Ari Katz – Electrician

Coming Soon:  Mr. Fix It School of Home Repair


What exactly is the Mr. Fix It School of Home Repair?
It’s a two-week comprehensive training course to jump-start a desire into a functional home repair business.

How did this idea come about?
I often receive calls from various people inquiring if I would be willing to take on an apprentice. For many reasons this arrangement usually is of limited benefit to him and to me and the guy begins working as a shlepper or painter for someone else. Months later he’s now locked in as a 35 shekel per hour worker and has given up on learning something more sophisticated and cannot afford to quit. I want to equip them to begin their careers as self-employed, business owners, not second-class shleppers.

Who would be the ideal student?
It’s a serious course for a serious person who knows he has “good hands” and has the desire to turn that ability into a viable parnass

What makes your course unique?
I have condensed eight years of hard-learned lessons into a comprehensive package that will enable a person to begin right away saving them months and years of learning everything “the hard way”. There’s no reason why a capable person cannot begin working right away on a whole range of common problems, while experience in more difficult issues will come with time.

In addition, there is tremendous satisfaction that comes from good ol’ hard work, from setting and reaching goals, from taking responsibility for one’s self and family. The lessons will be peppered with hashkafic points, personal anecdotes, philosophical tangents, spontaneity and depth. I will also remain an ongoing source of reference for all attendees who may need coaching through various hurdles and obstacles in the course of their business and personal growth.

Is there certification?
There is no officially recognized certification, but the training is in areas that don’t need certification, such as basic plumbing issues, trissim, door locks and small electrical problems. In Israel, people hire someone they trust based on previous experiences and references. Certification has nothing to do with being a mentsch, connecting with people, managing a business, or work ethic.

What is the curriculum?
I cover 95% of the problems that arise in homes. From simply hanging pictures, which is not so simple, to opening and closing wall holes, electricity, plumbing, appliance repair, changing window glass, carpentry, tool education and much more. In addition, I give over several hours of material on building a small business in Israel. Everything from setting up legally, marketing, branding, organization, customer management, suppliers, what to buy, what not to buy, and how to tailor the business model according to each person’s strengths.

Is the training hands on?
Yes. Each day will be several hours of theory followed by a half-day or real work where each person is guided as he himself learns how to implement that day’s lesson. The work is done inside actual homes, where people are living, and students get comfortable being in another person’s private space and treating it with respect.

Where will the classes be located?
Likely it will be in Jerusalem, unless the majority of students are from another place.

Is this a good alternative to vocational education?
This is by no means a replacement for vocational education or those seeking certification in any technical area. Many may wish to take it further and become certified electricians, A/C installation experts, plumbers or gain some other technical expertise. This course is to get a “handy” guy with no experience to actually run his own business.

What if a person doesn’t have a car or tools? Doesn’t it cost a lot to start a business?
I began with a thousand shekels worth of tools and a five hundred shekel “tus-tus” that I used for five years rain or shine. Any business endeavor requires a start-up fee for supplies and the like. The real barrier to entry is not a few thousand dollars for tools and supplies, it’s the inner drive and desire of the person. From day one, the mindset of the course is that each student already has what he needs to be successful. It’s his brain, hands, confidence, vision and drive. The rest is details.

How can I find out more?
You can contact me with any and all questions. There are a limited number of spots that I will fill based on who I feel will benefit most from the course.


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