You do not need an agency to market a first-year trades business. You need a short list of tasks done in the right order, about two hours a week, and a call log that tells you what is working. This plan lays out the year month by month, with a starter budget and the points where outside help is worth considering.
It assumes you are a solo owner or a very small crew, working in a residential trade somewhere in Canada. Adjust the timing if your season is very different, for example if you are a landscaper whose work stops in winter.
The rule that saves the most money: one thing at a time
Finish one piece of marketing before starting the next. Half-finished work everywhere brings in less than one finished piece.
New owners tend to start a website, three social accounts, a directory listing and an ad campaign in the same week, then abandon all of them when the work picks up. The plan below deliberately spaces things out. If you fall behind, do not skip ahead; finish the current step.
Months 1 and 2: be easy to reach and easy to find
The first two months are about the foundations that every later step depends on: a phone number, a call log, and a verified Google Business Profile.
Tasks:
- Choose a business number you will keep for years and make sure it can take texts.
- Record a clear voicemail that says your business name and when you will call back.
- Start your call log. Date, name, how they heard of you, quoted, booked, job value.
- Set up and verify your Google Business Profile. Our step-by-step profile guide covers every field.
- Tell your warm circle. Personally contact the people who already know you. The guide to your first 20 customers has templates.
- Order basics: business cards and a vehicle decal with your name, trade and number.
Time: roughly two evenings for setup, then an hour or two a week.
Months 3 and 4: reviews, referrals and a small website
Once you are findable, the next job is to become trustworthy to strangers. That means reviews and a simple website.
Tasks:
- Ask every satisfied customer for a review, using a saved text with your review link.
- Reply to every review within a few days.
- Build a small website: home, a page per main service, service area, about and contact. See what a starter website needs.
- Link the website and the profile to each other.
- Start a neighbour routine: a short note to nearby homes after each visible job.
At the end of month 4, look at your call log. Which source brought the most booked jobs? Write the answer down.
Months 5 to 8: plan around your seasons
Most Canadian trades have a busy season and a slow one. Plan your marketing so the slow months are less slow, rather than reacting when the phone goes quiet.
Some typical patterns, which vary by region and climate:
| Trade | Often busy | Often slower | What to do in the slow months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping | Spring and summer | Winter | Book spring work, offer snow services if you are set up for it, collect reviews from the season |
| Painting (exterior) | Late spring to early fall | Winter | Promote interior work, plan next year's exterior bookings |
| Heating-related trades | Fall and winter | Late spring | Maintenance reminders to past customers, with consent |
| General repairs and handyman | Steady, with spring and pre-holiday peaks | Mid-winter | Focus on property managers and realtors |
Each of our region pages, such as British Columbia or Manitoba, describes the climate there in more detail. Climate decides demand more than any marketing calendar.
Tasks for these months:
- Pick your two or three slowest months and decide which type of job you will promote then.
- Add one or two new photos to your profile every week or two.
- If you want, choose one social network and post one real job a week.
- Reach out to two or three potential referral partners a month, such as property managers.
Months 9 to 12: review, then decide about paid help or ads
By month 9 you have real numbers. Use them to decide whether to keep going alone, try a small paid campaign, or bring in help.
Look at your call log and answer:
- How many enquiries did you get each month?
- What share booked?
- Which source brought the most valuable jobs?
- Which months were too quiet?
A worked example you can redo with your own numbers: say your average job is $750 and you book 40% of enquiries. Each enquiry is then worth about $300 in revenue. If a small ad test costs $400 in a month and brings four enquiries, that is $1,200 in expected revenue against $400 spent, before your own costs and margin. If it brings one enquiry, it did not pay. Run the test for a set period, count honestly and decide.
A starter budget you can scale
Spend time first and money second. A realistic first-year list, from essential to optional:
- Essential: business phone plan, cards, vehicle decal, domain name.
- Very useful: a small website, either self-built or built for you.
- Useful once the basics work: printed door hangers for neighbour routines.
- Optional in year one: paid ads, paid directory placements, professional video.
When you advertise prices, show the full price customers will pay. The Competition Bureau's guidance on drip pricing explains why advertising a price that leaves out mandatory fees is a problem.
Rules worth knowing before you market
A few Canada-wide rules affect even a small trades business. This is general information, not legal advice.
- Anti-spam rules. Commercial texts and emails need consent, sender identification and a way to opt out. The CRTC's CASL FAQ is the place to start.
- Privacy. Customer names, numbers and addresses are personal information. The Privacy Commissioner's summary explains which law applies where you work.
- Licensing and certification. What you may advertise can depend on your trade and province. Ask the official bodies listed on our areas pages.
When to ask for help
Doing it yourself is right while you have time and the numbers are moving. It stops being right when you are stuck or too busy to do it at all.
Consider help if:
- you have done months 1 to 4 and enquiries have not grown after six to eight weeks
- your profile will not verify or has been suspended
- you are fully booked and marketing has stopped completely
- you want to grow into a crew and need steadier, more predictable work
DIY coaching keeps you in charge with a strategist reviewing your work. If you would rather hand it over, Trades.Agency runs done-for-you plans; our pricing page has the details. Whichever way you go, keep the call log. It is the most useful marketing tool you will own.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a new trades business spend on marketing in year one?
There is no single right figure. Many owners do well spending very little in the first months and investing time instead. Once you know your average job value and booking rate, set a monthly amount you can afford even in a slow month, and judge it by booked jobs.
Should I be on every social network?
No. Pick one you will actually use, often the one your customers in your area use most, and post real work from real jobs. One active account beats four empty ones.
When should I start running ads?
When your Google profile is verified, you have some reviews, you answer calls reliably and you know which jobs you want more of. Before that, ads tend to bring calls you cannot handle well.
Do I need a privacy policy if I keep customer phone numbers?
Canadian privacy law applies to personal information collected in commercial activity. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner explains which law applies in your province. Keep customer details secure and use them only for the reasons customers gave them to you.