OCEANSIDE —— Local handyman Mike McNeill says he wants to change the stereotype that portrays the average handyman as unprofessional with his business, Bald Guy Repair Inc.

Formerly the inventory manager for a glass and tile manufacturer, McNeill said he has brought his professionalism from his prior career and has applied it to his new enterprise.

"If I say I'm going to be there, I'm going to be there," McNeill said.

Just as his company name implies, McNeill is a 6-foot-4-inch bald man who decided to use his appearance as a selling point.

An all-encompassing business, Bald Guy handles repairs and remodels just short of dealing with load-bearing walls.

McNeill said he is not a contractor and won't do anything he is not licensed to do. He added that he is very honest with his clients, informing them when a job is too big for him to handle.

Whether doing basic plumbing, installing kitchen cabinetry, repairing drywall or fixing and constructing decks, McNeill said he works in residential and commercial locations. One of his accounts, a group of Taco Bell restaurants, required him to renovate bathrooms to fit Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines.

For residential customers, McNeill said he is filling a need for men and women who haven't the time or the ability to do repairs themselves. About 50 percent of his client base is repeat customers.

Run out of his Oceanside home, McNeill's business started up in 2003 and was incorporated a year later. McNeill handles all repairs, while his wife, Toni, deals with the business side of the operation as the director of the company.

McNeill said that without Toni's help, Bald Guy Repair might never have existed.

Client Karen Jordan of Carmel Mountain Ranch said she used Bald Guy Repair to fix up a La Jolla house she plans to sell. She said McNeill installed kitchen cabinets, bathroom fixtures, vanities and toilets, put up blinds, took out carpets, and did other tasks to get the house ready for resale.

"He goes above and beyond what is expected," Jordan said. "I'm going to be using him again in the next project, that's for sure." Jordan said after he finished the house's value has jumped from $770,000 to between $965,000 and $985,000.

"I couldn't have done that without Mike," she said.

McNeill said he and his wife decided to open the business after he was laid off from the tile business. He said he worked for a party rental company for a short time, but wasn't happy.

Within the first year they made $30,000 with McNeill working part time. Last year they earned $72,000, and they believe that number may double for 2005.

"I thought if I really put my heart and soul in it, I could make a go of it," McNeill said.

Standout Facts

Name: Bald Guy Repair Inc.

Address: Oceanside

Phone: (760) 717-6172

Year established: 2003

Products and services: assorted home and commercial repairs.

Number of employees: 3

Size: 800-square-foot home office.

Gross sales: $72,000 for 2004.

Contact freelance writer Jessica Musicar at gwyllion@aol.com.