How to Start Marketing a Brand-New Contracting Business

To market a new contracting business, set up the basics in this order: one business name and phone number, a Google Business Profile, real photos of your work, a way to collect reviews, and a list of people to ask for referrals. Skip paid ads and lead sites until the basics work.

A new business has a small advantage that older ones lose: you can build it in the right order from day one. There is no old website to untangle, no messy phone setup to undo. You do not need much money. You need a clear sequence and some patience.

This is the sequence to follow before you spend a dollar on ads.

What should you set up first?

Do these in order. Each one takes an hour or two, and the order matters because later steps depend on earlier ones.

1. One business name. Pick it, and use it everywhere: truck, invoices, estimates, website, Google profile. Consistency is what lets customers and Google connect the dots.
2. A business phone number. Keep it separate from your personal number, so you can set a voicemail and a text reply, and so you can hand the business to someone else later. See whether you need a separate business phone number.
3. Licensing and insurance. Requirements vary by trade, state and locality. Confirm what applies to you and what you must display. Customers often ask about both.
4. A Google Business Profile. This is the first place local customers will see you.
5. Photos and a review routine. Both start with your first job.
6. A simple website. Not first, but soon.

How do you set up your Google Business Profile?

If you work at customers’ homes, set it up as a service-area business in the profile’s address settings, and define the area you truly serve. Then:

• Use your real business name exactly as it appears on your truck, website and invoices. Google does not allow keywords or extra info in the name, and it can suspend profiles for it.
• Choose the fewest categories you need, specific and representative of your main work. Do not treat categories as keywords.
• Expect a verification step. Depending on the profile, this may be by phone or text, email, a live video call, or a postcard.
• Add real photos from your work.

Our guide to Google Business Profile for contractors covers this in detail, including how to pick categories.

What if you have no work to show yet?

Every new contractor faces this. You have a truck and a trade, but a thin portfolio.

• Photograph every job from the first day. Before, during and after, from the same angles.
• Do your first few jobs well and document them. Early customers are the beginning of your portfolio.
• Use honest labels. If a photo shows earlier work you did for a previous employer, do not present it as a job for your new company unless you have clearance to show it and describe it accurately.
• Do not fake anything. No stock photos passed off as your work, no invented customer quotes, no reviews from people who never hired you. Google removes fake engagement, and it costs you trust with real customers.

Where do your first jobs come from?

Not from ads. Almost always from people who already know you.

Source	What to do
Friends and family	Tell them plainly what you do and what kind of work you want. Ask them to pass it along to anyone who needs it.
Former coworkers and employers	Let them know you are on your own, and what you can take on. Be careful about any agreements you have.
Suppliers	Tell your supply house counter staff what you do. They hear who needs help.
Neighbors	A short, friendly note or a yard sign at a job, with permission.
Other trades	Introduce yourself to those who might refer work to you.

A note you can text to people you know:

“ Hi [Name], it's [Your Name]. I just started my own [trade] business, [Business Name], in [area]. If you or anyone you know needs [type of work], I would appreciate the chance to help. My number is [number]. Thanks for passing it along. “

How do you get your first reviews?

Ask every customer, the same way, right after a job goes well. Include a direct link so it takes seconds.

“ Thanks for choosing [Business], [Name]. We are new, and a Google review helps a small business a lot. If you were happy with the work, here is the link: [link]. Thank you. “

Do not pay for reviews or offer a reward. Do not ask only your happiest customers. Google prohibits both. Do not ask friends or family to review a job you did not do for them, since reviews must reflect a genuine experience. Our post on asking for Google reviews has more on timing.

When do you build a website?

Once the phone, profile and photos are working. A simple site with your services, service area, photos, license information if applicable, and a tap-to-call button is enough to start. Add pages as your work grows. The contractor website guide covers what it needs.

When should you consider ads?

After you can answer calls, track them, and follow up on quotes. Otherwise you pay to send people to a setup that cannot catch them. When you do test, set a small cap, run it for a fixed period, and judge it by cost per booked job.

What is a realistic first month?

• Week 1: name, phone, voicemail, licensing check.
• Week 2: Google Business Profile submitted and photos ready.
• Week 3: tell your network, and start the review routine on your first jobs.
• Week 4: begin a simple website, and log calls and jobs in one place.

A plan for the next stage is in our contractor marketing plan guide.

What if you would rather not run this by hand?

All of this can be done by hand. If you would rather not, a website, missed-call text back, automatic review requests and a local business phone line that rings your cell are part of the Builders Presence plan, month to month with no contract. See what is included.

Common questions

How much money do I need to market a new contracting business?

Less than you might think, because the first steps cost mostly time. A phone number, a Google profile, photos and a review routine can be set up with little spend. A simple website is the next step. Paid ads can wait until the basics are running and you can track results.

Do I need a website right away?

Not on day one, but soon. Start with your Google Business Profile, since it can put you in local searches quickly. Then build a simple site that shows your work, services, area and phone number. Do not wait for a perfect site before you start asking for jobs.

How do I get my first reviews?

Do good work, then ask every customer the same way, and make it easy with a direct link. Do not pay for reviews or ask only your happiest customers, since Google prohibits both. Reviews from friends and family who never hired you do not reflect a genuine experience and should not be posted.

What if I have no photos of my own work yet?

Start taking them now, on every job, from the first day. Before, during and after. Do not use photos from other companies or stock images as if they were your work. If you are new, photos from earlier jobs you personally did, with permission where needed, are fine if you label them honestly.