FIX-IT FRANK

Baldwin Park resident Frank Todd always has loved tinkering, fixing and building. 

His childhood years include fond memories of building forts, taking apart and rebuilding toys, and working for hours on Lego projects. 

Todd’s father was a carpenter by hobby, and he learned craftsmanship tricks from him as well as from his stepfather, who was a handyman. The family always worked to fix projects by themselves at home. 

Eventually, he fell in love with people and the belief that service is beautiful. 

His belief has persevered into the creation of his own business: Baldwin Park Handyman Services. 

“I’m a kinesthetic learner,” he says. “So, I work best with my hands. As a boy in school, I would always excel when I could use my hands. It’s just how my brain works. … What I really love about the work is the service and help I am able to give to people and neighbors. Putting together a gift for a child, fixing a leak and beautifying someone’s home all bring relief and joy. It’s so cool being able to do that daily.”

PURSUING PASSION

Todd attended Florida State University where he obtained two college degrees before earning an additional degree from the University of Central Florida.

He was in the finance industry but always remembers working on small projects and fixing things for his family and friends in his free time. 

When the Great Recession hit in 2007, Todd worked as a teacher, coach and dean in Seminole County. 

With his summers free, he began dabbling more frequently into handyman services.

Todd moved from Oviedo to Baldwin Park about six years ago with his wife, Lizzy, and their daughters Ivy, 10, and Ila, 7.

Courtesy photo

He says the main reason the family chose to make the move was to be around more children and have the opportunity to grow stronger community ties. 

“My friends would tell their friends and family, and the idea of becoming a handyman grew organically,” he says. “I realized it was something that I was much more passionate about as a career. In 2021, I wanted to see if I could turn my hobby into a career, so I made an LLC — Baldwin Park Handyman Services — purchased insurance, posted a flier on the Baldwin Park Facebook page, and I now have had consistent work for three years. I enjoyed the aspect of being able to help people, and there was a huge demand in the neighborhood.”

Through his handyman business, Todd works on custom projects and repairs, specializing in mounting (TV, pictures, shelving, etc.), furniture assembly, painting, vanity installation, appliance repair and installation, pressure washing, baby proofing, holiday decoration, garage organization, screen repair, and more.

His daily goal for the business is to provide the highest level of reliable and professional handyman services in a trustworthy and friendly manner. 

Now, three years into the business, Todd is booked out for weeks in advance — with a client base built primarily through referrals. He says about 80% of his clients are repeat customers, and about three out of four of his contacts are from Baldwin Park. 

However, he also does work in surrounding areas, including Winter Park, Oviedo, Maitland and downtown Orlando.

Being a small-business owner, Todd is able to respond quicker than most larger agencies, and he has even helped with emergencies for customers late at night. 

“I would like to thank all my customers, especially longtime customers, who have allowed my business to grow,” he says. “I love being a handyman, and I love the life it gives to my family. Thank you for the support!”

SUPER DAD

Since starting his business, Todd estimates he has worked on close to 1,000 projects.

“I just put my headphones in, and I can zone out and work for hours and hours,” he says. “It’s like an artist being able to work on creating their craft.”

He most enjoys projects with a big “wow” factor, such as wall art, or hanging big, beautiful pieces like chandeliers. His happiest moments are when he is able to problem solve for clients.

Todd keeps busy and enjoys the new experiences and challenges the plethora of jobs present. 

“Sometimes — in anything in life — things go bad, and there’s times when you make a mistake,” he says. “You have to accept that. It’s all about how you handle those experiences. It’s important to be honest, forthright and to do your best in improving the experiences.”

Todd hopes to continue growing his business in the future. His client base currently is growing at about 50% per year.

Todd runs the business completely by himself. He does all the jobs, accounting, billing, marketing and quotes. He would love to hire a secretary or an assistant for office responsibilities and paperwork, as well as an additional handyman technician, to help him with the work.

A normal day for Todd starts off with him getting up and getting his daughters ready for the day before biking them to school. He then bounces around at different jobs in the neighborhood before later on picking up the girls on the bike again. He feeds them and gets them settled before sometimes going back to work when his wife gets home. 

In their free time, the Todds enjoy the beach, the park, traveling to the mountains or snorkeling in the Keys and staying active.