STEP 1 OF 8
Getting leads
Get your business in front of people who need your work.
Customer referrals
Do a good job first. That gives people a reason to recommend you naturally. You don’t need to ask the customer for more work or say, ‘Can you refer me?’
Instead, ask: ‘Do you happen to know anyone else who might need help with [your service]?’
The difference is subtle: you’re asking them to think of someone who could use the help, rather than asking them to do you a favour. It can make the conversation feel less pressured and more useful to both people.
Tip: Keep it casual. If nobody comes to mind, leave it there. If someone does, let the customer pass along your details so that person can choose to get in touch.
Repeat customers
I like to check in with past customers once a quarter. A simple, personal email keeps the relationship going after the project is finished.
Ask how they’re doing and remember something specific they shared with you. If they mentioned a holiday, a garden they were planting, or another milestone, ask how it went. Make it a real conversation, not a generic sales email.
For example: ‘Hey [name], how have you been? How did [specific thing they mentioned] go? Hope you’re enjoying [the work you completed]. Also, do you happen to know anyone who might need help with [your service]? Hope all’s well! — [your name]’
Ask and you shall receive. When you’ve knocked the project out of the park, you’ve given the customer a good reason to be happy to hear from you and comfortable passing your name along.
Tip: Only mention things they actually shared, and respect their contact preferences. If they don’t reply, don’t turn a friendly quarterly check-in into repeated chasing.
Old quotes
Check whether people who received a quote are still planning the work.
Review open quotes, check whether the scope and price are still current, and ask if the project is still active. Record accepted, declined, postponed, and unanswered quotes separately.
Tip: Try: “Are you still planning [project], or has the timing changed?” Stop when someone declines or asks you not to follow up.
Paid ads
Use Google, Facebook, or Instagram ads to promote a specific service in your area.
Promote one service in a defined area with relevant photos and a matching landing page or inquiry form. Test the contact process before spending. Set a budget and review point you can afford.
Tip: Measure suitable inquiries, quotes, and booked jobs. A low cost per click means little if the jobs are outside your area or do not fit your work.
See our services and book a call for help with advertising.
Organic social media
Post your work on your own social pages: project photos, before-and-afters, and videos.
Turn a real project into a before-and-after, a short walkthrough, and an answer to a common question. Explain the service and location rather than assuming viewers know what they are seeing.
Tip: One project can supply several useful posts. Ask permission for customer photos and avoid revealing personal details or property addresses.
Google Business Profile and Google reviews
Keep your details current and show real work and honest feedback. A good online profile supports the other ways people hear about you.
Check your business category, services, area, hours, and contact details. Add clear project photos and invite real customers to share honest Google reviews, without rewards or pressure for a particular rating.
Tip: Search your own business on your phone. A person referred by a friend should be able to check your work and contact you without hunting for details.
Your website and organic search
Explain your services and service area clearly so people can understand your work and contact you.
Explain each main service clearly, name the areas you actually serve, and show relevant projects. Make the call button and inquiry form easy to find, then send a test inquiry yourself.
Tip: Write for the customer’s question. A useful service page explains what you do and what happens next; repeating city names does not make it useful.
Yelp and local directories
Keep your listings accurate and pay attention to whether they bring suitable inquiries.
Check that the listing shows the correct business, contact route, services, and photos. Ask callers how they found you before deciding whether paid directory exposure is worthwhile.
Tip: Yelp differs from Google: Yelp tells businesses not to ask for reviews. Do not copy your Google review request onto every review platform.
Local Facebook groups
Share relevant projects and respond to requests where the group allows business posts.
Read the rules first. When someone asks for your service, answer the actual request with relevant work and a clear way to contact you. Post business updates only where promotion is allowed.
Tip: A recent local project with a useful explanation is more relevant than the same generic advertisement posted repeatedly.
Door hangers
Introduce your service to nearby homeowners with a short message and clear contact details.
Choose a small area where your service makes sense. Use a real project photo, the job you do, and one contact route. Respect no-soliciting signs and local distribution requirements.
Tip: Record the area, quantity, printing cost, and distribution time. Use a distinct link or ask which flyer they saw so you can judge the test.
Custom postcards and neighbourhood mail
Mail a specific service offer to an area where that work makes sense.
Match the card to the neighbourhood and service. Get printing and mailing costs before choosing volume. Check route coverage, eligible formats, and exclusions with the postal service.
Tip: Use one simple message and a trackable contact route. Compare booked work with the full campaign cost rather than treating every delivered card as a potential sale.
Jobsite signs
With permission, show nearby homeowners which business is doing the work.
Ask the property owner before placing a sign, and check the applicable placement rules. Show your business name, service, and a readable number or short website address.
Tip: Place it where it can be read safely. A sign packed with tiny text does not help someone passing the property.
Branded vehicles
Make your business name, service, and contact information easy to recognize around town.
Keep the design legible from a distance: business name, what you do, and one contact route. Use consistent branding so a person can recognize the same business online.
Tip: Take a photo from across the street before committing to the final design. If you cannot read it there, simplify it.
Billboards and local branding
Keep the message simple enough to understand at a glance.
Ask about location, audience, contract length, artwork costs, and the full placement cost. Choose a message a passing person can understand quickly.
Tip: Use a memorable name or web address. Do not rely on a driver scanning a QR code to make the advertisement work.
Hockey and baseball sponsorships
Support local teams and introduce your business to families in your service area.
Ask the team what support includes: jerseys, field or rink signage, announcements, programs, or social posts. Check whether the audience lives in your service area.
Tip: Choose a relationship you are happy to support. Community value and direct lead generation are different outcomes; track what you can without promising yourself guaranteed jobs.
Radio
Explain what you do, where you work, and how listeners can reach you.
Make the service, location, and next step easy to understand when heard once. Ask the station about audience geography, schedule, repetition, production, and total cost.
Tip: Read the script aloud. If the contact details or message are hard to remember, shorten them before paying to run it.
Other trades
Build relationships with trades whose customers may need your services.
Find trades serving the same customer at another stage of the job. Learn what they handle and which requests they cannot take, then show where your services fit.
Tip: Be dependable on the first introduction. A trade partner risks their reputation when they pass your name to a customer.
Property, strata, and HOA managers
Find out how managers select contractors for repairs, maintenance, and larger projects.
Find out which properties they manage, how vendors are approved, and who authorizes work. Have relevant project examples and required business documents ready.
Tip: An invitation to join a vendor list is not a booked job. Track actual quote invitations, approvals, and payment terms.
Builders and general contractors
Introduce the specific work you can handle as a subcontractor.
Introduce a specific capability, your area, capacity, and relevant examples. Ask how they invite subcontractors to quote and what documentation they need.
Tip: Confirm whose scope includes access, cleanup, equipment, and materials. A subcontract can be unprofitable when responsibilities are assumed instead of written down.
Realtors
Build relationships around repairs, cleanup, and improvements before or after a sale.
Show work relevant to pre-sale preparation or post-purchase projects. Be honest about your availability and ask which requests agents struggle to find contractors for.
Tip: Confirm who owns the property, hires you, and approves the price. An agent making an introduction is not automatically authorized to order the work.
Suppliers and rental shops
Let the businesses you use know what you do and how customers can contact you.
Ask businesses you already use whether they maintain contractor lists or allow business cards. Give a short, accurate description of your services and permission to share your business contact details.
Tip: Do not describe yourself as an approved or preferred contractor unless the supplier has actually agreed to that relationship.
Home shows and community events
Meet people planning projects and get permission to follow up with those interested.
Check the audience and full cost before booking. Bring clear photos and a short way for interested visitors to leave their project, location, timing, and contact details with permission to follow up.
Tip: Follow up with the conversation you actually had. “You mentioned replacing your side fence” is more useful than a generic message to every attendee.
Useful references: Google profile guidance · Google review guidance · Yelp review policy · Canada Post Neighbourhood Mail · USPS Every Door Direct Mail