where a lot of money can be saved.

 

3)      Behind The Scene Daily Operations: When looking at the employee expense involved with freight transportation management you will need to look at the amount of time that is spent daily receiving and reviewing shippers quotes.  Even if the company is receiving a smaller number of quotes per shipment and the average shipment per week are ten that are sixty quotes that need to be looked at and evaluated.

 

If each quotes analysis takes ten minutes you are looking at six hundred minutes or ten hours each week that the transportation manager is tied up reviewing quotes.  With the technology that logistic consultants are able to implement now-a-days that time can be decreased substantially.  Web based logistic software will help decrease the time spent over the tedious tasks and increase the time spent on money making operations within the firm.

 

Software implementation helps in other arenas within freight transportation management such as the review and auditing of freight bills.  Inaccurate billing leads to lost revenue within the freight division of a firm.  It is pertinent that software be implemented to check for inaccuracies within the auditing process to save.

 

4)      Parcel Management:  When hiring a freight management consulting firm they will audit the current backend process thoroughly.  They will then implement a plan that will work within the organization to minimize time spent handling damage claims, lost shipments, reconciled claims, shipment schedules and paperwork prep.  Minimizing the time spent on these aspects with the use of tools and technology specifically designed for the individual operations will increase the profitability of your supply chain. They do this by decreasing human processing errors and employee time wasted finding the problems that need resolved.  When the technology finds an error than it is up to the employees to seek out solutions that cannot be handled through the software.

Window Treatments For Each Room In Your Home

What happens when you have windows that are less than desirable to look at?  It is time to play interior designer adding window treatments to them.  Window coverings are known as the finishing touch to interior decorators.  Many compare curtain, blinds and shades to a home to the accessories women use to spiff up a plain black dress. The final touch to turn a room into the place you desire.  There are certain things to think about in dressing your windows to make them stand out in a desirable way.

The very first thing that needs to be taken into consideration when purchasing window treatments for any room of your home is the function or purpose they will need to serve.  They must fit your need or else you will be wasting money on something that looks pretty but offers nothing to your family in regards to value.  Look at the options available when considering what the room needs. Things to consider when looking at function are: light control, privacy, insulation and whether or not you still want to maintain a view to the outside.

Personal style is another quality you will want to pay attention to.  If your style needs are not met than you will not enjoy being in the space. This takes into account color as well.  You can enhance a room’s characteristic with the window treatments.  If you are a formal person creating formal spaces than the last thing you would want to do is create a modern space using color and style.

Another thing to look at is the existing structure and textures within the rooms existing space.  It is possible to find window treatments with accents that compliment the room.  For instance, if you are using drapes often times grommets can be used to enhance areas of architecture in the room.  As an example dark brushed grommets compliment red or dark woods.

Other areas to consider when looking for window treatments that compliment the room and enhance features with in it are the height of the windows verse the drapes.  If the room is large and grand in style the last thing you want are itty bitty blinds.  This will not enhance in any form.  Grand rooms need window treatments that will stand out as little room need windows that don’t call attention upon them.  Think cozy when considering window treatments within smaller spaces that are meant to feel cozy, relaxed and simple.  Larger scale rooms should include coverings that are a floor to ceiling style.  This creates drama and draws attention.  It is important to remember the rules related to scale and proportion when looking at options for your windows.  Balance is important.  Don’t go overboard but then again don’t skimp.

Examples:

  • Woven Wood Blinds: For homes that are natural or lean toward rustic this option enhances the cozy warm feeling of a home looking for that same feel in window coverings.
  • Cellular Shades:  This option is popular in homes where light control and view are important.  This option allows the shade to be directed in either direction covering as little or as much of the window as desired.
  • Roller Shades:  This is a new, modern option in window treatments.  Think about large windows such as door walls and picture windows.  This option lends towards a modern feel and looks like art within the room.

Hire A Professional To Execute Water Removal

Why do people call in water damage specialists? Isn’t it simple enough to clean up water damage on your own?  These were my misconceptions before a flood damaged our home.  If there is water that has made its way into your home via flood waters, broken pipes or an over full tub or toilet call in the professionals.  Many issues arise when improper clean up has happened after a flood.  The list of issues is a long one.  This is designed to help save you time and money related to not only the existing flood but damage that can occur for months after a flood has occurred.

Mold Trouble: Mold can cause trouble no matter what size the initial spores may be.  Mold issues large and small can cause health issues and structural damage to a home.  Mold should never be left untreated.  Mold by nature will continue to grow and spread.  Mold damage is something that should be cleaned up using professional restoration services.  This will prevent further spreading and bigger resulting issues.

Finding Mold:  A water damage specialist can detect mold or potential mold areas in a home if the owner is unsure if they have a mold issue or not.  This situation can occur after rainy season or a season of high snow fall.  A water damage specialist will come in and check for leaks throughout the structure of the home, want existing water damage and suspicious areas for potential mold growth.

Water Removal/Remediation: If you home has suffered a large leak or flood a restoration professional should be called in immediately.  They have high powered water extraction equipment that will quickly re mediate the situation.  A professional service will also be able to look at the structural supports of the home and see if any damage has occurred that will need immediate attention.

Drying:  When a home has had any amount of water damage drying is always a concern.  If the area is not thoroughly dry mold and mildew damage can make a bad situation even worse.  It is important that high powered equipment be used to dry out affected areas to prevent further damage.  If you are looking at damage in the summer it is just as important to remove the humidity out of the air in order to have proper drying occur in your home.

Deodorizing:  If improper care is taken with the removal of water damage can occur in the form of a strange smell.  This will need to be handled by a professional.  Deodorizing is not something to be taken lightly as that smell often means there is another issue brewing.  Don’t plug in some air fresheners and believe the issue will cure itself.  This is not the case after a home has had any type of water damage done to it.

It is pretty clear that when water damage occurs within your home it is important to call in an expert to really evaluate the situation at hand.  Little water problems can turn into major mold issues quickly given the right environment.  It will save time and money in the long run to have a professional restoration company look at the situation, clean it up, analyze trouble spots and move on with life.

 

Regaining Your Financial Future Through Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

Life changes all the time.  One minute you are high on life, planning a wedding, buying a new home, furnishing it and racking up credit debt like no tomorrow.  You are on top of the world.  You are working in a position that gives you freedom and an unlimited expense account with an impressive salary.  Your beautiful wife has put her career on hold as she is expecting baby number two.  This is it you are living the ultimate dream in life.  What happens next is unforeseeable and devastating.

The big boss is in from out of state.  He is very sorry but the company is looking to merge and with the merge many positions are going to be eliminated, yours being one of them.  You have three week severance coming and a small amount of money in savings.  It is possible you might be okay if you are able to find another position paying around the same amount.

Three weeks later you are still scouring leads to find a position.  You know it will be impossible to live off of less than you were previously making, several places have offered however you know that with your current debt that is not a feasible option at the moment.

After months of looking for a new position, getting further and further behind in on you payments you are left with few options.  You decide to take a position making less money and are incredibly nervous about making your mortgage, paying school loans, making minimum payments on your credit cards let alone having any money left over for groceries or necessities for your family.  This is when you realize that meeting with a bankruptcy attorney might be the best option for you and your family in the current circumstance that you are in.

Life changes it happens so fast that often there is little to know time to prepare. We are not taught to live with these thoughts in our heads.  Few people do.  Chapter 7 bankruptcies are a legitimate way to regain balance in your financial life and to move forward. Primarily chapter 7 bankruptcies are seen as a straight forward, simple and inexpensive way to clear unwanted debt and get a fresh start.

If you find yourself in a situation that is close to what I described above it is wise to seek out bankruptcy information.  You might find that it is exactly the help you need to get through this patch of time in your life that is overwhelming.  Individuals, after going through the chapter 7 bankruptcy process share stories of a weight being lifted off their shoulders as the trustees dismiss the financial burden of credit card debt, over extended mortgages and home loans.  Bankruptcy attorneys do not judge.  They work for you to come up with a feasible solution regarding the overwhelming debt you have accumulated.  The best option in a time of uncertainty is to gather information and resources to help alleviate your worry and improve your family’s situation.

Landscape Design Combining Elements

Landscaping the yard is one of the things my husband has expressed very little interest in.  He just does not understand why we dump money into making the yard something other than what it already is.  With a river behind our home he feels it is our duty to let nature take over and protect itself.  Let the land lie as it will is his yard maintenance motto.

I however, do not feel the same way.  As he tackled the inside of our home when we moved in I went to work on the outside.  The first thing I did was remove the ant infested railroad tie border that was a make shift flower bed and pull everything that was planted out.  The people before us had tiny “gardens” all over the yard.  It was easy for me to remove them.  I knew it needed an updated badly and I was the girl for the job.

The river bank was full of overgrown seedling trees and nastiness. In cleaning the area up by the river bank my main goal was to utilize what existed as much as we could.  I wanted to keep the larger scale trees and new tree growth in place.  A natural environment is one that will protect the bank area from eroding better than any man made wall plus it look one hundred percent better.  In managing the erosion that will naturally take place we began taking boulders that were about the yard and placing them on the edge of the river.  In doing this they are molding the ground around them and holding it in place.

The house had a lot of areas of blandness.  The garage lacked any sort of bushes or shrubs to balance and hide the brick that formed the foundation.  In order to create spaces that are visually interesting and had balance I choose to plant alternating green and purple flowering bushes.  They really made the garage blend into the house and not look so separate.

Now that the garage and river banks were taken care of we had to think about the front and back yard landscaping.  I was sure I wanted items in the garden that were irregular and not formed in shape.  I like a bit of the fantasy, flowing look when it comes to plants and shrubs.  I immediately gravitated towards a border that incorporated multi-leveled logs standing vertically.  This really ties into the natural element of the river. I then choose some large landscape boulders and place them in various places within the bed to tie in with the river side of the house.  Shrubs were planted that were free forming and daisies were added for color and ground cover for filler and the garden was completed.

The back yard was simple.  I took the rock element and carried it into a fire pit arena.  It turned out beautifully and allowed us to do away with the three flower beds that basically eliminated any space for the kids to play within the boundaries of the yard.  I added several benches made from wood around by the river and fire pit as accents.  It is a very cozy landscaped space.

To add some fun and flair to the landscaping I place tiki torches around the deck area in the summer and solar ground lights in the path to the fire pit.  It adds a bit of metal into the landscape design breaking up the green around us.  It has grown on my husband as the summer’s progress and he has even taken to a bit of landscaping on his own with the installation of a boat ramp that blends naturally into the river.  That is truly is only contribution as I still find myself mowing and weeding the yard every weekend as he tends a fire and jumps in the boat for some river time.

Solutions To Adapt Your Home For Changing Needs

Disabilities, age and certain illnesses leave us clinging for answers when it comes to modifying our living environment to make the conditions safe and user friendly. At any season of life we could be facing the challenges limited mobility, loss of stability and decreased use of motor skills brings.  When this is the case it is evident that changes within the home environment will need to be made to encourage continued independence.

When born with an illness or disability that lessens the skills individuals have changes are made right away to the home environment.  The learning curbs to adapt to the surroundings are simpler for those individuals who are raised adapting to the home space.  However, when the disability is sudden it is harder to change the behaviors that already exist.  Instead modifications need to be put into place to ease the existent behaviors.

This is especially true for individuals who suddenly find they are using a wheelchair as their main form of maneuvering.  The adjustment is huge.  Mobility is suddenly not an afterthought.  It takes careful planning and maneuvering to navigate a space that was not designed for use with a wheelchair.  This is why many individuals who find themselves in this exact situation turn to handicap construction experts.

Certain changes within the home environment make it more readily usable to wheelchairs.  One item that needs to be addressed is the entrance and exit of the home.  It is important that handicap wheelchair ramps be installed in more than one area of the home for increased safety.  Wheelchair ramps can consist of simple threshold ramps or elaborate porches that contain a ramp for wheelchair users and stairs for those with leg function.  Wheelchair ramps are also helpful for individuals with knee ailments.

Another area of the home that is especially difficult to maneuver for those with mobility and stability issues is the bathroom.  Bathroom safety solutions run the spectrum. The installation of bathroom safety aides is a fairly common job.  Bathroom safety bars can help with getting in and out of the tub, off and on to the toilet and for stability around the sink basin.  Other options include showers designed to for wheelchair users or those with limited mobility to be able to enter direct without any type of ledge to hinder the individual.  The bathroom area is the number one cause of injury.  It is of utmost importance to seek out handicap construction professional to help with the installation of safety aides.

Many times individuals do not consider future needs when purchasing a home.  This is true when purchasing a home with stairs.  It is not always feasible upon injury, illness or aging to up and move to a home without stairs.  Often the option includes adjusting the stairs to fir the new need.  This need can be met with a stair chair lift installation.  Whether needing to access the basement or top floor a stair chair lift can be installed to fit the individuals need.

As with any renovation it is wise to seek the advice and assistance of a professional in the industry. With an increased senior population in areas such as Florida and Michigan professionals in the handicap construction industry are abundant.  If you are unable to locate a private handicap construction professional in your area contact state officials or local social workers who can help facilitate meeting your needs.

Additional Income Through Network Marketing

Making extra money running an at home business is the dream of many.  One way people can accomplish this is to look into different network marketing opportunities.  Network marketing is a great way to land residual income.  Finding a multi-level marketing company to work with is something that should not be gone about lightly.  It is important that some research goes into the company you will be working for and promoting.  When starting any business, network marketing included, it is important to know exactly what you are getting started in.

One of the first questions to find out when looking at network marketing companies to represent is how long the company has been around. It is important to understand that your efforts today will be multiplied by the efforts of the past.  A company that is new won’t have built that up for your benefit.  To truly benefit it is important to look for a company that has been around for at least five years.  It has been proven that most network marketing companies fall flat in the first two years of starting up.  If the company you begin with has at least five years under their belt you are likely safe in your investment.  Your time and money are a precious commodity, as well as your future, so don’t take an investment lightly.

Look into the company’s long term outlook and capital.  Is it a company that has enough cash to continue to grow?  Are they looking into long term technology solutions, advertising and products to keep up to date with consumers changing wants and needs?  If the company does not have the ability to pay you future commissions then the investment is not wise.  In order to invest a solid business plan and growing capital is what you should look for in a multi-level marketing company.

When looking into a network marketing company to represent look at the company itself and the product they have to offer for sale.  Is the product something that will stand the test of time?  Is it desirable and does it meet a need that is long term?  The product must have value, be reasonably priced and a market that will keep on growing and wanting the product.

It is possible to buy into a trendy product or service.  We have all had experience with a fad at one time or another.  It is impossible to build and draw on a residual income on a product that is popular at one time and then gone the next.  When picking a company to represent look for items of mass long term appeal.

Another thing to look for is immediate income abilities.  As an entrepreneur it will be important to recoup the start up costs and marketing fees to finance future growth of your networking business. In order to do this the product must have the ability to be sold and generate additional income quickly.

It is important to look for guidance from the person you are working under.  Find someone that is looking out for your interest in the company as their own.  It is important for multi-level marketing to grow successfully by having people interested in your businesses as well. If you are looking for additional income make sure you are able to hold down your full-time job and run the network marketing opportunity part-time.  So even if you are a stay at home mom looking to bring in additional funds to the house your networking position must be flexible enough to be worked around you life.

Networking positions are all around us.  Success can be yours using this concept to grow your wealth.  When jumping into a long term venture don’t take it lightly.  Look to do something fun that brings you a wealth of knowledge, funds and an abundance of good times.  Work should be fun.  Making additional money should be too.  Network marketing is all about relationships so why not let it enhance your social life as well as your pocket book.

Affordable Handyman Help For Homeowners

Many people think the services of a handyman, for the small repairs around the house, are going to be too expensive.  Instead of calling and checking homeowners just let the jobs go and allow them to continue to pile up causing bigger more expensive issues to be dealt with later on.  Hiring a handyman is a simple, cost effective way to manage issues that arise around your house that can easily be handled for you.

Think about the repairs needed around your home right now.  I bet somewhere there is a hole in the drywall that needs to be patched or perhaps a corner that has been abused and needs repair.  This job is pretty straightforward for a handyman.  Most are able to even tackle larger drywall issues.  Drywall is a tricky issue for homeowners to handle alone.  The average cost of handyman drywall repairs is around a few hundred dollars.  The costs will incorporate the repair of the drywall, the sanding, patching and painting.

Carpet repairs need to be done frequently.  Many homeowners don’t think to call a handyman when these issues arise.  You will find that the costs are much lower to have a handyman out to repair or stretch carpet that is in need over having carpet companies come in.  Many jobs people don’t associate with typical handyman jobs are.  They are more cost effective and can handle a variety of situations within the home.

Appliance repair, painting, staining, repair of windows, screens, stair railings, tile repairs, faucets, garage door issues, elderly and handicap safety aide installation are able to be handled by hiring a handyman instead of a specialty company.  The day of same day repairs are not gone and can still be taken care of by hiring a handyman to fix the issues.

Of course, if the issues are small and can wait it will be more cost effective when hiring a handyman to come and fix the issues.  When grouping jobs together most handymen will work out a deal for the homeowners.  The typical handyman that comes out to your home and provides services for the day will run you around four to five hundred dollars.  Having a specialty contractor out will run you well over a hundred dollars an hour when a handyman can do the exact same job for less.

There are some jobs it is better to inquire labor by a licensed contractor.  Things such as electrical and plumbing issues are best resolved by someone trained in the field.  Understand when hiring a handyman that they are not all created equally.  It is up to the homeowner to find an individual that is trustworthy and that has several references to back the work up that they have done in the past.  Once you find this individual it is best to keep their number close.  A referral from someone you trust is a great place to find a handyman you are comfortable letting in your home. When interviewing a handyman don’t base your decision solely on price alone.  Make sure it is someone you can work with and that understands your wants and needs.  Also, find someone who will help small issues as well as the big catastrophes that happen as homeowners.