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About Us
Our Mission To become a well-recognized leading provider of handyman services in southeastern Wisconsin through quality workmanship and friendly, reliable service. We will serve our customers "better than anyone else". Our Employees We screen, interview, and select employees and subcontractor-candidates, based first on core personal characteristics such as ethics, honesty, work ethic, reliability, creative problem solving skills, commitment to customer satisfaction and quality workmanship, communication skills, and compatibility with our current workers and customer base.
Also critical is the ability of the person to operate professionally and safely in all of the various types of buildings that we work in - single family homes, condos, rental units, offices, retail stores, malls, automobile dealerships, manufacturing plants, laboratories, healthcare facilities, restaurants, schools, churches, and more. The qualified candidate must be able to demonstrate the ability to be respectful of the customer's unique personal or business situation. Plus, it is essential to be able to operate within local building codes that apply to the various types of facilities. There are distinct differences between working in residential, multifamily, commercial, or industrial buildings.
We invest heavily in our employees - in training and support and in proper tools and equipment. Fixit123 management believes that loyalty commitment between customers, employees, and employers is a three-way balancing act, not a hierarchical pyramid with either customers, employees, or management at the top of the pyramid. Our management believes the loyalty process begins with with a demonstrated commitment between employers and employees. Once we find the right employee and the employee truly feels employer-supported, they can then reach for new levels of customer loyalty. It is a three-way commitment that feeds itself once management starts and supports the process. If you know a great worker who might be a good fit in our organization and could say that you would personally feel comfortable having that person work in your home, check our Careers page for employment opportunities. Our Humble Beginnings Fixit123 was founded by Richard C. Schmidt. Mr. Schmidt has over 25 years experience in completing a wide range of residential, commercial, retail, and industrial projects. He has a reputation of being able to fix and build (almost) anything and has always insisted on doing the right things right, at the highest quality levels, and striving to find better ways to do things. Mr. Schmidt has a passion for woodworking, carpentry (rough and finish), landscaping, grading, computers, and electronics - not quite your typical handyman mix! He has built bathrooms, laundry rooms, basement recreation rooms, remodeled kitchen, improved landscapes, built roads with culverts, built ATV trail systems, and various other large and small projects. In addition to a wide range of technical skills, Mr. Schmidt holds a Master of Science in Engineering Management and undergraduate degrees in Industrial Management and Computer Engineering. He has completed numerous training sessions and seminars covering management, leadership, sales, and computer system installation and troubleshooting. Mr. Schmidt has installed and repaired computer systems in homes and various sized businesses. He developed and taught computer hardware and software courses for 10 years in a Fortune 100 company and provided computer technical support in small and medium sized software companies. Tools and Equipment Mr. Schmidt started Fixit123 with all the necessary hand tools and power tools to do every job right the first time. The company owns a full range of hand and power tools, plus a Bobcat skid steer, full size tractor, trailers, and heavy duty landscaping attachments for the more advanced projects. Our crews handle a broad range of work and work closely with other quality subcontractors as needed as well as with local and state authorities to obtain proper approval and advice.
Market Research Mr. Schmidt's research indicates that customers have a difficult time finding a reliable, quality-focused handyman. The home improvement/remodeling industry, which covers a broad array of contractors is at the top of the list for consumer complaints. Customers are frequently dissatisfied with workmanship, reliability, and basic customer service practices. Mr. Schmidt believes that there is a strong market for a handyman business that provides what he considers the basics and customers rarely receive: reliable service and quality workmanship. Mr. Schmidt is focusing his business on a part of the home repair and improvements market, which he believes is large, growing, and is poorly served: service for older adults, widowed or single women, as well as overactive families with perhaps containing non-technical, limited skill, or procrastinator-do-it-yourselfer family members. In the early days when Mr. Schmidt first began to discuss his handyman business ideas with his associates, friends, and family, he would barely start to explain his business plans when many people immediately stopped him and said, "There is a big need there for reliable workers", and "I've got enough projects to keep you busy forever". Today, FIxit123 operates out of an office in Germantown, Wisconsin, where we handle customer inquires, billing, scheduling, and dispatching. We have a solid, growing customer base consisting of commercial and residential customers and strong business relationships with other professionals in various fields. How We Bill We typically bill on a project basis or sometimes by the hour, depending on how predictable costs are and the needs of the customer. Billing by the project allows customers to authorize the level of spending. This is particularly important in commercial work where there are various levels of authorization are required within the organization. Since we have many years experience on a variety of projects, we are pretty good at estimating new work based on work we have done for other customers. Experience also help us estimate the seemingly unlimited variety of work based on an extrapolation of previous work. Our creativity helps us come up with the right solution at a fair price.
In any case, pricing and scope of work are discussed up front so there are no misunderstandings when work is complete. Our estimates usually include details on the scope of work, what is included or not included, any areas of uncertainty regarding expected costs, quality ... and the labor and materials estimate. There are of course unforeseen conditions that we cannot predict. S
Memberships: Wisconsin Family Forests Wisconsin Family Forests (WFF) was organized to support private landowners that are interested in learning and applying the concepts of sustainable forestry. WFF consists of neighborhood alliances of local forest landowners that share their experiences and pool their needs for professional assistance and additional knowledge. www.wisconsinfamilyforests.org/
Managed Forest Law Certified Group The Managed Forest Law (MFL) program is part of the American Tree Farm System Group Forest Certification program, which identifies well managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits. The MFL Certified Group strengthens the message that private lands play a critical role in protecting our environment and serving the needs of society. With almost 30,000 potential members (under a recently proposed Department of Natural Resources initiative), the MFL Certified Group will be the largest certified "family forest" initiative in the world. www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/forestry/
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