Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Payne.
Hi Ben, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Mr. Fix-It™ has been “fixin” things for nearly 50 years. I built decks, patios and such for friends and friends of friends and was paid in various ways… usually with tools. Once I was paid with a video camera for building a deck. The work was always done on the weekends or after I came home from my “real” job. Nearly 40 years ago, after receiving a reciprocating saw for building a deck on a friend’s home… my wife grabbed me by the collar and said…”Listen up ‘Mr. Fixit’…your next free job is going to be building a patio cover for me and your prices are going to be adjusted.” Thus… Mr. Fix-It™ was born.
The work was still being conducted after normal business hours and on the weekends. All work was referred by word of mouth and was performed by me. Within six months it got to the point of choosing between my “regular” job and “Mr. Fix-It.” At least for the moment, the regular job won out.
That all changed in 2002.
Fast forward to the present day: After spending more that 25 years in the corporate w
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Many up and downs along the way. I have never had a staff. I answer all calls and respond to all customer requests. This includes site visits, proposal creation, project management, invoicing & collections. Sometimes it can get overwhelming.
For the 1st year, I worked 7 days a week from sunup to sundown chasing leads and trying to build up a customer base. I wanted to establish a relationship with every new customer. I didn’t just “do the job”, collect and move on. I wanted to be the “go to guy” for any/all issues that arose in the future. You have to get to know folks before trust can be established, and many of my customers had had several “less than stellar” experiences with service providers in the past, so that was one of the hurdles that had to be overcome on more than one occasion.
After the 1st year, I started to bring in various trades that I had worked with in the past and knew their work. In addition, I brought in novices who wanted to learn the trades and trained them to the job to my s
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’ve always worked with my hands. My Dad & my Grandaddy started teaching me to work on tractors and such when I was around 6 years old. They told me that if I didn’t know how to “fix things”, then I better make a whole lot of money because everything needs to be fixed or replaced at some point. They taught me about power, plumbing, carpentry, et al… starting around the age of 6 and I would help them when I wasn’t in school. They had wood & metal shop in high school back in those days and I really got into that.
I was an auto mechanic for a while in the 70’s and can still hold my own there until the late 90’s models.
I worked in the corporate world for 25 years. I was transferred to Texas in 1992 with GTE. My team monitored and controlled the internal networks backbone. My last project was the development & implementation of the On-Star system that is still used by GM & other companies like Caterpillar.
I started Mr. Fix-It in 2002 as a Handyman service. A couple of years later, I added general contracting. Over time we have come to specialize in kitchen & bath remodeling, room additions and the like. Although we are not “home builders”, we have actually built four homes.
I have customers who moved from Texas to Colorado, Alabama, Tennessee and other who have contracted us to come to their new residences and do whatever upgrades or changes they want in their new homes. This tells a lot about trust and confidence that has been built over time.
I still perform as a handyman. The company started out that way and will remain that way as long as I’m around.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
90% of our work is residential. We work directly with homeowners or their agents on all projects. We also interact with architects if drawings are needed for cities and towns that require permits & inspections. Oftentimes, we will set up meets between vendors for on-site consultation regarding materials and styles that the homeowner is interested in for their projects.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mrfix-it.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Flomound
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-payne-9995002/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mr-fix-it-lewisville
