These are the questions first-year trades owners ask us most often. The short answers are above; below, a few of them get a fuller explanation, because the honest answer needs more than two sentences. If you cannot find what you need, the contact page explains how to ask us directly.
Frequently asked questions
What does Trades.Help actually do?
We publish free guides for tradespeople starting their own business, and we offer hands-on help with first-customer plans, Google Business Profile setup, starter websites and DIY coaching. We are a marketing and advisory service only.
Are you a contractor?
No. We do not install, repair or service anything, and we never send anyone to a job. That means we will never compete with you for work.
How much does it cost?
The guides are free, and the first 30-minute consultation is free for eligible trades businesses. Paid help comes through Trades.Agency plans from $1,999 per month, or $1,499 per month billed annually, plus GST/HST by province.
Do I have to sign a long contract?
No. You pay month by month, there is no long-term commitment, and 30 days' notice ends it. Annual billing is optional and lowers the monthly price.
How long before I see more calls?
It depends on your trade, area and starting point. A newly verified Google profile can start bringing calls within weeks, while a website usually takes months to build up search traffic. We set realistic checkpoints, often at four and eight weeks.
Can you promise me a certain number of leads or a first-page ranking?
No. Nobody controls Google's results or what customers decide. We explain what tends to work, do it properly, and measure what actually happens. Be wary of anyone who promises fixed numbers.
I tried a marketing company before and it was a waste of money. Why would this be different?
We hear this often. Usually the problem was unclear scope, no measurement or accounts held in someone else's name. We put scope in writing, keep everything in your name, and measure by booked jobs. And if the free guides are enough for now, we will tell you.
Who owns my Google profile, website and domain?
You do. They should all be in your name or your company's name from day one. We only have the access you choose to give, and you can remove it any time.
How will I know if it is working?
By booked jobs and where they came from. We help you keep a simple call log and show you the basic numbers your Google profile and website provide. Reviews happen on a set schedule, so nothing drifts.
Can you tell me which licence, ticket or insurance I need?
No. We do not give legal, licensing or compliance advice. Each region page links to the official provincial or territorial bodies, and they are the right people to ask.
Do you work with my trade and my province?
We help owners in most residential and light-commercial trades, in all 10 provinces and 3 territories. Our region pages explain the local bodies, climate and seasonal patterns to keep in mind.
I am a roofer. Is there anything specific for me?
Most of this site applies to roofers too. For guides written specifically around roofing, such as storm-season planning, our sister site Roofer.Help goes deeper.
Is it worth paying for marketing in my first year?
Sometimes, but not always. Spend time before money: in the first months, the free basics usually bring more than any paid service.
Those basics are a business phone you answer, a verified Google Business Profile, reviews from real customers and a call log. Our guides cover all of them. Paying for help makes sense when those are done and the calls are still not coming, or when you are too busy to do the work yourself. The pricing page includes a simple sum to check whether a plan would pay for itself at your job value.
What happens on the free consultation?
It is a 30-minute conversation, for eligible trades businesses, about where your business is and what we would do next. There is no pitch deck and no obligation.
Come with three things if you can: your average job value, a rough idea of where your last 10 jobs came from, and the name of your Google profile if you have one. We will look at the profile, ask about your area and season, and give you plain recommendations. Sometimes that is "follow this guide for six weeks and see what happens", and that is a perfectly good outcome.
Why do you not give licensing advice?
Because it is not our field, and getting it wrong could hurt your business. Licensing, certification, permits and insurance rules are set by provincial and territorial bodies and differ from trade to trade.
What we do instead is point you to the right place. Each region page links to the official organisations for that province or territory: trade certification bodies, safety authorities, workers' compensation boards, consumer protection offices and business registries. Ask them directly, and keep a note of what they tell you.
How do you report on results?
Simply. We do not send long reports full of charts that nobody reads. We report on the numbers that matter to a small trades business.
| What we look at | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Calls and texts, by source | Shows which marketing brings enquiries |
| Booked jobs and their value | Shows which marketing brings money |
| Reviews received and replied to | Shows whether trust is building |
| Google profile actions | Shows how often people act on your listing |
How often depends on your plan or coaching rhythm, usually every two weeks to monthly. You can read more about how we work on the about page.
What should I have ready before I ask for help?
Three things make any conversation about your marketing faster and more useful, whether it is with us or anyone else.
- A rough call log. Even a list of your last 10 jobs and how each customer found you is enough to start.
- Your numbers. Your average job value, roughly how many quotes turn into jobs, and how many jobs a month you can handle.
- Your logins. Make sure you can sign in to your Google account, your domain registrar and your website. If you cannot, recovering access is the first job.
Owners who arrive with these usually leave the first conversation with a much clearer plan, because we can talk about their business instead of guessing.
What if I want to stop?
Then you stop. Plans are month-to-month with 30 days' notice. Because your profile, website, domain and accounts are already in your name, nothing needs to be handed back. We would only ask that you tell us what did not work, so we can do better for the next owner.
For roofing owners, our sister help centre Roofer.Help covers roofing-specific topics. Everyone else can start with the services overview.