Our story
In 2009, Daniel Lauzon had a well-paying job and a university degree. But he spent his weekends renovating: his house, then his rental properties. One day, the question hit him: "Why don't I do this full time?"
He quit his job to become a handyman. That's how Beau-frère à louer was born. Here's the story, and what it taught us about building a team.
A name that made people laugh
When Daniel told the people around him he was starting a business called "Beau-frère à louer", they laughed. When he explained it would be a handyman business, they looked uncomfortable. And when he said he was quitting his job, there was silence.
The idea, though, was simple: be the handy helper everyone wishes they had. The one who shows up when you call, does the job right, and notices along the way what's about to give out.
The early days: doing every job at once
In the first years, Daniel did it all: the work, the bookkeeping, the marketing. Two challenges kept coming back:
- getting people to see the value of the service: a professional who shows up on time and guarantees their work is not the same thing as an anonymous online ad;
- making small jobs viable, the ones that take time but that big contractors turn down because they're "too small."
What changed everything
The answer wasn't to work harder, but to work differently. Beau-frère à louer invested in technology and in systems to manage calls, appointments and invoicing. And the company bet on quality service and word of mouth. It grew by hiring.
Today, Daniel's son Gabriel is his right-hand man. And Beau-frère à louer is:
- more than 2,500 clients served over the past three years;
- a 4.4-star rating on more than 350 Google reviews;
- a call centre that takes requests and prepares schedules, an app that makes the team's days simpler, and the Club Beau-frère à louer: an inspection, a preventive maintenance plan and a team that does the work at the right time;
- specialized divisions, such as PatchNPaint (walls, ceilings, interior painting) and Cabanon-Remise A9 (shed restoration).
Connect-forces is the network you join this team through: one place to apply, one office team, one way of treating clients.
The lesson we apply today
What Daniel went through in the early days, a lot of handy people still go through: when you're self-employed, you spend a good part of your time selling, quoting and invoicing instead of fixing things. That's why Beau-frère à louer hires today. So people who love a job well done can focus on it, with a team behind them.
Four ways to join the team
We're hiring in Greater Montréal, Gatineau and Québec City, for four types of jobs:
- Handyman: you fix things, we take care of the clients. $26/h, 35 paid hours every week, guaranteed from day one, daytime, Monday to Friday. See the job
- Residential Maintenance Lead: a role for graduates and final-year students of the Diploma of Vocational Studies (DVS) in General Building Maintenance. You handle maintenance work at the homes of the members in your portfolio, inspect their homes, build their maintenance plan and make sure it's followed. $28.50/h as a lead, possible after 6 months. See the job
- Handyman Pro: for experienced tradespeople. You manage your own schedule and quotes, and a team sends you the clients. $50,000 to $80,000 a year, with earnings tied directly to your work, and group insurance 50% paid by the employer after 3 months. See the job
- Trade Specialist: painter, carpenter-joiner or refrigeration mechanic? Our divisions PatchNPaint (painting), Cabanon-Remise A9 (sheds) and Koomfo (air conditioning) are looking for tradespeople. Terms depend on your trade and experience, with group insurance 50% paid by the employer after 3 months; for air conditioning, a refrigeration mechanic certificate is required. See the jobs
Every job has its own terms, spelled out in black and white on its page. What applies to one doesn't necessarily apply to another.
How to apply: a 2-minute form, a 15-minute call to chat, a one-hour hands-on trial (at our Laval warehouse for the Montréal area), and an offer in under two weeks. Attach photos of your projects: they're worth more than a résumé.
Key takeaways
- Beau-frère à louer was born in 2009, when Daniel Lauzon left a well-paying job to become a handyman.
- More than 2,500 clients served over the past three years, 4.4 stars on more than 350 Google reviews.
- Connect-forces is the network you join the Beau-frère à louer team through.
- Four ways to join us in Greater Montréal, Gatineau and Québec City: Handyman, Residential Maintenance Lead, Handyman Pro, Trade Specialist.
Connect-forces
The story continues. Want to be part of it?
Four questions, no wrong answers: find out which job fits you.
Already know what you want? See all the jobs.
Connect-forces, the Beau-frère à louer network.