Here's how to get more bang for your buck without losing the plot.
1. Put your eggs in the right basket
Look, we've all been there – throwing money at Facebook ads one day, letterbox drops the next, then wondering why your phone isn't ringing off the hook. Instead of chucking cash at every shiny marketing idea that pops up, figure out where your dream customers actually hang out.
Are they scrolling Instagram while on the loo? Reading the local paper with their morning cuppa? Or just asking their neighbour who fixed their leaky roof? Once you know where they are, that's where you need to be. If Kevin from down the road gets all his business from the community Facebook group, maybe you should be there too instead of wasting time making TikToks that nobody watches.
2. Be the tradie they remember (for good reasons)
In the trade game, being forgettable is a death sentence. Sure, you can fix a 'insert customer's problem' like nobody's business, but so can the other 20 'insert trade noun' in your postcode. What makes people remember you isn't just doing the job—it's the whole package.
Did you actually show up when you said you would? (Revolutionary, I know!) Did you clean up after yourself instead of leaving a crime scene behind? Did you take time to explain things without making your customer feel like a complete drongo for not knowing what a P-trap is?
These little things create customers who don't just call you once but become your walking, talking billboards. They'll be at the barbie telling their mate, "Nah, don't use that other mob. Call my guy—he's ace!"
3. Embrace technology and let it do the boring bits
Let's be honest—after a long day of actual work, the last thing you want to do is sit down and send follow-up emails or update your social media. Good news: it's 2025 and computers can do loads of this stuff while you're having a well-deserved coldie.
Set up systems that automatically send thank-you messages, ask for reviews, or remind past customers you exist. Your competition is still doing this manually (if at all), so having these things ticking along in the background puts you streets ahead without adding more to your plate.
