Are cheap competitors actually your fault?
This is probably going to rub some people the wrong way, but I think it’s worth talking about. A lot of service business owners complain about cheap competitors. I get it. There is always someone willing to do the work for less. In my industry, I’ve seen people charge prices that make no sense once you factor in drive time, labor, supplies, fuel, insurance, taxes, and the actual time it takes to do the job right. But I also think we have to be honest as business owners. If the only thing a customer understands about your service is the task itself, they are going to compare you against the cheapest version of that task. For us, that would be: “They scoop dog poop.” So the customer starts comparing: price frequency who can come sooner who seems cheaper That’s a weak position to be in. The customer has no reason to value the difference because we haven’t explained the difference well enough. That’s where positioning matters. For us, we had to get much better at explaining what the customer is actually paying for: proactive communication reminders before service on-the-way messages gate photos after every visit waste hauled away thorough multi-pass yard checks professional invoicing and scheduling reliable weekly service trained and background checked technicians a company that shows up consistently Those things matter to our best customers. And when we looked through our reviews, customers were already telling us that. They were saying things like: “worth every penny” “like clockwork” “one less thing to worry about” “they text before they come” “they send a picture of the closed gate” “they take the waste with them” “our last company left the gate open” That changed how I thought about cheap competitors. Some customers will always choose the cheapest option. That’s fine. But if too many good-fit customers are comparing you only on price, your message may not be doing enough work. Your marketing should make it clear why your service costs what it costs before the customer ever asks. That means talking about: risk trust reliability communication safety convenience consistency the cost of hiring the wrong company The cheaper competitor may still win some customers. But I don’t want to lose the right customers because I failed to explain why we’re different. Are cheap competitors hurting your business, or is your positioning making it too easy for customers to compare you on price?
Angi
Hi there! I know some folks have seen me here, so I pose a question. Does anyone utilize Angi for leads? Is it worth it? Or is the percentage they ask for to much? I have heard a lot of good about the service, but also, I've heard a lot of bad as well. Truth be told, I cant help but turn it down because I want my clients to pay me. Not be looped in to a service that charges me, after charging the client to find my services. It makes no sense to me.. anyone else feel the same?How are you offsetting seasonal churn in your business?
We’re in the part of the year where churn can start creeping up. For us, summer can be weird. People travel more. Kids are home. Budgets get tighter. Some customers pause because they think they’ll “just handle it themselves for a while.” Then a few weeks later the yard gets away from them again. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to reduce that churn before it happens instead of only reacting after someone cancels. A few things we’re working on right now: bulk prepayment offers more customer engagement through our physical newsletter promoting add-on services reactivation campaigns for past clients downselling instead of immediately accepting cancellations The downselling piece has been important. If a customer reaches out to cancel because of finances, I don’t always want the only option to be “stay or leave.” Sometimes there’s a middle option. For example, moving them to a lower frequency for a season may keep the relationship alive and still keep their yard from getting completely out of control. That’s better than losing them entirely and having to reacquire them later. We’re also sending more prepayment offers because it helps with cash flow and gives customers a reason to commit ahead of time. The physical newsletter has helped too. It keeps the relationship warmer. Customers hear from us outside of invoices, appointment reminders, and service texts. That matters because recurring customers are easier to lose when the business only talks to them transactionally. I’m also paying more attention to which customers are most at risk of canceling: price-sensitive customers lower-frequency customers customers who pause seasonally people who have recently had schedule changes customers who haven’t used add-on services past clients who canceled but may still need help This is one of those areas where I think service businesses need more than just new leads. You need a retention plan. What are you doing to offset seasonal churn before customers cancel?
How to grow a business on the side until you can go full-time?
Hey everyone, Aaron here with Latiolais’ Lawn Co. out of Lafayette, Louisiana 👋 I started my lawn and property maintenance business while working a full-time job during the week, and have been growing it through hard work, referrals, and trying to provide dependable service every time. Jobber has honestly helped take my business to another level with estimates, invoicing, scheduling, and keeping customers updated professionally. It’s helped me run smoother operations and build stronger relationships with customers. Excited to keep learning from everyone in this community and continue growing the business 👍 For those that started owner-operated, what helped y’all the most when making the jump toward full-time?
How To Get Customers Without Relying on Thumbtack or Lead Generation Apps?
Hey yall. Im Simon 35 based in Brooklyn NYC and im a Mobile Welder. My jobs comes from Thumbtack however that platform along with others like it are beginning to get saturated with low ballers. Any advice you guys can offer for marketing and customer reach? Im open to all suggestions and guidance.Brand new junk removal biz grossed $9k from June 1 - June 22nd
I was learning how to market while trying to rent websites to businesses (set up a lead generating website and sell all the leads to an exclusive partner on a monthly flat rent) and realized I wanted my hands on that blue collar service. I always wanted to run a business that genuinely helps people and the community and found that junk removal could do just that. Making money of course is important. I want a good life just like everyone does. So here is what made our junk removal business start paying the bills in our first month of ditching W2. Verified Google Business Profile Clean website with SEO/Keywords Google search ads (pay per click) Google local service ads. Meta Ads Posting organically Begging on Facebook marketplace (actually got a good amount of jobs but is not super reliable or consistent. I know that customer acquisition is tough but so necessary for running a business so really focus on your online presence!Are clients buying the visible work, or the judgement behind it?
I am building a small dog training business, and one thing I keep coming back to is that clients often see only the visible part of the service. In my case, that might look like a walk, a training session, or some handling work outside. But the real value is not just the visible activity. It is the assessment, the judgement, the reading of the dog, the owner coaching, the risk control, and knowing when not to push further. I imagine this applies across a lot of home service businesses. A client may see the mowing, cleaning, repair, landscaping, or installation, but not always the planning, experience, insurance, equipment, decision-making, or risk carried by the business. That creates a marketing problem. If we only describe the visible task, clients compare us against the cheapest version of that task. If we explain the judgement behind the work, we have a better chance of being compared on value rather than price alone. For those further along, how have you explained the “invisible value” of your work without sounding defensive or overcomplicated?
What are some ways to remarket your business that are effective?
I am basically starting all over from scratch other than the five or so clients that I currently have. I've been a solo cleaner since 2022 and have been able to keep my business afloat without any debt and making sure everything is in order in my office. From 2023 to the end of 2024 I had a very successful cleaning business because of a apartment complex I was cleaning for on a regular basis, I no longer have that client or situation. I am coming to a portion of trying to get clients again and I'm not sure if I need to lower my rates at this point, but I don't know if my marketing game is on point right now. So my question is what are you doing to market your business to bring in more clientele? How are you advertising? Thank you! - Teig
