We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shawn Stariha. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shawn below.
Alright, Shawn thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Looking back at the decisions you made early in your career, particularly whether to join a firm or start your own, do you feel you made the right choice for that stage of your career?
In the past 30 years, we have built and managed three Minnesota businesses in other service industries. In 2019, Shawn was given the opportunity to start and run a glass company, in Wisconsin, under the umbrella of an established automotive restoration business. After two years under Shawn’s direction, the glass company gained enough traction to be handed off and sufficiently sustained by other managers.
We had a “Now what?” moment, but knew for sure we wanted to move back to the Twin Cities, and start our own business. During our stay in Wisconsin (and for years prior to going there). we performed side jobs for homeowners. We heard over and over that customers would seek out contractors, set up in-home quotes, and often receive estimates- only to have no follow-through from the contractors. At times, this left the client scrambling, especially if they were getting their home ready to sell. So we saw a need! With Shawn’s entrepreneurial expertise, multifaceted skillset, and Kim being a professional painter, we knew we had the experience and tools to launch a professional handyman business. By winter 2022, we moved back to Minnesota, attained a General Contractor license, outfitted a van, and Total Home Helpers was birthed! Now in the first quarter of 2024, we are a profitable company, with a growing list of home-owning clients, in addition to the recurring referrals of several realtors and loan officers. We know we made the right choice to start our own company, and we’re excited to see what the future holds as we serve more customers!
Shawn, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Total Home Helpers is a professional maintenance and repair company that provides handyman services to residential and small commercial businesses, across the state of Minnesota. A few of the to-do list items we service are, painting, drywall repair, doors, carpentry, decks, patios, appliance installation, flooring, tile repair, shower door installation, cabinet installation, plumbing repair, light fixtures, fencing…and others.
From the first phone call, Total Home Helpers is focused on customer satisfaction. We are problem solvers, home improvement enthusiasts, and your trusted partners in maintaining and enhancing your living space. Whether we work directly with you, our through your Realtor, our skilled team strives to tackle every task with precision and care. Committed to punctual service, transparent pricing, and dedicated to quality craftsmanship, our goal is to exceed your expectations every step of the way! We pride ourselves in an upfront “Guaranteed Pricing Promise” so every customer knows there will be no costly surprises.
We also offer monthly and quarterly subscriptions to help you manage your property! Some of the home maintenance tasks we include in the subscriptions are, checking/changing furnace filters, assessing/filling water softener salt, swapping out batteries in smoke/carbon monoxide detectors and checking for plumbing leaks and dryer/exhaust vent build up. We also perform inspections to assess exterior wear in paint, siding, decks, sheds and gutters. We are prepared to service all of your maintenance needs, inside and out!
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
When we thought about our impact, we knew we wanted a first impression of professionalism. We created a logo that covers three sides of our vans, and is concise and easy to read. Our vehicles are in good condition, clean and quiet. Our logo is also on our apparel, clearly spread across the back of our two-toned bowling shirts. Several times a month, we are approached in parking lots and big box home improvement stores, by patrons and contractors inquiring about our company! The most common questions are, “Are you a franchise?”, and “What all do you do?” We get a kick out of that, and it appears we’ve created a sense of credibility, simply by looking professional! As we move forward with customers, our reputation of professionalism and trust is built through timely communication, quality service, and pricing they can afford. We stand by our motto- to show up when we say we will, and do what we say we are going to do.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
We use several strategies to grow our clientele, from family and friend referrals, Craig’s List ads and Facebook Community Page posts, but our most effective approach for gaining customers is introducing Total Home Helpers to Realtors, and their teams. These relationships have proven to be a three-way collaboration, with a profound ripple effect! When we present our value of service to Realtors, they refer us to their clients who are preparing and updating their homes for the market. Selling and buying a home are life-changing events and can be extremely stressful for homeowners. We help check off tasks on their to-do lists, so they can focus on other essentials in the process. Once we’ve earned the trust of the customer by servicing their home with quality and efficiency, we see them as a returning client in their new home. This allows for continuous touch-point opportunities for both our original client, the Realtor, and also their client, who is now our on-going customer. As a Professional Handyman, we know that being an integral part of the real estate routine is pivotal for the growth of our company.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.totalhomehelpers.com
- Instagram: totalhomehelpers
- Facebook: Total Home Helpers
- Other: info@totalhomehelpers.com