So you want to sign up with a lead service like HomeAdvisor, Angie’s List, Thumbtack, Yelp, etc. There are so many services out there constantly soliciting you to sign up with them with promises of endless supply of work.  In the present boom in the remodeling industry, they’re not wrong!  There are endless calls and searches on google for contractors right now.  Handymen, remodelers, electricians, plumbers, etc.  People have spent so much time in their homes right now, they’re wanting to update and improve their homes.  And with the present market, it’s not feasible to buy a new home.

I know, I owned a construction business with my husband for fourteen years, worked for a few different general contractors myself for almost 10 years. I’ve even worked for a lead provider company for over two years.  I have experienced and seen first hand countless small business get in over their head quickly.  You hear how easy it will be to sign up and just fill out some paperwork.  JUST FILL OUT SOME PAPERWORK.  Most guys don’t have any experience with completely substantial contracts and meeting all the necessary requests for insurance, W-9’s, and more paperwork.  My husband and I had to jump through so many hoops to get signed up with a big box store to do window and door installations, most people would have just given up by then.  When I finally made it to the end and completed all their compliance, the installer coordinator at the big box store was impressed. She told me stories of countless contractors that weren’t able to make it to the end because of wording on certificates of insurance or complete all the online documents.

Once you’ve jumped through all those hoops, you will start getting leads.  Trust me.  If you’re not, I can help you figure out the parameters so you do.  But what will you do from there?  What will you start doing to schedule those estimates, give bids, follow up, and sell the job?  Especially if you’re getting leads from more than one company?  Do you have a system set up to organize your customers, phone numbers and addresses?  Once you do sell a job, how will you track the income and expenses?  They don’t tell you that, do they?  Sure, it’s easy to have money coming in and money going out, but as long as you have money in your account, you’re golden right?  Wrong!

This is where I come in.  I can help you design a system that works best for you.  Do you prefer a paperbased system to follow to write up your estimates and store your customer’s info?  There is a way to make it work, although it is more time consuming.  Or would you like to be able to do it all from your phone to schedule appointments and easily access your customer’s address?  There’s many options out there.

But wait, that’s not it.  Once you get the accounting and customer database all set up, will you still be able to determine if you’re as profitable as you could be?  How much are you spending for that lead in addition to all the leads you didn’t win.  Those costs need to be accounted for in your profit margins.  OK, so I sound like your Mom.  Or a nagging wife.  I was that nagging wife for 14 years in the businesses my husband and I owned.  But guess who purchased a brand new franchise on the market and went from $0 to $300K in sales annually just doing window repairs in a matter of three years?  We did!  It might sound like much to you, but those years started in 2007.  Yes, the beginning of the recession and the market crash.  And here we are again.  Trying to manage and run a profitable business during a pandemic and times where construction materials have gone up 300% and lead times of up to six months for items that should normally take a month is just insane.  I said it.  But it’s true, isn’t it?

I won’t nag you but I will get you all set up with whomever it is you’re looking to get started with.  A large general contractor, an insurance company, or a lead service like HomeVisor, Angi’s List, Thumbtack, and Yelp. Forget all the headaches of emailing back and forth about paperwork requirements because they won’t pay you until you do!  I used to hold check to subcontractors until the wording was exactly right on their insurance certificate.  I know many of you have been there.  Let me be your Hula Hoop girl to jump through those hoops.  Because, I’m All About That Biz!!!