The master does it in an hour. Tested for myself: how I was a “husband for an hour”

During the working week, things pile up in the apartment: hammering a nail, hanging a shelf in the bathroom, fixing the toilet and installing an outlet in the kitchen. By the time you get home after work, you have neither the strength nor the desire to do anything. And then, as luck would have it, there are no suitable tools. At such moments, “husbands for an hour” come to the rescue.

A husband for an hour is usually called a man who knows and can solve any household problems: from burst pipes to repairs. household appliances, says Nikolai Svistunov, who has been working as a jack of all trades for more than a year.

But you shouldn’t be afraid of the large number of skills required for work. Perhaps any business man can cope with such work.

The main thing is that there is a desire, and hands grow from the place where they need to, - the masters smile. - Even if a beginner in this business does not know or cannot do anything, he can always look at the instructions on the Internet or ask his comrades. But, of course, you need to take the work that you can definitely do, and not all of it.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not only single and elderly women who call general practitioners. As the masters themselves say, not everyone has the strength and patience to assemble furniture or do repairs. Many simply do not know how to do what “husbands for an hour” can do in just a few minutes. One call costs 750 rubles.

In principle, you can live on this money,” says Nikolai Svistunov. - It happens that you don’t have enough money before your salary at your main job. And here you earn extra money as a craftsman, buy some groceries, and you can move on with your life in peace. One order costs approximately 700-750 rubles per hour. During this time, you can make several sockets, fix the TV, hang a mirror.

Beginning “husbands for an hour” often have the question: “What if the customer deceives me. You will do all the work for them, and they will not pay. And they’ll even insult you.”

Yes, all sorts of people come across, our heroes do not hide. – Sometimes, before you even have time to arrive and start work, they are already telling you that you are doing everything wrong. But mostly, we get good customers. They always thank you and they pay you well.

To become a master for an hour, you can find a large specialized company, which is in the cities Sverdlovsk region weight. The management of such companies is happy to expand their staff, since there is always work. But sometimes there are not enough hands. But in principle, it is not necessary to get a job at a company. Many “husbands for an hour” look for orders on their own via the Internet.

I made my own website, and I look for orders through it. I don’t earn much yet, but it’s still a good help for the family,” sums up Nikolai Svistunov.

The business with the ironic name “husband for an hour” has firmly taken its place in the market of services for the population. It is based on the ability to do “manly” work well in order to be ready, for example, to repair an electrical outlet, change a faucet or assemble furniture.

To provide small household services, you do not need any special narrow-profile knowledge. After all, the main clients of the “husband for an hour” are female representatives who need to hang a chandelier or curtain, install a switch, or even drive in the most ordinary nail.

Advantages of a “husband for an hour” over large repair companies

The most important thing is that the “husband for an hour” service will cost much less than calling a specialist from a well-known repair and construction company. Therefore, the demand for these same services is growing.
A client who contacts a large company will most likely have to wait for his turn on the client list. Or maybe they will refuse him altogether, because they consider the order too small. “Husband for an hour,” on the contrary, will arrive to the client in the minimum short time and will repair even the smallest damage.

This type of business will not bring millions to its owner, but it can provide a stable monthly income.

In addition, by becoming a “husband for an hour”, you will quickly earn your invested money. Typically, this business pays off within one to two weeks. What is needed to implement a business idea, how much will you have to invest and what income should you expect?

Business registration

If you seriously decide to get into this type of business, you will need to register as individual entrepreneur. Registration requires virtually no expenses, does not involve hiring an accountant and paying property taxes, unlike a limited liability company and other forms of ownership. It turns out that such an organizational and legal form as an individual entrepreneur is optimally suited for a small business.

To register an individual entrepreneur, you must determine the main types of activities according to OKVED codes. Usually this:

Production of electrical installation work - code 45.31
Joinery and carpentry work - code 45.42
Plumbing work – code 45.33

Which tax system to choose

You will need to send a notification to the tax office about the transition to the selected tax system. The choice is small - (single tax on imputed income) or (simplified taxation system).

If there are one or two “husbands for an hour” on staff, and the range of services provided is wide, the easiest way would be to use the simplified tax system “income” of 6% from profit, since problems may arise with USTV due to the variety of services provided (some of the types do not fall under the definition of “household” according to OKUN).

The main advantage of the Unified Tax is that when applying this system, a fixed tax amount is established, which does not change, regardless of the amount of income.

In order to choose a tax system that is more favorable to you, you need to calculate the approximate amount of income and expenses. It would also be right to consult with an experienced accountant who will clearly explain all the pros and cons of each system.

How much does it take to invest in the implementation of the “husband for an hour” business idea?

Before you start work, you need to spend a certain amount of money on equipment, business advertising, work clothes, etc.

Tools

Purchase necessary equipment or use what you already have, it’s up to you. But if you still decide to stock up on new tools, then here is the main list and average cost each position:

Set of tools (full set of screwdrivers, pliers, chisel, set of open-end wrenches, chisel) - 4,000 rubles
Electric drill and set of drills – 3,000 rubles
Two or three hammers of different sizes – 1,000 rubles
Grinder (small) – 2,000 rubles
Respirator, protective gloves and goggles – 500 rubles
Tool box – 1,000 rubles
Consumables ( a large number of various washers, staples, nails, screws, self-tapping screws, etc.) – 500 rubles

Separately, it is worth paying attention to workwear, which can be sewn to order and a logo with the name of your company can be applied to the workwear. The cost of tailoring varies within 1,500 rubles.

Advertising

Do not neglect good advertising, because the number of your customers depends on it. Use regular tear-off ads, advertise in newspapers and on local websites. You can promote your services through social media and large online message boards.

Order high-quality business cards and leave them with each client. The cost of one business card starts from two rubles. By making 300 business cards to begin with, you will spend about 600 rubles.

In addition, you can use your personal car for advertising purposes by sticking the inscription “Husband for an hour” on the rear window. Inexpensive repair services" with a phone number.

Counting cash that are supposed to be spent on advertising, you can settle on the amount of 2,500 thousand rubles. This will include advertisements in print mass-media(2-3 outings per month), ordering business cards, paper and ink for printing, as well as the cost of gasoline for posting and distributing leaflets.

Total costs

Adding up all expenses, we get 16,000 rubles. This amount is average, but you can focus on it when drawing up a “husband for an hour” business plan. Here you need to add the costs of registering an individual entrepreneur and taxes.

Business income amount

You must determine the cost of repair work yourself. Create a price list for standard services, such as furniture assembly, electrical outlet repairs, rewiring, etc.
For special types of work that require a lot of time and labor, it is best to set an hourly rate. For example, the installation of a regular bathroom faucet may be paid according to the established tariff. And replacing the electrical wiring in the house will require additional time, since you will have to look for everything you need in stores and do the calculations. Therefore, in this case, it would be best to apply hourly wages.
Determine the payment for a “false” call, when the service was not needed for some reason, but you wasted time and money on travel.

Example. If the average cost of one hour of work is 300-500 rubles, then for an 8-hour working day you can earn about 2,400-4,000 rubles. With a sufficient number of orders, your average monthly earnings minus weekends will be 40,000-80,000 rubles.

Remember, the number of your potential clients is equal to the number of advertisements and flyers you have posted. Therefore, do not neglect “paper” advertising.

What to do for those who do not have sufficient knowledge and skills

If you are not a master with “golden hands”, but want to bring to life the business idea of “a husband for an hour” and have the necessary funds for this, then you can hire employees who will carry out all the repair work. It will be more profitable to hire people living in different areas cities. This way, the employee will spend a minimum of time and money on the road to the desired location.

You will have to set workers a fixed salary or a certain percentage of the amount they earn daily, usually at least 70 percent of the transaction value. If you set a lower percentage, then be prepared for the fact that employees will begin to “steal” little by little. Individual copies may give you

"Husband for an Hour" is a great example. family business, when the husband has “golden” hands, and his wife has developed organizational skills and business acumen. The target audience is single ladies who do not have the talents of builders, carpenters, or electricians.

What skills are needed for a successful start?

To promote your business, you should study the market for similar services, monitor competitors’ pricing policies, and analyze the need for small and medium-sized repairs in the city.

It’s good if you know how to carry out minor repairs yourself - fix leaky faucets, assemble furniture, replace plumbing and electrical fixtures. Otherwise, you will have to hire qualified craftsmen.

In addition to working skills, you need to have strategic thinking, the ability to plan your day and increase the speed of repairs without losing quality. It would be nice to learn how to use a computer competently in order to maintain a customer base and independently post advertisements for services on the Internet.

If you plan to provide repair services yourself, you will need the skills of a mechanic, carpenter, and electrician

Business plan for the “Husband for an hour” service

“Husband for an Hour” is a business that brings in a small but stable income. Setting up a company costs the entrepreneur a minimum investment; the main thing is to draw up a competent business plan and calculate one-time and systematic costs.

Business registration

Before you start, open a company. You can choose the form of individual entrepreneur or LLC to provide services. The advantages of individual entrepreneurship are a quick registration procedure, the ability to work without a seal and a current account, simply issuing receipts to clients. But in case of debts, the entrepreneur is responsible for non-payment with his property. The advantage of an LLC is that financial liability does not exceed the size of the authorized capital.

Regardless of the form of business organization, determine the codes of the services provided according to the OKVED 2 classifier. Possible options:

43.22 - Carrying out sanitary work, installation of heating systems and air conditioning systems;
43.21 - Electrical installation work;
43.32 - Carpentry and carpentry work;
31.09 - Production of other furniture.

Look for household repair services in the classifier section “F: Construction”

Table: documents required to be submitted to the tax office when registering individual entrepreneurs and LLCs

IP	OOO
Application in form P21001, signed by the future entrepreneur (signed at the tax authority)	Application for state registration of LLC according to form P11001
Copies of passport pages	Charter of the company - 2 copies
Receipt for payment of state duty 800 rubles	Decision on establishing a company (for an LLC with one founder) or protocol general meeting founders and agreement on the establishment of the company (if the LLC has more than one founder)
Notice of transition to a simplified taxation system (if necessary)	Receipt for payment of state duty 4000 rubles.
	Notice of transition to a simplified taxation system (if necessary)

The general taxation system for individual entrepreneurs or LLCs is too complex and inconvenient. Along with the registration documents, submit an application to change the system to a simplified system (USN) or a single tax on imputed income (UTII). The advantage of UTII is fixed tax rate

. But when choosing this system, be careful - all services provided must fall under the concept of “household”. If the inspection has doubts, you will be issued a fine.

For the simplified system, there are two subtypes:
STS 6% on income - the company’s expenses are not taken into account;

STS 13% for the difference between income and expenses.

Use the first option in your work if your expenses are small or difficult to account for.

Table: comparison of taxation systems simplified tax system and UTII	Tax system	simplified tax system
UTII	Interest rate	6% on income or 15% on the difference between income and expenses
15% of the state imputed income	Taxable base	Income of an individual entrepreneur or LLC or profit
Imputed income	Possibility to reduce the tax base and payment amounts (benefits) If the taxable base is income, you can reduce the tax on contributions to the Pension and insurance funds, but no more than by half. And if an entrepreneur or LLC has no employees, the tax is reduced by the full amount of contributions.	There are no benefits provided for the simplified tax system “Income-Expense”
You can reduce the tax on contributions to the Pension and insurance funds, but no more than by half. And if an entrepreneur or LLC has no employees, the tax is reduced by the full amount of contributions	Tax payment deadlines	Until March 31 of the year following the reporting period
Until the 25th of the first month of the new quarter	Accounting book “Income-Expense”	Yes
Do you need a cash register to work?	Yes, but when providing services, strict reporting forms are sufficient	Optional, can be replaced with sales receipts and strict reporting forms
Opportunity to voluntarily change the tax regime	Yes, from the beginning of the next calendar year	From the new calendar year. On the simplified tax system, if an individual entrepreneur or LLC ceases to be a payer of the imputed tax - from the month of termination of the imputed activity

Range of services and pricing policy

Determine the list of services provided. To avoid competition with large construction organizations, give priority to minor repairs. Focus on the qualifications of the craftsmen - let them do the work minimum set work, but of high quality.

Possible options:

installation of plumbing - sinks, bathtubs, toilets;
cleaning and replacing siphons;
faucet repair;
assembly and installation of furniture - home or office;
replacement and repair of locks;
replacing plugs, hanging chandeliers, branching and replacing sockets and switches;
installation of cornices;
connection of washing machines and dishwashers;
installation of satellite dishes and antennas;
other minor repairs.

Having decided on the types of work, set tariffs that are clear to clients:

cost for each type of work with a fixed duration;
hourly cost for complex work that takes an indefinite amount of time;
The cost of a call is usually 30% of the hourly cost of work.

When setting tariffs for repairs, focus on the average price level for the city

Call competitors and find out prices for services. Create a price list based on average prices in the city.

Required Tools

Depending on the range of services you plan to provide to clients, purchase basic tools.

You will definitely need:

drill;
screwdriver;
set of screwdrivers and wrenches;
hammer drill;
cylindrical grinder;
glue gun;
Consumables;
workwear.

Along with your tools, buy a case for storing and carrying them.

Additional equipment for repairing electrical and water communications:

multimeter;
pipe or adjustable wrench;
universal sets of wires and components.

Each craftsman should have his own set of tools so that they do not have to take turns working, increasing the wait time.

Recruitment

Initially, you can work alone - perform work, maintain accounting and client base. Over time, when the number of orders increases, you will have to hire employees. You can do this before opening a company, if the start-up capital allows.

Personnel to work at the company “Husband for an Hour”:

dispatcher for receiving and distributing orders;
two technicians for visiting clients;
office cleaner;
accountant or contracted firm.

The dispatcher, accountant and cleaner will need to be given a fixed salary, but for the foremen it is more profitable to establish a calculation system of “salary +% of orders”.

Having calculated the possibilities of remuneration, place advertisements on city job search resources and wait for responses. Prepare questions you plan to ask applicants to learn about their experience and skills.

When hiring technicians, choose those who have their own car. Then you will not have to maintain a company on your balance sheet and maintain several machines.

Try to hire general-purpose craftsmen: then not a single order will be missed

Advertising and customer acquisition

advertisements in local newspapers and magazines;
groups on social networks;
advertising on transport;
distribution of printed materials.

The listed resources do not require significant costs and are most effective for providing household services.

Get a short phone number that's easy to remember, and don't forget to place a sign in front of the office entrance.

Come up with a catchy logo and place it on all promotional and information materials

Calculation of income and expenses

Before starting a business, work out a financial plan for the company, taking into account one-time costs and fixed expenses. Calculate your planned income and net profit. If the resulting figure suits you, feel free to start business. Below are approximate costs for a company that will employ two foremen and a dispatcher. Accounting is carried out outsourced.

Table: initial costs

Table: regular costs

Income, project profitability and payback periods

The calculation of income is provided under the condition of a 5x2 work schedule, a daily 80% workload of craftsmen and an estimated revenue for each of 2000 rubles per day.

Table: checking the profitability of the project

The tables show average income - actual figures may differ depending on the number of clients and the speed of work of the company’s specialists.

The wider the range of services provided, the faster the company will break even.

Features of the service

The “Husband for an Hour” business has a number of features:

it does not bring high income, since the services are cheaper than calling a specialist from a large repair company;
thanks to reduced prices, the services of craftsmen are in demand among housewives;
the speed of response to a call from a repairman and the quality of the service provided are prerequisites for business prosperity;
the business does not require capital investments - you can start without an office or employees, simply by purchasing equipment;
masters must receive a good percentage of orders - otherwise they will start stealing and poaching clients.

To expand your company, you shouldn’t rent an office in the center - it’s better to think about residential areas, where the demand for such services is more in demand.

Video: starting a business “Husband for an hour”

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Why does a master need to be wary of single women, why carry slippers with him, and how to please old ladies? Personal experience A former employee and now director of a company that provides her husband’s services for an hour anonymously shares with Gubernia Daily.

About Me

I used to go to sea. Worked on ships under the flag. There the men themselves are raised, the main thing is to feed them. So I could do everything. I lost my wife because of my job. I understood: if you get married again, you need to change your job. So I decided to leave the Navy. To start my own business, I thought about different variants. I came to the conclusion that if the most popular services are put together, it will be profitable. He studied engineering and received a license to open his own business. He became a husband for an hour and, together with his comrades, began to take orders. When it all just started, women laughed into the phone: “Is this the only thing you can do? And what else? Should I read a book at night? Now they are used to it, they know who we are.

Competition

Our company has been around for a long time. Of course, during this time other companies appeared. But everyone has a certain circle of regular customers, so there is no competition as such. The main thing is to keep the client when he calls. And then, if he liked everything, you give him a coupon for a discount on the next work. And that's it - he's yours.

There are as many masters as there are orders. If the number of orders increases, more craftsmen are immediately accepted. There are emergency situations, for example, before the New Year. During this period, people want to solve all their everyday problems. Sometimes even guys from other companies join in and work part-time.

How everything works

Usually a person tries to choose the most inconspicuous ad. This is how people’s brains work: it seems that the more unpresentable the advertisement, the less the services cost. But that's not true. Our advertisements are bright, and we charge inexpensively for our services.

If you compare with others, the price is average. The scope of work is determined by the master. It often happens that a person asks to change the lock, but he also has to drive in a nail, fix the handle on the door... When it becomes clear what needs to be done, the repairman calls the dispatcher. He names the price. That is, the master does not have the opportunity to rob the client.

Rules

My husband's first rule for the hour is slippers. You need to carry them with you. There was a case: a woman called a repairman while her husband was not at home. Men don’t call us, they feel uncomfortable. Like, I’m a man myself, it’s kind of a shame not to be able to do something. And then a specialist arrived, my husband was at work. I put on his slippers that were in the hallway. He’s standing there, drilling, and then there’s the husband.

"Who are you?" - the husband was surprised.
“So this is... a husband for an hour,” the master said honestly.
“Oh, you goat, are you still wearing my slippers?!”
And in his eye...

After this incident, everyone has their own slippers. This is also good from a hygiene point of view. It happens that the floors in the apartment are dirty, but it’s inconvenient to walk with shoes on, and you don’t want to take off your shoes...

Another rule: You must immediately win over the client and evoke positive emotions. So that it sticks in a person’s head: the master came and his mood lifted. You need to work quickly and carefully. Be sure to clean up after yourself. To be polite. If a person wants to talk, don’t be silent, keep the conversation going. And, of course, you can't drink.

Money

The longer you work, the higher the salary. Something like length of service. Payment is not hourly, but according to the degree of complexity of the work. Although in other cities work is by the hour. I think this is wrong: you can deliberately tinker with a table leg as if you were changing the plumbing.

Some companies are deceiving. For example, a client calls and says that he needs to change the faucet in the kitchen. They tell him: three hundred rubles. And then the master arrives and gasps: “Oh, you have an old mixer, why didn’t you tell me?” To remove the old one is another three hundred rubles. They deliberately keep silent about the details, but how can the client know such subtleties? Same with the cornice. To hang - four hundred rubles. Withdraw - three hundred. And the poor housewife either has to pay for the false call, or double. So keep in mind: a good company will ask everything right away. If they don’t ask you questions, it means they’re scamming you.

It often happens that the master is paid more. For good work, something like a tip. This is fine. But if they ask him to do something else, and he puts the money in his pocket, they will find out and slap a fine on him. If you mess up a couple of times, you're fired.
It happens that clients ask to do something else for the same money. We do it, especially if grandma asks. Then you simply charge people with income a little more for their work - you get a balance.

Clients

The majority of clients are single women. Sometimes they call just when it’s bad. “I feel so bad, I have wine, I have no one to drink with... Please come!” And you have to talk to a person on the phone. Because the number of orders depends on the first words. Today we talked to her in a good way, and tomorrow she will call to fix the pipe.

When we have meetings, the guys say this! I never thought that there were so many horny women in the city... Maybe some of the guys are lying, but half the stories are definitely true. For example, they call the master and set the table. Snack, alcohol, soup. The poor men don’t know what to do. One day, when he saw the table, he locked himself in the toilet and called his boss. He asked what he should do? The boss ordered to eat - you can’t offend a person: you need to evoke positive emotions! Half an hour later the boss called - supposedly calling for an order. And the master ran away.

And one day the master of one had an order- Install the washing machine. And he calls me, they say, come and help me, I can’t move him. And in a whisper: “I somehow feel uncomfortable here...” I arrive, and there is a girl in a translucent robe without underwear. And Misha stands red as a lobster.

She openly said, “Let’s have some fun, boys?” We disappeared under the pretext of buying wine and candles. And they didn’t take the money.

I suspect that sometimes it happens to guys... Surely someone uses such “gifts”. But such things are usually not talked about. One of our masters got married - yes. We lost him.

Employees are prohibited from giving out personal phone numbers - only business cards. And it often happens that a certain master is called. And even if he is busy, they wait until he is free. And so one of ours began to be called constantly. He later admitted that he was in love and no longer knew how to take money. Like, he’ll come, and there’s always soup, tea, coffee... So he got married. I sometimes go to visit them.

Recruitment

First, the masters are hired for a probationary period. They look at appearance - the clients are women. The person must be pleasant and neat. Education is not important, but we also have people with education. A former policeman, for example, works... You don’t need to be a professional for this job. It is important to be with your hands. Women don’t cook everything well either, although by definition they should. It’s the same with men: some have hands like gold, while others grow from you know where.

Age restrictions - preferably up to fifty years. Our youngest guy is twenty-two years old. My father works for us, and he brought him up and took him on orders. It’s good when a person is a generalist: a plumber, a carpenter, an electrician... But you can work in one profile.

Be sure to have your own car and your own tools. They are heavy and you can't just carry them around. And so he threw it in the trunk and rushed off to respond to calls.

Sharp corners

Scandals with clients happen mainly due to misunderstanding. A man was given laminate flooring, but he didn’t like it. He will call a “specialist” (friend), they will crawl around and find “errors”. Well, with us the customer is always right. I won't cure him by swearing. It's better to give the money and not argue. But if a person deliberately does not want to pay, then you can argue. We will not tolerate outright impudence.

Inspiration

The job is good, stable earnings above average, Gasoline is paid for. The team is friendly: corporate parties, holidays - it’s all there.

Schedule - from 9 am to 20 pm. All this time you are on the move, communicating with different people- not like sitting in a stuffy office. You can work after 20 if you wish. If your schedule allows, you can combine work with another. Weekends are optional. If you’re tired, you warn them, take a day off and rest.

Illustrations: Tatyana Trubnikova

Just please don’t think that you have decided to become the first man among reporters, so to speak, a prostitute. Together with a master with “golden hands,” he helped women solve a variety of household problems. Shelves were hung for one, and a chandelier for the other. Third... What was I doing next to the master? I tried not to interfere and not to damage anything.

There will be a boy with me...

I honestly admit that finding an individual entrepreneur who would agree to “appear in the media” was a big problem. First I called by dialing the numbers listed in the popular advertising newspaper. He introduced himself as an editorial journalist who wanted to make a report. And I immediately heard that there was no need to write anything about me. One, probably very smart, even thought that I was from tax office and trying to make a “control order”. What for? If “spouses for an hour” pay a single tax, as it later turned out.

Although, as the person whom I finally “persuaded,” my future temporary “boss,” admitted later, the tax office can “get involved” if a man officially works alone - legally, with all the consequences that follow from here. In fact, this is what happens: he “assembles a team”, and several people work on various calls, but only one pays taxes.

The entrepreneur who agreed to help prepare the publication asked not to indicate his last name. Modest. Or is he afraid of something? I met him when a friend of mine called him to help dismantle furniture, as she was preparing to move to new apartment. At first she asked me, but after about twenty minutes of my hard work I realized: besides writing for the newspaper, I couldn’t do anything normal. What about the children? - I joked. - How handsome my guys are! I agreed.

The man who came to her aid was at first surprised that there was a man at home. He asked: can’t I do a very simple job? I lied that I only came in for a few minutes. And helped him a little with the furniture. He took little money for his work - only 20 thousand rubles. Maybe for some it’s too much? An acquaintance works as a deputy chief in one office, the earnings are not bad. She was ashamed to ask any of her subordinates to help her. They won't understand it that way yet. So she called “my husband for an hour,” since she had sent another gentleman into retirement.

We talked with the handyman, and it turned out that his name was Nikolai Alexandrovich. He's nearly fifty. An engineer by training. Worked at a factory. Then he tried to engage in various businesses. At one time, I created a furniture company together with a classmate, but they “got broke” and couldn’t stand the competition. I tried to earn something in Russia, but I was tired of traveling back and forth all the time. Wife and children at home. I decided that if I was going to work, I would do it at home. What to do? Acquaintances and neighbors often asked him to help with various trifles. So I decided that men’s hands, if they grow from the right place, will allow me to earn a piece of bread, and not only that.

We agreed that we would go together for the next orders. “Only I won’t come alone, there will be a boy with me,” he joked, talking on the phone with another potential client. It's good that he turned out to be a person with humor.

And he didn’t take the money!

I was always interested in the nuances of his activities. In his car, while driving, Nikolai Alexandrovich shared his memories. How did you start working? Tools in hand - and forward.

By the way, my “boss” treats his instruments very carefully, carefully, with love, I would say. After all, it’s clear that this is his “weapon” for making money. “German tools are convenient and reliable,” says the master. “For some reason ours don’t know how to make them like this, but never buy Chinese ones: you’ll save money and then regret it, they spoil quickly.”

We came to our grandmother, who asked us to assemble and hang shelves for flowers. I thought she was about 60 years old. And I was surprised when I heard that she was well over seventy. Lives in a communal apartment alone in a room. The neighbor is “problematic” and is friends with vodka. My husband died a long time ago. Children and grandchildren - some in Minsk, some in distant Canada. She said that they invited her to live with them, but she is a patriot, a native city dweller who sincerely loves Vitebsk. She talked about her life. Apparently, there is no one to talk to. To the question “How much for the work?” I heard from my boss in response that not at all. Apparently, he felt sorry for the lonely woman with a difficult fate. At least we could have some tea! - the hostess suggested to us. They didn't refuse tea and cookies. Perhaps the master suddenly became so kind because I was with him? - I thought. But surely kindness and a sincere desire to help one’s neighbor cannot exist in our age? They can!

You will never earn anything like that. Why did they refuse to take at least five thousand? - I asked the master. I heard that the work was actually not dusty, especially since another order was waiting for us not far away. I had to help a lonely girl hang the curtains.

And sometimes they ask for... intimacy

Over the several years of the master’s activity, there were different things. He recalls that at first women often called, as it turned out during the conversation, they were not entirely sober and specifically talked about the need for this very thing... By the way, the master’s wife, at first, according to him, was a little jealous. Like, I don’t know who you’re going to work with. Then I realized that he actually works and comes home sober. Maybe because he foolishly, like his competitor, published an article in the newspaper “Husband's services for an hour”?

Sometimes men call to have men’s household chores done for them. Why not help them out?

How much do you ask for your services? - I'm interested. It turned out that there are no specific prices. He will feel sorry for someone, like that lonely pensioner, but for someone he will not be ashamed to charge fifty thousand. My “boss” didn’t want to talk about my monthly salary, but said that it was enough to live on. Otherwise, of course, I would not be engaged in private business. Have prices changed as a result of ruble devaluation? - I ask. He answered that if you increase the fee for your services, it is unlikely that there will be as many orders. By the way, there are five or six of the latter every day. Sometimes no one calls at all. Mostly clients are of average income, or not at all rich.

Regarding racketeering and other problems that probably every entrepreneur faces today, he said that, thank God, there was nothing like that in his practice. But an acquaintance, also a “husband for an hour,” somehow got into trouble. A woman called and asked to have something repaired. I arrived, and there were two guys who “offered the roof.” It was a long time ago, though. My interlocutor did not want to say anything more on this topic. As for the problems with registering a business, he said that there were no particular ones. I collected the necessary papers and completed everything. Government bodies nothing bothers him. also do not provide. Why does he need it when he has everything he needs to do his job? No room required for activities...

About hospitality. They often offer the foreman to drink alcohol, but he is driving. And then how can you work “under the radar”? Always refuses.

Four orders were completed during the day we worked together. The “husband worked for an hour” slowly and efficiently. I was still ashamed that I was not a great master. They were already saying goodbye, and again someone called Nikolai Alexandrovich. As a result, each of us went to do what we know better.

Newspaper "Zvyazda", original at Belarusian language: http://zvyazda.minsk.by/ru/archive/article.php?id=79717