Make a Living, Make a Difference.
Make a Living, Make a Difference.
Just imagine reaching out to a senior in your neighborhood and offering to change their light bulb.
Seems so simple, doesn't it?
But for that senior, that light bulb meant they could read today. And you made that happen!
And you could make that "light bulb" difference every day by taking your handy skills in to your community and support your senior neighbors in their independence.
All on your own terms.
Imagine having the freedom to set your own schedule, connect meaningfully with people, do work that lifts you up, create a safe and independent environment for a senior and get paid for providing a much-needed service.
I can help you do just that in 90 days with my Handy Gals for Seniors Quick Start Program.
I'm Laurie McLean and I am the founder of Handy Granddaughter, a handywoman service for seniors.
I struggled for years trying to figure out what I wanted to do in my work. I also struggled with the rigidity of working 9-5 and working for other people. I continually put in 110% and felt empty. So I quit in 2008.
My life's work has been in seniors wellness through occupational therapy, health & home mobility and safety equipment, earning my Red Seal Trade Qualification in Painting & Decorating in the construction industry, and supporting college students learning via online education. It's an admittedly strange mix, but it has led to a business I'm very passionate about. My unique background gives me specialized interactions with seniors.
After caring for my grandmother, Eva, for many years, supporting her independence at home until she died at 92, I decided to bundle my skills and create this business to serve other grandparents who needed help.
With the few tools I had in my kit, some basic business cards and a vision, I ventured out into my community looking for seniors who needed a hand.
Now I am thrilled to have a business where I go to the homes of seniors with a toolkit and supplies and carry out minor repairs, installations, maintenance, assembly and touch ups. I tighten, loosen, adjust and move, all while enjoying conversation and meaningful connections.
I have my FREEDOM to work when I want, for as much as I want and with who I want.
I wouldn't trade it for a thing!
I want you to be able to have an enjoyable career that makes a difference to the lives of so many.
Improve the lives of seniors in your community by using your handy DIY skills
Improve the lives of seniors in your community by using your handy DIY skills
This unique program will run for twelve weeks, one module per week, complete with exercises, videos and coaching calls where I can answer your specific questions and a Start Up Kit containing helpful resources, worksheets and templates to get you up and running as quickly as possible.
I literally open up my business and toolkit to share how I started my Handy Granddaughter business from scratch and grew to serving over 100 seniors and earning multiple 5 figures working only 3 days a week. You’ll be able to use my experience to grow your own business, eliminating guesswork, wasted time (and money!) and frustration.
All of the tools and support you need to change your life and the lives of seniors
All of the tools and support you need to change your life and the lives of seniors
> 12 Weekly Online Course Modules: You will walk through weekly topics that will guide you in each area of a handy gal for seniors business. One week is a module-free week for implementation time.
> Live Group Coaching Calls: Once per week, we'll meet as a group in a web conference where I will facilitate discussions about the week's content, exercises, how-to's and questions.
> One-to-One Mentoring: You and I will work together on your modules and exercises with feedback and input directly from me and my own experiences working in senior's care, independent living, mobility and construction.
> Community Support: Setting up a business and working for yourself can be lonely, so we have a community of like-minded gals via a private Facebook group. This is a space where you can ask questions, share resources and collaborate openly. The community will be there for you as it grows and new program members are added.
> Unlimited Member Access: You will have access to all of the course updates, resources, templates, recorded calls, video library, etc. for as long as I keep the program running.
Twelve detailed modules with no stone left unturned, including helpful exercises, case studies and specifics on what you need to start and run your handy gal business
Over 5 hours of comprehensive videos covering everything from what you need in your toolbox (not as much as you think!) to how to run a project from start to finish
Everything you need to get started – complete with examples for each – saving you hours and hours of hunting, head-scratching and guesswork so you can focus on your clients
It’s like having her by your side the entire time, helping you grow a successful business!
Learn where you're most likely to find your potential clients based on where they're currently accessing services, and discover how to build a referral network to quickly grow your business. By the end of this module, you will:
Get your business off on the right foot by learning about the population of seniors in your community. By the end of this module you will:
Learn the tools and skills you really need to complete many of the most common job requests you'll receive from seniors. (Hint: It's not as much as you think!) By the end of this module, you will:
Save time, money and frustration by learning the variety of parts and service providers in your area. By the end of this module, you will:
There's no need to be overwhelmed by boring business set up. Learn the steps to use to get your business up and running quickly so you can focus on the fun part – doing the work you love. By the end of this module, you will:
This is the week you can use to put your knowledge into action, set-up your business, or organize your basic tool set up. You'll have our live Q&A call to help you along.
Know what it takes to build trust and set expectations with new clients by understanding what they really need. By the end of this module, you will:
Earn repeat business from happy clients by planning each job effectively. By the end of this module, you will:
Apply your new job planning skills for a real client project, focusing on project details, supply needs and action planning. By the end of this module, you will:
Take on a larger project using each step of the Handy Gal process to help you gain even more confidence in your DIY skills and abilities. By the end of this module, you will:
Help more of your clients remain in their homes by expanding your service offerings to add home health care equipment. By the end of this module, you will:
Seniors are a unique group of people with unique needs, concerns and expectations. Developing a standard of ethics of care in your business will help you address these. By the end of this module, you will: Nuances of the Senior Client
Hear what others are saying...
Hear what others are saying...
I highly recommend Laurie McLean’s Handy Gals for Seniors Quick Start Program. I wasn’t sure I could afford the course, but after just two weeks I realized what a deal I was getting!
She includes everything from finding your target market to how to start a business to what tools you need and what projects you may be asked to do – complete with videos on specific types of repairs! With all the information she provided, I am convinced she should be charging a lot more.
Laurie is very knowledgeable and encouraging. She has been very open about sharing her experiences, talking about both her successes and her mistakes so we could learn from both.
Although I had quite a bit of tool and home maintenance knowledge, I wasn’t overly confident about my skills. With Laurie’s help and encouragement, I have been able to tackle some jobs around the house that have bothered me for years, and I feel much more confident in my skills. I’m excited to begin sharing those skills with the seniors in my community!
I’ve been consistently blown away by the value Laurie has included in this program. I expected that she would give you some basics for starting a business, but what she has created is basically a business-in-a-box. Laurie has taken away the guesswork and done all of the hard parts for you. All you need to focus on is getting clients, and she has made this easier too!
The icing on the cake is that the whole reason we do this is to give back to the community. I always thought you couldn’t do good in the world and get paid well. Well, I was wrong. I’m just so pleased to have found Laurie and this program.
It’s like having her by your side the entire time, helping you grow a successful business, and I highly recommend it to any woman with even basic handy skills that would love to have a full or part time business of her own!
Let's visit some Grannies
Let's visit some Grannies
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Yes. Start with the skills you have and grow from there. You will be supported with basic how-to's through course lectures and the How-To Video Library. Also, there are countless books available and YouTube videos for a host of skills that I, too, have learned from.
No. Your basic start-up costs will likely be fees for a business name search & registration, a monthly premium for liability insurance, a business licence in your city, a start-up set of business cards, a receipt book and picking up any tools you might need for your starter kit. These can be found used at garage sales or thrift shops, for example.
No! You can absolutely refer any project you are not comfortable doing. Have some reliable and skilled tradespeople that you trust and will treat your client with the best of care, in your back pocket. I do refer and if my lady clients feel uncomfortable with a male tradesperson, I am on site to support them.
No. You are working towards setting up your own business with your own name, your own structure and your own clients. You will continue to have the support of myself and the gals you meet in the Facebook Group but your day-to-day operations, and ultimately, your success, are yours to grow and prosper.
Not to worry! We all started online at some point! You will need internet access to login to the online course, access to a printer for the worksheets, a Facebook account for the private Facebook group, speakers on your device so you can hear the weekly group coaching web calls, nice to have a video camera on your device so we can see each other during the calls. Using a smartphone to complete the course is not recommended.
Minimum of 2 hours in the earlier modules. In the latter modules, you will have a some applied projects that take a bit more time but can be spread over a couple of weeks. Everyone is different and learns differently. The more time and effort you can commit to the exercises, action steps and projects, the more prepared you will be at the end of 90 days to launch your business.
You will be a business owner, making a living on your own terms, while improving the lives of the people who need it most.
You will be a business owner, making a living on your own terms, while improving the lives of the people who need it most.
I wasn’t sure I could afford the course, but after just two weeks I realized what a deal I was getting!
Making the decision to start and run a business is scary.
I understand that better than anyone. And I had no guarantees.
Creating anything successful requires effort and putting in the work!
However, if after the first 30 days from when the program starts on March 1, 2016 you can show me proof of having completed ALL the exercises in the workbooks for the first 4 Modules and you are not satisfied with the wealth of information you’re getting with this program or your progress, please email me for a refund of your investment.
* Canadian Handy Gals, contact me to discuss currency options laurie@handygaltools.com