// GUIDES
Straight answers on getting found and booked
Plain-English guides on websites, video and Google Ads for trades and local service businesses. What works, what it costs, and how to turn clicks into booked jobs. No jargon.
// LATEST
Guides and how-tos
How to Automate ServiceM8 With n8n
ServiceM8 has its own n8n node. What you need, how to connect with an API key, the 25 triggers and 14 actions, and three workflow ideas.
How to Add Camera Roll Photos to a ServiceM8 Job
Open the Job card, tap More on the Job Actions bar, then Import Photo/Video. Pick up to 10 items and tap Add. Max file size is 50MB.
Does ServiceM8 Work on Android in 2026?
Yes. ServiceM8 for Android runs on Android 8.0 or higher and does most of what the iPhone app does. Here is what is still iPhone and iPad only.
Which ServiceM8 Plan Do You Need for Branded SMS?
ServiceM8 Branded SMS is not available in the USA on any plan. Here is what US contractors get instead, and which plan AU and UK accounts need.
How to Build Bundles in ServiceM8 for Faster Quotes
A ServiceM8 Bundle saves several materials and labor items as one line on the quote. Here is how to build one, use one, and what ServiceM8 15 added.
Why ServiceM8 Call Recordings Attach to the Wrong Job
ServiceM8 Phone attaches a call to the most recently edited open job with that phone number. Here is how to move the call and delete the recording.
How to Clean Up a Messy ServiceM8 Job Diary
The ServiceM8 Job Diary has no tabs, but it has a filter. Filter by record type, thread your notes and delete the junk online.
How to Keep Completed Jobs in a ServiceM8 Queue
ServiceM8 removes a job from a Queue the moment it is marked Completed. Here are the documented ways to track certificates and unpaid invoices instead.
How Much Does ServiceM8 Cost for a 5-Person Crew?
ServiceM8 charges by jobs per month, not per user. A 5-person crew pays US$29 to US$349 a month before add-ons. See the math by job volume.
Why Do Jobs Keep Leaving My ServiceM8 Queue?
ServiceM8 pulls a job out of a Queue when the job is scheduled, Completed or Unsuccessful. Here is what triggers it and how to keep track anyway.
How to Put Multiple ServiceM8 Jobs on One Invoice
ServiceM8 can't combine jobs on one invoice. Use Live Statements and Client Sites to bill a repeat client once a month.
Does ServiceM8 Work Offline With No Cell Signal?
Yes, partly. Synced jobs open offline and notes and photos save, then sync later. PDF quotes, invoices, Forms, email and texts need a connection.
How to Schedule Staff Tasks in ServiceM8 Without a Job
ServiceM8 removed non-job tasks in September 2024. Here is what replaced them and how to schedule a supply run or key drop today.
ServiceM8 vs Simpro: Which One Fits a Small Crew?
ServiceM8 publishes prices by jobs per month. Simpro quotes on request. Compare quoting, inventory, projects, apps and setup for a crew of 2 to 10.
How to Connect ServiceM8 to ChatGPT or Claude
ServiceM8 connects to ChatGPT with a plugin and to Claude with a custom connector. Setup steps, what the AI can read and change, and fixes when it fails.
How to Raise All Your ServiceM8 Prices at Once
ServiceM8 15 has a Bulk Price Increase wizard. Type one percentage, check the preview, click Finish. There is no undo, so read this before you run it.
What Can ServiceM8 Office Agent Actually Do?
Office Agent is the AI assistant in ServiceM8 15. It drafts quotes, texts and bookings, then waits for your OK. What it does, what it costs, how to start.
Why QuickBooks Payments Still Show Unpaid in ServiceM8
Paid in QuickBooks Online but still outstanding in ServiceM8? Here are the six usual causes and the fix for each, without creating a double payment.
How to Fix the Xero 'Invoice Must Be Unique' Error in ServiceM8
The 'invoice must be unique' error means Xero already holds that invoice number. Find the clashing invoice in Xero, then fix it based on its status.
How to Turn On ServiceM8 15 Features You Can't See Yet
ServiceM8 15 does not switch on by itself. Click Activate in Settings, update the app, then check permissions. Steps and fixes inside.
GoDaddy Website Builder Discontinued (2026): What It Means for Your Site
GoDaddy discontinued its AI Website Builder on July 31, 2026 and moved customers to Websites + Marketing or Airo. What changes, what to check, and your options.
Facebook Ads Stopped Working? The 2026 Meta Targeting Changes Explained
Ad sets using deprecated interests stopped delivering on January 15, 2026. How to spot a dead ad set, what Meta changed, and how to rebuild your targeting.
Website Held Hostage? The Reddit Question, Answered (2026)
Website held hostage? Reddit is where this gets asked. The order to reclaim your domain, auth code, hosting, CMS admin and DNS, and when rebuilding beats fighting.
Is SEO Worth It for Small Business? Local Yes, Retainers No (2026)
The straight answer, backed by what Reddit actually says: local SEO pays for itself, open-ended monthly retainers usually do not. Here is where the line sits.
Google Business Profile Not Showing Up? 6 Reasons
Your Google Business Profile exists but nobody finds it. Here are the six most common reasons a listing goes quiet, and how to check which one is yours.
SEO vs Google Ads for Contractors: Which One Should You Do First?
SEO builds slowly and comes from a properly built site. Google Ads costs per click but starts booking jobs this week. How to think about the order.
Why Are My Google Ads Leads Going to Competitors?
Your Google Ads account is spending money and the jobs are still going to the next contractor. The real reasons, from bidding to tracking, and how to fix them.
Why Is My Website Not Getting Leads?
Your website not getting leads is actually two different problems: nobody is finding it, or people find it and leave. Here is how to tell which one you have.
Missed Call Text Back: Most Callers Call the Next Contractor (2026)
Missed call text back, judged on what contractors report on Reddit: the setups that save jobs, the wording that reads as spam, and what it costs to run.
What Reddit Really Says About Contractor Marketing (2026)
An honest summary of what contractors actually say about marketing on Reddit and in trade Facebook groups: lead platforms, agencies, reviews and what works.
Buying Leads vs Generating Your Own: What Works Better for Contractors?
Buying shared leads is fast but you compete on price and rent the channel. Generating your own is slower to set up, but the leads are yours to keep.
What Is a Good Cost Per Lead for a Plumber or Electrician?
There is no universal good cost per lead. How to work out the right number for your plumbing or electrical business from your job value and close rate.
Google Ads vs Meta Ads for Contractors: Which One Gets You Jobs?
Google Ads catches people searching for your trade right now. Meta ads interrupt scrollers instead. Which one to run first, and when to use both.
How Many Google Reviews Do You Need to Win Jobs?
How many Google reviews a trade business needs is not a magic number. What wins jobs is enough recent, genuine reviews to look the safe choice.
How Much Does Lead Generation Cost for Contractors?
What lead generation really costs a trade business: the ad budget, the management fee, and what makes the price go up or down for your trade and area.
How to Ask Customers for Reviews Without Being Awkward
How to ask happy customers for a Google review in a way that feels natural, not pushy, with simple templates you can copy and use today.
Lead Gen Agency vs Doing Your Own Marketing: Which Is Right for Your Trade?
Running your own marketing or hiring a lead gen team? The honest comparison on time, skill, consistency and the real cost of doing it yourself.
Responding to a Bad Review: Scripts That Save the Job
A bad Google review does not have to cost you work. How to reply without making it worse, with copy-paste scripts for the four situations contractors face.
Why Contractors Lose Jobs to Missed Calls (and What It Costs)
Missed calls quietly cost trade businesses booked jobs. Here is why it happens, what it really costs you, and the simple fix that stops leads walking.
WordPress vs Custom for Contractors: A Side-by-Side Comparison
WordPress against a hand-coded build, compared line by line on speed, five-year cost, SEO, upkeep and who owns what. Which one suits which kind of trade business.
How Much Does a Contractor Website Cost?
What a contractor website really costs, from cheap templates to custom builds, what drives the price, and how to avoid paying for a site nobody finds.
How Much Do Google Ads Cost for Contractors?
What Google Ads really cost a trade business: the ad budget, the management fee, and why cost per lead matters far more than your daily spend.
Do Contractors Actually Need a Website in 2026?
With Google Business Profile and word of mouth, do contractors still need a website? Yes, the one place online you fully own that keeps winning jobs.
Can You Film a Good Business Video on Your Phone?
Yes, a modern phone shoots video good enough for ads and your website. What actually matters: light, sound, framing and a script, and what to leave to us.
// READY WHEN YOU ARE
Want this done for you?
Tell us about your trade and the jobs you want more of. We will come back with a plan and a price, no pressure, no jargon.
Get a quote