Female Renovators

11/14/2011 at 9:25:19 PM

I provide handyman services, and a significant number of my clients are female. I can tell you that although it is subtle, a large part of my effort to selling the job, is gaining their trust. Here is a person that is about to let some stranger into their home. So, I would imagine that a renovation business owned and operated by a woman would have an appeal to the female population out there.

Good luck.

11/15/2011 at 10:51:41 AM

Hi Gabrielle, I am also a handyman and have had the experience of volunteering on the last 2 Habitat for Humanity builds. As an experienced person, I have been a team leader and at least 60% of the volunteers I worked with were female. They are all eager and willing to learn and show great interest in construction techniques and practices. We had busloads of high school students and there were always 1 or 2 female students whose eyes lit up when we talked about power tools and how to use them. It was great to see!

I think the glass ceiling is disappearing quickly and females can and should pursue whatever careers they choose. I think contractors are looking for properly trained and skilled workers and will hire the most qualified person, regardless of gender. As long as you are not afraid to get dirty, you will have no problems.

If you are seriously interested in this field, you should pursue it!! Chances are you will have no problem getting hired to improve your skills and practical knowledge and some day, you will say "I know what I am doing and I want to do it on my own". That's when the rest of us will start to worry because as Tom mentioned, you will probably have an advantage as soon as you walk through the door.

Go for it!

Jim Kuzma

Kettleby Handyman Services

11/17/2011 at 12:44:07 PM

I have seen and worked many women in the skilled trades, so I assume the renovation field is similar. I tend to see women in finish carpentry, plumbing, welding and auto repair. I have not seen many (but some) women in the electrical trade and have only seen one women in the block / tile trade.

As a contractor, I would not have any issue with hiring a woman, but gender is not the issue...I need people that are smart, willing to learn and can do as much work as the "next guy". Women are particularly good with the data, (fibre and copper) installations / terminations as women tend to have better dexterity and fine motor skills then men. Women can also (generally speaking) get into some of those smaller places (attic, crawl spaces, etc) where some of the larger guys can't fit into easily.

Good luck with your pursuits, once you get into a trade, you will never look back.

Cheers

John Kuehnl-Cadwell

Master Electrician

Datawise Solutions Inc

12/16/2011 at 3:06:09 PM

We also hire women, and find they are some of the most hardest workers out there. !!! Yes, get into the trades !!

Good luck in the future, look us up if you head to Ottawa.

In Line General Contracting