If you are the best handyman you know, and find yourself helping friends and neighbors regularly, then maybe it is time you made some money off of your skill. Being a handyman is rewarding work. You can have a sense of accomplishment after every job, and make the lives of your clients easier.

That being said, while the most important traits to have are knowledge and skill, you also need to take certain measures to become one. Sometimes just thinking of the process involved can be intimidating, but you should not let it stop you from taking that step. Here is how to become a handyman in 2022.

Figure Out What Services You Are Going to Offer

The first thing you should do is take stock of your skills and weaknesses to decide what services you will offer. You can offer “general” services, but you will need to be honest with your clients and tell them when you have not done something before or are not confident. Certain services require special licenses, such as plumbing and electrical. There are a lot of things you can do, such as garage door repair, lawn equipment repair, eavestroughs, deck repair, drywall, painting, and much more. Whatever you decide to do, make sure that you study up and get yourself as knowledgeable as possible so you can provide the best service to your clients.

Understand the Licensing Requirements In Your State and City

Even if you are not an electrician or a plumber, there may be laws that apply to handyman businesses in your jurisdiction. For example, if a job reaches a certain value threshold, such as $10,000, your state may require you to get a special license. This will involve submitting documentation to the state and completing an exam that shows that you have the requisite knowledge and skill for the profession. On a smaller level than the state, your city may also have different regulations you must follow if you want to keep your business legal.

Get Your Insurance

Working as a handyman means going into client homes to make repairs. This puts you in close contact with your clients and their property. Because of this, there are several ways that someone might get hurt or that you might damage their property by accident. You need to have insurance in place so that you are not left responsible if something bad happens. Paying for medical bills, lost wages, lawyers, and potential awards will sink your business. Taking a chance will not be worth it compared to paying the handyman insurance cost you will need to pay. Keep you and your business protected by having the right insurance in place for you.

Set Your Prices

Setting your prices can be a tricky part of running a handyman business, and it is one that many entrepreneurs do not enjoy. It is hard to set your prices. You do not want your prices to be too high it makes customers avoid you. However, you also do not want them to be so low that you won't bring in the revenue you need to. Do some research with competing companies, web-based task services, and any company that is offering similar services.

Many factors go into the price, but you need to find the sweet spot between the most expensive prices you can find and the prices that won’t keep a roof over your house. It may be tempting to lower your prices for potential clients that are only looking for the cheapest deal and raise your prices for clients who seem better off. The fact is that you should never sell yourself short. Your price is the price, and if they do not want or cannot afford to pay it, then you can move on. Otherwise, you will spend a lot of time doing work for which you are getting paid a lower rate that you can’t afford to take on.

Start Your Marketing Early

You should be executing your marketing strategy well before you are set to launch. Your business name should be popping in the social media feeds of your target audience, and your website should be publishing information and engaging content well before your launch date. Why is this? The reason is that you want to have the best jumping-off point possible. By getting your SEO content in place on your website, you will already start to bring your brand name and website up the rankings. Plus, if you target your ads, your target audience will already recognize your business and keep you in mind for their next project.

Build Your Knowledge

Never stop learning. You will gain knowledge while on the job since handymen come across things they have never seen all the time. However, you should also get some formal training to fill in the gaps in your knowledge. You can take night courses so that you do not have to miss work, and you can do some courses on your own time. Building your knowledge means that you will be able to handle as many types of jobs as possible. This will leave you very flexible with the clients you can take on, and lead to fewer delays.

Choose the Right Name

The name of your business will help the general public identify who you are and what you do. While you don’t have to have the word “handyman” in the name, you should still pick something unique that shows what your business is. Being a successful handyman requires being trustworthy and professional, and your name and branding should reflect that. In the end, you and your work are ultimately going to be the reason for your success or failure. However, marking and branding will play a big part in getting clients to make that first call to you.

If you love working with your hands, and making things function again, then being a handyman is the perfect business choice for you. You can make your clients and neighbors happy, make some money, and have a bit of fun while you're at it. To make your dream come true, and make it last, you need to take certain steps to make sure it is viable. Follow the ones listed above, and you will find yourself with the most profitable and enjoyable profession you have ever had.

Social movements have been a part of history since time immemorial. These movements seek to achieve specific social goals, which would lead to improving the living conditions of one or more groups of people. These movements help the oppressed people face the higher-ups and seek to end discriminatory activities. One of the most important social movements in recent times is the Black Lives Matter Movement, known as the BLM Movement.

The BLM movement is a social movement that seeks to eradicate racism against black people, primarily dealing with the recurring cases of police brutality against black people. Reading an essay about Black Lives Matter would help you understand the movement better. These essay examples are an excellent way to get in-depth knowledge about the causes and the need for the BLM protest. Keep reading if you wish to know more about this Social movement.

Early history: Trayvon Martin shooting

One of the earliest incidents that led to the American movement's origin was the fatal shooting of a teenage African-American, Trayvon Martin, by George Zimmerman, an American man. The shooting took place on February 26, 2012. He was charged when a second-degree murder, but on July 13, 2013, he was acquitted of all his charges. While many celebrated Zimmerman's win, many people raised their voices against the unfair acquittal of George Zimmerman. The BLM movement was thus born, as people started using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media.

Subsequent protests

The movement got national recognition in 2014 when people took to the streets to protest against the death of two African-Americans, namely Michael Brown and Eric Garner, in St. Louis and New York City, respectively. The movement again came into the limelight in 2020, with several similar cases being reported.

In February 2020, another African-American, Ahmaud Arbery, was shot while jogging in a local park in Georgia. The three assailants assumed he was a burglar and blocked his way using their vehicles. When he tried to defend himself, they shot him, fatally wounding him, recorded by one of the assailants on their cell phone. The local authorities did not make any arrests for the longest time. It wasn't until the local radio station got its hands on the video and uploaded it on social media that any action was taken.

In March 2020, Breonna Taylor, an African-American woman, was shot down in her own home when seven police officers entered her house to "investigate" drug-dealing operations. Her house was never searched for the drugs, though. Her boyfriend, who was in the apartment with her, came forward with his testimony, but no action was taken.

The murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in May 2020 was the final straw. It led to an eruption of voices against police brutality, and many came forward to show their support for the BLM movement. With the connectivity that social media provides nowadays, the movement gained wide popularity, and people across nations showed their support by donating to organizations that could contribute to the campaign.

BLM mission

The BLM mission statement clearly states that it wants to "eradicate white supremacy", "build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on black communities", and create "space for Black imagination and innovation". The movement strives to end the discrimination that people of color have faced in America for years. It seeks to establish a society where innocent African-Americans are not killed for "presumed" crimes. It also hopes to alleviate Black artists who are an essential mouthpiece for the discrimination faced by their community.

Why is this movement important?

The lack of response and the laxity of the local authorities highlighted the racism that still existed within the police force, and the protests sought justice for the unfair treatment meted out to these people, as well as introducing reform movements within the police force. This movement is essential because this is a clear violation of the fundamental human rights of black people. Nobody should be subject to discrimination and violence based on the color of their skin.

Conclusion

The BLM movement is a significant social movement aiming at equality for black people. To tackle the discrimination, education systems should focus on the history of suffering of the people of color in America. A student, at the college or university level, should be able to empathize with their sorrows and offer their support to the movement. No logic could justify not supporting the movement.

Gallatin County 911 announces the release of its inaugural annual report, which highlights a continually increasing number of calls handled by our dispatchers in our rapidly growing county.

The 2021 annual report shows that Gallatin County dispatchers processed 160,492 incoming calls in 2021, a 2.87% increase from the year before and a 21.25% increase from 2018.

“These past twelve months have proven to be challenging as we faced staffing shortages, technological changes, operations upgrades and, like everyone else, a global pandemic. Without the support of the community and our partner agencies we would not have been able to successfully navigate this past year,” said Tim Martindale, Director of Gallatin County 911.

In addition to statistics on calls and 911’s budget, the report also highlights accomplishments of the staff, including implementing text to 911, merging with Montana State University dispatch, lifesaver awards, and numerous trainings completed by staff.

“Over this past year not only did we complete major projects, implement new process and strategies to better serve our community, but lives were saved along the way,” Martindale said. “At the end of the day, that within itself is what we are here for.”

Click here to see the entire report.

Gallatin County 911 continues to look for quality dispatchers and records staff. Click here to see our current job openings and apply to join our team.

Comments accepted through April 26

HELENA – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks seeks public comments on the department’s recommendations for the 2022 Recreational Trails Program awards.

Public comment on the recommended awards is open through Monday, April 26.

The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is a federally funded program which provides funding for trail and trail-related projects across the state. The program is administered by FWP and eligible projects include development and rehabilitation work on urban, rural, and backcountry trails; planning and construction of community trails; snowmobile and cross-country ski trail maintenance and grooming operations; and a variety of trail stewardship and safety education programs.

This year, FWP received 48 RTP applications requesting over $2.6 million. For 2022 about $1,525,000 is available for funding and 32 projects are proposed for funding.

A complete list of recommended projects is available online at: https://fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/grant-programs/recreational-trails, under the “2022 Grant Application Cycle” tab. All recommended 2022 RTP awards are eligible for a FHWA Categorical Exclusion under NEPA (23 CFR 771.117(c)(23)) and MEPA (ARM 18.2.261(2)(w)).

Public comments on funding the proposed projects are due by 5 p.m. April 26. To comment, email FWPFACB@mt.gov.

Comments by regular mail should be sent to: Adam Brooks, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, PO Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701.

BOZEMAN — A faculty member in Montana State University’s business college has been recognized for her excellence and potential as a scholar.

Brooke Lahneman, visiting assistant professor of management in the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship, was one of four individuals to receive the 2022 Ascendant Scholar Award from the Western Academy of Management. Lahneman received the award March 18 during the association’s annual conference. The West Coast affiliate of the Academy of Management gives the award each year to a handful of early career scholars who have an exemplary record of research, teaching and service — and even greater potential.

"The Ascendant Scholar award recognizes early career scholars with no more than seven years since Ph.D. graduation,” according to materials accompanying the academy’s call for award nominations. “While excellent teaching and service are appreciated, we are primarily seeking to acknowledge ‘ascendent’ international scholars as evidenced by the quality of their published scholarship in top-tier publications. In addition, we seek scholars with an overall research trajectory that looks promising for future continued productive endeavors." 

Lahneman, who came to MSU in 2020, is the first professor from MSU to receive the Ascendant Scholar Award. She researches how organizations can navigate increasingly complex environments in sustainable ways, such as pursuing sustainable business models, and how an organization’s culture and identity shape more sustainable practices. She teaches courses in strategy, management, international business, and sustainability.

“Dr. Lahneman is on pace to be one of the most productive scholars in the Western Academy of Management,” her nominators, including three of her MSU colleagues, wrote. “Her significant contributions to scholarship in sustainability and social entrepreneurship place her with the top scholars in the country in their fifth year after graduate school. Not only has she maintained a productive research stream but she has done so while excelling in the classroom and sustaining meaningful mentoring relationships with many students.”

Among other accomplishments, Lahneman has had five articles published in top-tier peer-reviewed journals, including the Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Business Venturing, and Organization Studies. Also notable are eight conference proceedings, articles, chapters and reviews, as well as another co-authored article published by the Stanford Social Innovation Review.

“These (publications) speak to the quality of her work, her independence as a researcher and her affinity for collaboration in the research enterprise,” her nominators wrote.

In addition, Lahneman is highly regarded as an excellent and engaging teacher. Over the past four years, she has designed and taught nine courses across three universities, including MSU, the University of Oregon and Simon Fraser University. She has been recognized for excellence in teaching from all three institutions. At MSU, last fall she received the Professor of the Year award from the college’s current Master of Science in Innovation and Management students for her excellence in teaching.

She has a Ph.D. in management, a Master of Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree in economics and foreign affairs.

ENNIS – A full closure of Valley Garden Fishing Access Site and a partial closure of Burnt Tree Hole Fishing Access Site have been lifted. 

These closures were in place due to ice jams and flooding. Conditions have improved, allowing public access to resume at these sites.  

Ennis Fishing Access Site is still closed. It has been inundated with ice jams and flooding for several weeks. Maintenance staff at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will reopen the site as soon as possible after repairs are completed.  

Floating on the Madison River between Burnt Tree Hole and Valley Garden fishing access sites, as well as in other areas, could still be hazardous because of unpredictable and rapidly changing conditions.

On Thursday, April 7th, at 7pm at the Emerson, the Bozeman Doc Series is excited to present the Montana premiere of the new documentary, Day After..., from award-winning Bangladeshi filmmaker Kamar Ahmad Simon.

The Rocket is a century-old paddle steamer with regular sailings from the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, transporting passengers to various destinations along the river. This double-decker vessel has clearly seen better days, but it’s still a popular means of transport for passengers from all walks of life. Days onboard are filled with a little bit of everything: there is singing and dancing, eating and drinking, praying and vlogging, debating and arguing, tears and laughter. Along the way, this deeply immersive film captures it all, revealing a fascinating portrait of contemporary Bangladesh. Rich and poor, young and old, East and West - all make appearances in this kaleidoscopic film brimming with universal everyday concerns, stark contrasts, and deep wisdom.

Day After... world premiered at last fall's prestigious IDFA festival in Amsterdam and had its North American premiere at the First Look Festival at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City on March 19th.

"Unassuming but irresistibly immersive…Don’t be fooled by the bland title: this intelligently-observed chronicle of a vintage paddle-steamer’s chaotic two-day journey from capital Dhaka to provincial Khulna ranks among the year’s most accomplished and memorable non-fiction enterprises." Screen Daily

“Delightful...Simon documents the journey with both geographical and sociopolitical fascination, drinking in the scenery while wryly observing the tangle of classes, castes, and character types on deck. The loose, entertaining result is equal parts leisurely travelogue, observational social study, and droll real-life comedy of errors, and premiered in competition at IDFA to an enthusiastic audience reception.” Variety

See a short clip from the film here.

Masks are now optional in the theater. Tickets are available at the door or before the show online at www.bozemandocseries.org, where you can also buy Season Passes and 7-film punch cards, learn more about the series, and view trailers for upcoming films. The series will continue every other Thursday through May.

The stock market has been on a wild ride during 2022, and there are a lot of factors impacting it, from the ongoing effects of the pandemic, to supply chain issues and now instability in Ukraine. It’s difficult to stomach the ups and downs for a lot of investors, and as a result, they’re looking for new opportunities and approaches to investment.

The healthcare sector offers investment opportunities for individuals, particularly with new innovations always on the horizon.

So what should you know about investing in healthcare?

Is Now a Good Time For Healthcare Investments?

In The United States, as healthcare costs continue to rise, systems are due for a restricting. An estimated one-third of working Americans say their health-related costs went up just in 2021. The population of people over the age of 65 is set to go beyond one million by 2030, and analysts expect spending on healthcare will continue to outpace the expansion of the gross domestic product (GDP).

Currently, the U.S. spends more than 17% of its GDP on the costs of healthcare.

Healthcare makes up around 13% of the S&P 500, and you might want more exposure right now.

Some experts expect that since healthcare in America is among the most expensive in the world, changes resulting from the pandemic could create a shift to digital health and telemedicine, opening up opportunities for private and public investment.

Healthcare is also considered a defensive industry. The returns tend to be consistent as a result and unrelated to the overall stock market, so you might like that from a diversification standpoint.

Healthcare stocks are seeing more growth than the economy, not only because of the aging population but also technological advances in the industry.

Particular trends in the industry include the aging population, people with chronic diseases living longer, and personalized medicine.

What often happens when there’s overall volatility in the market and among investors is that they turn to something like healthcare. The names in healthcare are needed whether the economy is strong or weak, and there can be durability during volatile times.

In the past few decades, the risk-adjusted returns for health care have been among the strongest in any sector.

Healthcare securities are riskier than something like bonds, but they can provide you with a hedge if other parts of the market take a turn for the worse.

Types of Stocks to Invest in Healthcare

While you might see the advantages of investing in stocks, how do you get started?

When you invest in this sector, you’re actually investing in a range of industries. For example, some are service-oriented while others are manufacturing or production-related.

Subsectors of health include pharmaceuticals, biotech, medical equipment, sales and distribution, and insurance, as well as healthcare facilities.

Each subsector is like its own mini sector, with differences in volatility and performance that may not follow one another.

Pharmaceutical companies manufacture and sell both prescription and over-the-counter drugs. These companies also do research and development to create new drugs. Generic drug manufacturers are an important part of this subsector too. These companies make drugs that are similar to brand names but are cheaper. They make them after the patents for the brand names expire.

The biotech subsector focuses on research and development for the creation of therapies and new drugs, but they usually focus on just one or two breakthroughs.

Medical equipment stocks can provide long-term growth because consumption keeps going up. As an investor, you want to think about patents, government approval, and market demand if you’re evaluating individual medical equipment stocks.

Sales and distribution can include retailers and pharmacies that offer healthcare products, as well as wholesalers.

Investing in managed healthcare refers to insurance companies. For example, the major insurance companies you could invest in include UnitedHealth Group, Anthem, Aetna, Humana, and Cigna.

How to Invest in Healthcare

Right now, a recommendation for some investors from experts is to plan to invest anywhere from 5-10% of your portfolio in health care. You don’t want to go beyond that because it’s putting you at a higher level of sector risk within your portfolio.

There are health care mutual funds and ETFs that some people find are an easy, low-cost way to get exposure to the sector.

For example, there's the iShares Global Health Care ETF and the Vanguard Health Care Index Fund ETF.

Investing in a sector can be challenging, and picking individual stocks is as well. If you’d like to rebalance your portfolio and you’re interested in more healthcare exposure, it might be a good idea to talk to a financial professional.

The GCSO Public Safety Academy affords Gallatin County citizens an opportunity to experience law enforcement from the inside.  For eight weeks, one night a week, you can learn from the best in law enforcement, crisis intervention, and search and rescue.  The Academy will lead you through making traffic stops, field sobriety maneuvers, crime scene management, and evidence collection.  You will be able to ride along with a GCSO Deputy, talk to a 9-1-1 dispatcher, and tour the Detention Center.  You can try on the body armor worn by the Special Response Team, learn how undercover detectives track drug deals and watch a K9 stop a bad guy. This is a great introduction to how public safety works in your community!

The ninth GCSO Public Safety Academy is scheduled for April 6 through May 24, 2022. The Academy is held every Wednesday evening from 6-9 pm. The Academy is free and open to any Gallatin County resident 18 years and older.  For more information, or to register, contact Erin Metzger by phone at 582-2066 or by e-mail at erin.metzger@gallatin.mt.gov.  Please contact Erin by Tuesday, March 29th to register.

If you are interested in participating and contributing an article to Bozeman Magazine about the experience please contact Angie Ripple at angie @ bozemanmagazine dot com