Spokane couple opens home repair business
Dave and Cindy Schmitt say they have opened a franchise outlet of Handyman Matters, which offers residential repair and maintenance services. The new business is housed in a 500-square-foot office space at 11115 E. Montgomery.

Dave Schmitt says the national franchise network of Handyman Matters, which is based in Lakewood, Colo., has more than 120 locations. This is the only location in Eastern Washington, he says.

Schmitt says he decided to open Handyman Matters here after spending 17 years in a corporate banking job that would have required him to move away from the Spokane area. The new business provides a wide range of home maintenance and repair services including drywall repair, hanging doors, and fixing plumbing problems, he says.

Schmitt says the franchise employs three maintenance employees, all of whom are licensed, insured, and have gone through background checks. Counting the owners, it has five employees.

The business's office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but repairs also can be scheduled in the evenings or on the weekend to fit a customer's needs.

Schmitt says the business charges by the hour for its services, as well as for the cost of materials if they aren't provided by the homeowner.

New mobile RV-repair business opens here
Allen Beach, of Coeur d'Alene, has opened a mobile recreational-vehicle repair business, Sunrise Certified Mobile RV Repair, which serves RV owners in North Idaho and the Spokane area.

A longtime RV owner and hobbyist repairman for about 25 years, Beach says he started the business in June because he wanted something to do during his retirement after working 40 years in the manufacturing industry.

Beach says he travels to customers' homes or to campsites to repair problems on a range of recreational vehicles, such as motor homes, campers, trailers, and large coach-size RVs. He says his repair experience allows him to repair furnaces, water heaters, gas systems, and electrical components on most vehicles.

Beach provides services here from April to mid-September, when RV use in the area is at its height. Then, he says he and his wife, Cheryl, head south to northern Arizona, where he spends October to early spring, repairing RVs there.

Beach says that earlier this year he went through a three-month training program in Florida to receive national certification to repair RVs. He declines to disclose his rates.

Currently, Beach is the only employee of the business doing repairs and he says he doesn't plan on expanding the business at this time.

Spokane architect opens Xyst Espresso & Deli
Jim Haines, a Spokane architect and owner of Haines Architectural, has opened Xyst Espresso & Deli, at 336 S. Sherman, in a 500-square-foot space in the same building where he operates his architectual firm.

Haines says the name of the eatery is a word—pronounced "zist"—from ancient Rome that refers to a covered or tree-shaded garden walkway. He says he chose the name because of its ties to architecture and in reference to the tree-lined sidewalk on the north side of the building.

The espresso and deli opened on Sept. 7 and since has had limited hours because of slow business and because Haines' daughter, Amanda, who manages the operation, has been working another full-time job. Xyst currently is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to about 3 p.m., Haines says.

The business's primary focus is on espresso and coffee drinks, but it also sells pastry items from the Rocket Bakery here, as well as pre-wrapped sandwiches, salads, and hot soups. Haines says the eatery also is licensed to sell wine by the glass and beer by the bottle as long as it's consumed on the premises.

He says the main part of the shop can seat about 15 patrons, and a small conference room off the dining area can seat up to seven people. The business employs two people, including Haines' daughter.

Home inspector advises buyers before final sale
Mike and Angie Walker have opened a business here, Walker Home Inspections, to help home buyers identify major problems with a home before a sale of it is completed.

Mike Walker says he has worked in the plumbing industry for about 10 years here and started the business after being laid off earlier this year. He says he took a three-month course to become licensed to inspect homes in the state of Washington, which the state requires home inspectors to have.

In any home inspection, Walker says there are five major areas he focuses on—the roof, plumbing, electrical system, foundation, and heating and cooling systems.

"We look at everything the homeowner might not think of," he says. "We let them know if they will need to make any major replacements so they can talk to the seller about anything that needs to be fixed."

Walker says he charges $300 for an inspection of a home of up to 3,000 square feet in size, and will inspect homes of any age. For every 1,000 square feet above 3,000, he says he charges an additional $50.

He says business has been slow so far, because of the current state of the local housing market, but says he hopes to see work pick up soon.

Walker is the sole employee of the business.

Errand service seeks to help busy people
Chris Monette and Zebbie Ellingson, both of Spokane, have opened Spokane Concierge, a personal errand business that offers services intended to help busy businesspeople and their families complete everyday tasks from grocery shopping to picking up prescriptions.

Monette says the business typically charges $20 an hour for its services, and its three full-time employees are paid based on commission.

He says that the new business has visited several corporations and large industries in the Spokane area to promote itself and to offer discounted packages to employees. He says the packages will include discounted rates for a designated number of hours of service.

Monette says Spokane Concierge also provides its customers a preferred vendor list of businesses it has preselected that offer services such as in-home repairs.

For now, Spokane Concierge is being run out of a home office, but Monette says the business hopes to open an office location within the next year and to hire about seven more employees.