Mr. Fix-It

It’s hard to dissuade someone from pursuing a goal they’ve already set for themselves. Thankfully, Brian Wigutow figured it out all on his own.

Franchise Update reported that after more than a dozen years in the restaurant industry, Wigutow realized operating his own restaurant was not the right career choice for him or his family. Though most would find themselves at a crossroads when their lifelong goal proved ineffective, Wigutow consulted a franchise broker and found a career match he had never considered before: Handyman Matters.

"I didn't have any handyman experience, but I know how to run a business and have the ability to manage skilled labor," says the 48-year-old Wigutow from his office in Columbia, Maryland. "Operating a franchise like Handyman Matters is just a matter of process. It mainly requires a basic business acumen.” Wigutow opened his franchise in October of 2004. In preparation, he says he spent much of his time during the prior six month period evaluating the Handyman Matters brand, speaking with current franchise owners and former operators, and quizzing the corporate staff. "I really tried to do my due diligence in order to make an informed decision," he says.

Wigutow discovered what many others are finding out, that handyman-related franchising is a healthy and growing industry (the segment is ranking high atop best franchise opportunity lists like those found in Entrepreneur magazine). Franchise players like Handyman Matters, Handyman Connection, and Mr. Handyman, are grabbing more and more of the growing market share in home repairs, remodeling, and building. Indeed, these fix-r-up franchises offer a slew of solutions for millions of time-starved, two-income families, and retiring Baby-Boomers. He's done so well with his first Handyman Matters territory, that just this past November, Wigutow took on a second adjoining territory. He's now serving a swath of the Baltimore-Washington, D.C.-area market.

"It's been a great business for me because my family is an important part of my life. I want to take my kids to school and be able to spend time with them in the evenings. It's important for me to have a balanced lifestyle," he says. A typical week finds him working a solid 40 hours or so and spending most evenings and weekends at home.