ACHP News, Announcements, and Resources
Stay Informed!
August 2016  Newsletter
Welcome New Members, Renewed Members & Lifetime Members.
 
Member News, and Updates
ACHP-Community Buyers Group
Many ACHP Members have signed up and are saving!  Through the ACHP Partnership with Community Buying Group the program offers tremendous savings with Lowes, Sears, Sunbelt, Sherwin Williams, and many other of your favorite places to shop.  Click  here to go to the ACHP-CBG Landing sign-up page.

This member discount program is  FREE and provided by ACHP for its member.  Please take advantage of it and save LOTS!  

Learn More



International Restoration Institute Partnership
 
ACHP is proud to announce a new partnership with the International Restoration Institute. IRI  is dedicated to educating, training and assisting contractors and handyman professional on helping victims of storms, fires, mold and floods. IRI's Restoration and Remediation Certification Courses have been used in the restoration industry for over 10 years. The Restoration courses offered are all online and there are free student advisement offerings at no charge. Check out the courses at  www.acac.org  and accreditation details at www.accreditedlearning.org .  All courses take approxmately 30 to 40 Hours to complete.



More opportunities for our members.  A new way to expand your knowledge, business value, and profits. 

Garage Gator and ACHP have created a certification program for those who wish to add a new skillset and more revenue to their business.  Log in to your ACHP account ("My Account"), click on the Gator icon. Follow the instructions, take the simple online exam, pass, and you're certified. 

Garage Gator serves US and Canada 


Are You Leaving Money On The Table?
LEARN THE BEST WAY TO PRICE YOUR SERVICES SO YOU GET MORE JOBS, KEEP MORE CUSTOMERS, AND MAKE MORE MONEY.

Learn More

Insurance Updates
Lockton has added an easy "pay my bill" link for easy insurance policy renewals.  "Participants of our insurance program will still receive their yearly invoices however, we made it easier for members to renew their insurance policy invoices online" says Asst VP, Joe Perkins of Lockton.

Also,  If you have recently renewed your insurance policy with ACHP Lockton for the yr and cannot access your ACHP profile "My Account" or it's asking for payment, please contact us immediately so we can activate your account and listing.

Need Insurance?  Click on your country flag   
    

Feature Article 

Handyman Business Blogging Essentials

So you want to delve into the world of blogging, but aren't sure if it's worth your time? Blogging can have a positive impact on a business owner's online presence when done with consistency.  There are also search engine advantages when your website has a blog -- this means more people will find your handyman business when searching on sites like Google or Yahoo.  Blogging is ideal to use to engage your ideal customers, generate new leads, and hopefully drum up more business.
 
Consider these four tips to create a powerful blog campaign specific to your handyman business that can help you gain some new customers.
 
Concentrate on your current audience.
 
Writing for consumers who already come to you for their handyman needs should be simple- you already know them. If you get stumped for topics though, social media platforms are a terrific way to test your content. A Facebook post that receives a good amount of interest (comments and likes) can show you that topic is one people want to know more about -- so elaborate on it and write a blog post.
 
Blog regularly and always place quality over quantity.
 
Consistency with blogging is a priority. Keep your posts interesting, high quality, related to your business' website, and SEO friendly.  Write with a goal in mind for your readers - and always proofread your posts.
 
See what's trending.
 
You may not know how you can find trending blog topics that will engage your reader's, but you can learn. Try to find a topic that's relevant to your handyman business and the services you offer. Make sure to write a post about this topic.  If the subject can cause some controversy, go ahead and discuss it. Keep things objective, professional and report the facts - the comments are a better place for people to debate.
 
Always promote your blog.
 
If you just posted an article, next on your agenda should be to promote it. Use social media, your email campaign, tell your friends, and network with other bloggers in your industry to get the word out about your blog. Always respond to every comment to keep your readers engaged - and don't forget to thank them.
 
Every blog post you write can help your handyman or handywoman business. Remember to have patience. You won't see results from your blog overnight, but consistency over time will likely pay off.  
 
 
Check Out Our Updated Blog Content

Every week, we are adding new blog posts that are consumer-friendly that cover a wide range of home improvement topics to draw in more traffic from search engines. Our goal is to bring consumers to the site, who will then have an opportunity to use our Handyman Professional directory to find their next hire. Click here to visit the blog

Have a topic you'd like us to cover on the blog? Email the idea to ACHP communications advisor Katie Parsons at  katie@proofparsons.com.

ACHP Membership Voucher
 
Have you create your ACHP Member Listing?  If you were emailed a voucher with instructions to create a listing and put it off you are missing out on revenue opportunities!  Many customers are searching our directory listings for your services.  Help them find you!  Need help?  Contact us for assistance

Cool Tool!

Worx Aerocart Wheelbarrow
Described as one of the most innovative hand carts around, the Worx Aerocart can quickly convert from a wheelbarrow to a hand truck to a rolling bag, among a few other configurations. No more making do with the wheelbarrow you got when a dolly is the best tool for the job -- this cart can be equipped to become any of 8 different manual transport equipment.

Easy Peezy Lemon Squeezy!

Learn More


Exclusive Member Resources and Opportunities

ADT Referral Program
ACHP Members receive $200 for each referred and installed ADT system.  It's as easy as printing a flyer, staple your business card to it, hand it to all your customers, and collect $200 for each installed system you refer.  Easy money!  Log into your account for more info and to print the handout flyer.

CheapEmbroidery is now Custom By Bliss!
Embroidered Shirts, Hats, Apparel for ACHP Members 

Get your personalized embroidered shirts, hats, etc from our partner. All types of work apparel, tshirts, screen print, etc.  Just ask!

Contact our ACHP Member Representative Megan: CustomByBliss@gmail.com

You must mention you are an ACHP Member. 
Promo1America - Promotional Branding Consultants
Promo1America is happy to partner with the members of the Association of Certified Handyman Professionals and offer a significant discount on promotional items. They offer a tremendously broad range of categories and products with your logo on! Please feel free to browse their website www.promo1america.com or call/speak to your rep Mary Ellen Walsh at 1-877-703-9460 ext 6505.
 
 Please be sure to:
  • Say you are an ACHP Member
  • Speak to Mary Ellen
 
"Any products prices that you see on the website will be discounted per order"
  
Office Depot/Office Max Member Discount - Free shipping on orders over $50, and a coupon for 15% off your first online order! 
The Association of Certified Handyman Professionals (ACHP) is excited to announce an additional 15% off on first-time online purchases for the Office Depot/OfficeMax Discount Program to help you save money on office supplies.  You can take advantage of discounts of up to 80% off thousands of preferred products. Plus, FREE next-day shipping on online orders of $50 or more along with an additional 15% off first time online buyers. You can save online or in-stores today. 
 
Be sure to print out your free Store Purchasing Card on our Office Depot/OfficeMax website before going into your local Office Depot/OfficeMax store to ensure you receive your savings - they'll even laminate it for you for free. 
 
You can order online by going to http://achp.ctcshares.com and use coupon code 61112117 to take advantage of this additional 15% offer.

Are your Customers Able to Find You?
Our search requests continue to increase significantly.  The new search engine installed in August was indeed what the doctor ordered.  This means more and more folks are browsing our directory listings.  However, many of you have not updated your listing in a while.  In some cases, customers are having difficulties reaching you because of outdated information in your listing.  How do we know this?  Some of them are calling ACHP.  Makes us wonder how many customers are reluctant to go the extra mile thus contacting someone else with a working or displayed phone number, etc.
 
To fix this problem:
Log in to your member account and:
  1. Ensure you have access, if not contact us immediately. 
  2. Click on "My Directory Listings"  then "Edit".  Ensure your information is up to date.
  3. Enter a city, state, zip code in the display map. If not, the search engine will not be able to find you by zip code search.
Ensure your email and phone number is correct, etc.  Add more unique keywords.
My Lifter
ACHP teams up with myLifter.  10% off on all products for ACHP members.  Show your customers, they will love this. Easy installation.  Click the link under the logo to see how it works.  Get the Promo code by logging into your "My Account" area
Need A Website?
ACHP partners with ProServicesSites.  An affordable way to expose your handyman business online.  

More Member Resources

Check out The ACHP Store!
Items such as ACHP shirts, hats, decals, and more to come. 

ACHP Member Referral Program.  Refer new members and earn.  To Read more about the program, login to My Account and click on the ACHP Member Referral Program icon at the bottom of the page.


Don't Forget to check out the new educational Online Training video's in the My Account section.  Is there something else you're looking for? 
Have a suggestion?   Tell us.


Member Knowledge Base Videos.
ACHP has created a place to add your own helpful videos for others to use and learn.  Get involved in your trade association and share your knowledge.


ACHP Member Exams. Test your skills. This is a difficult exam to pass and more geared for the contractor. Test your knowledge.