The brief
Dave Percival spent 24 years in the British Army – serving in Bosnia and Iraq – before setting up DJP Handyman Services. He brought the same discipline and work ethic to his trade that had served him throughout his military career.
He had the skills, the attitude, and the drive to build a successful business. What he didn’t have was a digital presence – no website, no social media, and no way for local people in Northampton to find him online.
Dave is also Social with Ryan founder Ryan’s uncle – and that’s how DJP became our first ever client!
The brief was to build that foundation from scratch: make DJP Handyman Services discoverable to people searching for a reliable handyman. And give the business a credible online presence that would generate consistent enquiries.
Success at a glance
Our approach to social media management for small business
Social with Ryan built the complete digital foundation that every local service business needs to get found and get hired.
The work covered:
- Brand identity: A professional logo and colour theme, designed to be recognisable and trustworthy
- Website: A clean, simple site optimised for local search terms including ‘handyman in Northampton’ and ‘handyman near me’, with clear calls to action
- Google Business Profile: Fully set up, verified and optimised to appear in local map and search results
- Social media channels: Facebook and Instagram pages set up with consistent branding, relevant local groups joined, and a clear content strategy handed over to Dave with ongoing social media consultations
The philosophy was simple: keep it focused, keep it consistent, and make sure the business shows up well when people are actively searching for what Dave does.
Instead of stressing over complicated content creation, or deciding what (and when) to post – we gave Dave everything he needs to maintain a strong and clear presence in the right places to reach new customers.
How Social with Ryan transformed this small business
Eight years on, DJP Handyman Services has become one of Northampton’s most in-demand tradespeople. And the social media management strategy built by Social with Ryan is still driving enquiries week in, week out.
Show up in the right places to be noticed, create the right content to be trusted, and the conversations (and enquiries!) sort themselves out.
This is the proof:
- 20+ enquiries every week
- Fully booked six weeks in advance
- Ranked #1 on Google for ‘Northampton handyman’
- #1 rated handyman on Three Best Rated Northampton
- Has never spent another penny on marketing since launch
- Expanded the business and hired an assistant to meet demand
↳ The result: A small business with a strong, well-maintained online presence that doesn’t need a big marketing budget to reach the right people.
"I started my business in 2018 and the only marketing I've ever spent money on is with Ryan. In those years we've built a loyal customer base which means I've always had a full diary of work, and we're continuing to grow. We have social media channels to be proud of, that tell our story, how we can help our customers and why people should choose us, and much of our continued success is thanks to our presence online. Ryan is a big part of my business and I'd highly recommend making him a part of yours, too."
David Percival
Owner
DJP Handyman Services
Running a small business and want social media management that generates real enquiries? Get in touch with the Social with Ryan team.
