Getting your first customers when the phone is not ringing

Starting out on your own is a strange feeling. You have the skills, the ute and the tools, and then the phone just sits there. Nearly every tradie who has gone out on their own has had that stretch. The good news is that the first customers usually come from simple, cheap, local things done consistently.

Here are the ones that work.

Start close to home

Your best early customers are the ones close by. Less travel means more jobs a day and more money in your pocket. It also means word of mouth has a short distance to travel. Pick the suburbs you actually want to work in and focus there first.

Do a letterbox drop

A letterbox drop is old school, and it still works, especially for gardening, cleaning, handyman work, painting and anything people need around the house.

• Keep the flyer simple. What you do, the suburbs you cover, your name, your phone number. A photo of you or your work helps people trust you.
• Give a reason to call now. A first visit discount or a free quote this month.
• Drop the same streets more than once. People often keep a flyer and ring weeks later when they finally need you. Being seen twice helps.
• Do the streets around a job you just did. If you have just done a great job on one house, the neighbours have seen your ute and your work. That is the best time to drop flyers.
• Respect "No junk mail" signs. It annoys people and it is not the first impression you want.

Set up your Google Business Profile

When someone searches "gardener near me" or "electrician in their suburb", the results with a map and reviews are Google Business Profiles. It is free, and for local trades it is one of the most valuable things you can set up.

• Use your real business name, phone number and the areas you service.
• Add photos of real jobs. Before and after shots work well.
• Pick the right category for your trade.
• Reply to every review, good or bad, politely.

Ask every happy customer for a review

Reviews are what turn a stranger into a caller. Most happy customers are glad to leave one. They just will not think of it unless you ask. Ask at the end of the job while they are smiling, then send them the link that day so it takes them thirty seconds.

Never write fake reviews or pay for them. It is against the rules on Google and Facebook and it can land you in real trouble.

Use local Facebook groups the right way

Local community groups are full of people asking "Can anyone recommend a good plumber?". The tradies who win work there are the ones who are helpful, not the ones who spam.

• Read each group's rules. Many only allow business posts on certain days.
• Answer questions with real advice, not just "PM me".
• When someone asks for a recommendation, reply with a short, friendly message about what you do and where.
• Do not post the same ad in twenty groups in a day. People notice, and admins remove it.

Want to see how a quote, invoice and payment look in a real app? Run a whole job on our website. Free, no sign up.

Turn every job into the next one

Your best source of work is the customer you just finished for. They know other people who need the same thing.

• Leave a card or a magnet behind.
• Ask: "Do you know anyone else who might need a hand?"
• For regular work like gardening or cleaning, offer to book the next visit before you leave.

Be the one who turns up

It sounds obvious, but a huge number of customers choose a tradie simply because they answered the phone, turned up when they said they would, and sent a quote quickly. In a lot of trades that alone puts you ahead of half the competition. Reply fast, be on time, send quotes the same day, and keep the customer posted if you are running late.

Talk to other trades

Builders need sparkies, sparkies know plumbers, landscapers know concreters. Let the trades around you know what you do and that you are reliable. Overflow work and referrals between trades are a steady source of jobs, especially when you are starting out.

Keep track of what works

When someone rings, ask how they found you. Flyer, Google, a group, a neighbour? After a couple of months you will know exactly where to spend your time and money.

How Its All Sorted helps

Once the calls start, Its All Sorted keeps every enquiry, quote and job in one place, so nothing slips through. You can quote on the spot, and for regular customers it asks to book the next visit when you finish the current one.