How to Get Jobs & Manage Your Solo Trade Business: DIY, Lead Platforms, or Pro Support
Finding steady work and handling business tasks like quoting and invoicing are crucial for your solo trade business. Get it right, and your roofing, plumbing, or tile business will grow. Get it wrong, and you'll spend too much time chasing leads, miss out on good jobs, or give up too much profit to others. Here's how to think through your options for getting clients and managing your workload.
READY TO TAKE ACTION?
Use the free LaunchAdvisor checklist to track every step in this guide.
The Quick Answer
Start with **DIY Lead Generation & Admin** when you're just launching or handling under 5 jobs a week. It keeps costs low and builds your reputation directly. Use **Online Lead Platforms** (e.g., Angi, Thumbtack) when you need to fill your schedule quickly or want a steady flow of smaller jobs, especially early on. Be ready for lead fees and competition. Move to **Professional Business Support / Marketing** when you're consistently booked 40+ hours a week, and non-trade tasks like marketing, scheduling, or bookkeeping eat up more than 10 hours of your time. This means investing in custom marketing or an assistant.
Side-by-Side Breakdown
**DIY Lead Generation & Admin:** Low cash cost, high time cost for you. Full control over client relationships and branding. Builds word-of-mouth and local reputation. Can't scale past 5–10 jobs/week without you working nights on admin. Requires a simple website, business cards, and local networking.
**Online Lead Platforms (e.g., Angi, Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor):** Costs vary; some take a percentage (e.g., 5-20% on certain platforms), others charge per lead ($10-$75 per qualified lead, depending on trade/area). Quick job access, but you lose some direct client relationship and branding control. High competition often leads to bidding wars. Good for filling gaps or starting out.
**Professional Business Support / Marketing (e.g., Local SEO, Marketing Agency, Virtual Assistant):** Higher upfront cash cost ($300-$1000+ per month for dedicated marketing, $20-$40/hour for an assistant). Much lower time cost for you. Builds your brand long-term. Full control over client experience. Works across all channels (your website, Google My Business, referrals). Requires defining your target client and marketing message.
When to Choose Online Lead Platforms
Choose online lead platforms like Thumbtack, Angi, or HomeAdvisor when you need to fill your schedule fast, especially in your first 6-12 months. They can give you quick access to customers wanting jobs like "leaky faucet repair" or "small drywall patch." These platforms are good if you're comfortable with lead fees (e.g., $25-50 per specific plumbing lead, or a percentage of smaller jobs) and competing on price. Always track your 'cost per acquired job' from each platform to make sure it's profitable after fees.
When to Choose Professional Business Support / Marketing
Invest in professional business support or dedicated marketing when non-trade tasks (finding leads, quoting, scheduling, invoicing) are consuming more than 10-15 hours of your valuable work week. This includes hiring a virtual assistant to handle calls/scheduling ($20-40/hour) or a local SEO specialist to improve your Google ranking ($300-800/month). This frees you to focus on your trade. Plan to spend 1-2 months finding the right support — don't wait until you're completely overwhelmed and turning down work to start this search.
The Verdict
Start with DIY lead generation and admin to prove your service model and understand what it takes to get clients. If you need jobs quickly in your first year, online lead platforms are a fast way to fill your schedule. If you're consistently booked and non-trade work is taking over your evenings, professional business support or dedicated marketing will almost always win on long-term growth and time saved. Build these relationships before you desperately need them.
How to Get Started
1. **DIY Lead Generation & Admin:** Set up a simple professional website (Wix, Squarespace, or a Google Site), create a Google My Business profile, order business cards, and actively ask past clients for referrals and online reviews.
2. **Online Lead Platforms:** Sign up for contractor accounts on Angi, Thumbtack, or HomeAdvisor. Set your service area and job types. Understand their bidding process and lead fees before you start accepting jobs.
3. **Professional Business Support / Marketing:** Research local SEO agencies for contractors, or look for virtual assistants specializing in small business admin. Get quotes based on your specific needs (e.g., "manage my Google Ads for plumbing leads," "answer calls and schedule appointments 20 hours/week"). Compare their track record and references.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the minimum order volume to use a 3PL?
Most 3PLs require 100–500 orders per month as a minimum. Some newer providers like ShipBob have lower minimums. Below that threshold, self-fulfillment or Amazon FBA is typically more cost-effective.
Can I use Amazon FBA for orders from my own website?
Yes. Amazon's Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) lets you fulfill orders from your Shopify store or other channels using FBA inventory. MCF fees are higher than standard FBA fees, and boxes arrive with Amazon branding unless you pay for blank packaging.
What are the hidden costs of Amazon FBA?
Long-term storage fees (assessed monthly for inventory over 365 days), removal fees (to get your inventory back), labeling fees, prep fees if your products need special packaging, and the 15% referral fee on every sale. Run the FBA fee calculator before deciding.
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