Why Is It So Hard to Get Your Business Verified on Google Business Profile?
So....I have been trying to get "validated" by Google for about 2.5 years now and I dont understand why I need to and why it isn't easier. I own a Junk Removal company and Google is sending me through the ringer! PLEASE TELL ME IM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS HAD TO DEAL WITH THIS? Does anyone have insight on what to do? Thanks in advance, Hannah, DriveBy Junk Removal, Ltd.Should small businesses stop answering every phone call immediately?
This one is tricky because speed-to-lead matters. If a new prospect calls and you don’t answer, there’s a good chance they call the next company. But answering every call the second it comes in can train customers to expect instant access to you forever. That gets hard once you’re in the field, managing employees, driving, handling payroll, doing estimates, or trying to focus on higher-level work. I’ve had to think about this a lot because missed calls can cost money, but constant interruptions also cost money. There’s a difference between being responsive and being constantly available. A business can still have a strong response system without the owner personally answering every call in real time. That might mean: a call answering service a trained admin or CSR voicemail with a fast callback window text-back automation online booking or quote forms clear office hours different rules for new leads vs current customers The goal is to protect lead response without letting the phone run the entire day. For us, I still care a lot about speed. But I also don’t want every phone call to interrupt routes, training, customer issues, or focused work that moves the business forward. Do you answer every call immediately, or have you built a system around when and how calls get handled?What marketing tool has given you the best return on investment?
Hi everyone! 👋 As a newer business owner, I'm trying to be intentional about where I invest my time and money. There are so many marketing tools available—from social media and Google Business Profile to vehicle wraps, yard signs, email marketing, referrals, and automation—that it can be hard to know what really works. If you could recommend just one marketing tool or strategy that has brought in the most customers for your business, what would it be and why? I'd love to hear what has worked for you and what you would recommend to someone just getting started. Thanks in advance for sharing your experience!When Should You Fire Your SEO Agency?
We all want our websites to rank better, and to show up on maps. Once you have the budget, it CAN be a good idea to get a marketing agency to handle SEO for you. I made this move 7 months ago and just fired mine and I'll tell you why. First and foremost, I don't claim to be an SEO wizard. The Jobber podcast has had some amazing episodes on this over the last year, people giving hints on how to improve your rankings etc. I followed all their advice and was experiencing a steady level of traffic but I was ready to super charge my efforts. I hired a company that had a great reputation in another coaching group, and they seemed pretty legit. The promise - $1500/ month for 3 service pages, 5 back links, and meetings every month to go over progress. I thought it'd especially be important because we had just rebranded and I wanted to make sure our traffic stayed up. This was the result: From what I can tell, you have to give companies as least a few months to do their magic. Also, google took away the Call button which attributed to less phone calls. But although it made me feel secure to have someone "handling" our SEO, the results spoke for themselves. Much less traffic. From what I can tell, our high review traffic was doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Claude would analyze their work and the impact of the back links didn't seem to be there and we can make our own service pages with actual pictures vs the stock ones they were using. So we made the decision to move on and do the work ourselves with Claude. What have your experiences been with SEO companies? Have you had success with any? What were they doing?“Our name is getting mentioned without us even having to show up.” 🤝
For kasyallen (Wheatley Creek Services), showing up at local events and giving back has helped turn neighbors into people who recommend her business. 👍 How do you get involved in your community? Vote below or share something you’ve tried in the comments! In this Masters of Home Service episode, Kasy shares how local connections bring in referrals, why memorable giveaways get people talking, and how to get involved without burning yourself out. 👉 Want to put their tips into action? Download our free community marketing playbook for this episode. Never miss an episode of Masters of Home Service. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.Financing Options for Service Industry?
Anyone out there offer financing options for their services. We are a house cleaning service and through our training center (we teach cleaning) we thought we would reach out to Affirm and sell our classes with financing option. When I spoke to Affirm they asked why not our cleaning services? Well, yes why not? Anyone has tried this? If you have what are some to dos and do nots have you learned?How do you create a brand that customers remember? ✨
There’s a ton of home service businesses competing for attention, and sometimes the smallest details are what make a company memorable. 💬 Comment below: What have you done to build a brand that customers remember? Is it your trucks, uniforms, customer service, name, or something else? In this Masters of Home Service episode, Brandon Downer (Pink’s Windows) shares how they built a recognizable franchise brand around more than just a logo—from their signature look to the way techs show up, communicate with customers, and deliver the service. Never miss an episode of Masters of Home Service. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Is your business showing up in AI search? 🔍✨
Have you ever asked AI something like “Who’s the best plumber in [your city]?” or “Find me a landscaper near me” just to see if your business pops up? If you appeared, what are you doing to make sure you maintain visibility? If not, PhilRisher has a few website tips that could help. 👇 In this Masters of Home Service episode, he covers website best practices that can help your business stay visible as search changes, from answering real customer questions to sharing pricing and local information and putting more work into your ‘knowledge base’. 👉 Want to put these tips into action? Download our free website optimization playbook for this episode. Never miss an episode of Masters of Home Service. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Any tips for making YouTube videos that actually bring in customers?
If you're creating videos for your business (or thinking about it), what's one thing you've learned that makes a difference? In this Masters of Home Service episode, Jacob Palmer (Palmer Electrical) talks about how simple YouTube videos became one of his biggest lead generators. He shares practical advice on filming real jobs, building trust before the first phone call, and using video content to win more local customers without relying on paid ads. Never miss an episode of Masters of Home Service. Subscribe on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
