For Trades Starting Out
Online Setup for Trades Starting Out
You have the skills and the tools. Now people need to find you, check you are real and get in touch. Most new trades win work by word of mouth, and then the customer looks you up on their phone before they ring, so the basics need to be right from your first week.
What You Need Online on Day One
- A Google Business ProfileOften the first thing people see when they search for a trade nearby: your name, the area you cover, your number and your reviews. As a trade that travels to customers, you can hide your home address.
- A business email on your own domainAn address such as jobs@yourname.co.uk looks established on quotes and invoices, and it stays yours whichever email company you use.
- One or two social pages with real photosPhotos of your own jobs, even taken on a phone, show what you can do. One page you post on now and then does more than five you never touch.
- The same name everywhereThe same business name, phone number and area on Google, on social media and on the van, so customers (and Google) can tell it is all one business.
- Proof people can checkIf you belong to a scheme or register, such as Gas Safe for gas work, show your number so customers can check it on the scheme's own website.
- A logo that reads from a distanceSomething clear enough to work on a van door, a hi-vis vest, a quote and a small profile picture.
What to Set Up First
- Pick your business name, and check the same @name is free on the platforms you want before you print anything.
- Buy your domain in your own name, then set up your business email on it, so every account is made with your business address.
- Make your Google Business Profile with the area you cover, and do Google's check when it asks (often a short video).
- Set up Facebook and Instagram with the same name, logo, area and phone number.
- Ask your first happy customers to leave a review on Google. Never write or buy reviews: fake reviews are against Google's rules.
Which Platforms Make Sense
Start with two or three you can keep up with. A page you look after does more for you than several that go quiet.
- FacebookMany local recommendations happen in community groups, and customers often look for a Facebook page to check a trade is real.
- InstagramGood for before and after photos and short clips of finished jobs.
- LinkedInWorth having if you want commercial work from builders, letting agents or facilities managers. Less useful for jobs in people's homes.
- Later, if you enjoy itTikTok and YouTube can suit trades who like filming their work, but they take time. Add them once the basics are running.
More help: Which Social Media Accounts Does a New Business Need?
Will You Get a Google Business Profile?
Our honest answerUsually yes, as a service-area business
Google's rules say a business needs a place customers can visit, or must travel to its customers. Most trades travel to their customers, so they usually qualify as a service-area business: you set the towns or area you cover, and your home address stays hidden. Google decides, and it usually checks the business first, often with a short video you record showing things like your van, your tools and something that shows you run the business. If you haven't started yet, you can add an opening date up to 12 months ahead.
Google's own rules: Guidelines for representing your business on Google. More help: How to Get a Google Business Profile in the UK.
The Package That Usually Fits
Brand and Accounts Setup£595
Everything in Accounts Setup, plus a logo designed for you and a one-page brand sheet. Ready in 1 to 2 weeks, plus Google's own checking time.
Most trades starting out need a logo as well as the accounts, because it goes on the van, the quotes and every profile picture. If you already have a logo you're happy with, Accounts Setup covers everything else.
No VAT to add. Your domain, hosting and email are paid by you to the companies that provide them, in your own name. You make each account on your own phone, so it is yours from the start, and we never ask for a password.
Common Questions
Can I hide my home address on Google?
Yes. If you travel to your customers and they don't come to you, Google asks you to hide your address and show the area you cover instead. We set this up with you on the call.
I haven't started trading yet. Is it too early?
No. Your domain, email and social accounts can be ready before your first job, and Google lets you add an opening date up to 12 months ahead. Google says a verified profile with an opening date can show on Google from 90 days before that date.
Do I need a website straight away?
Not always. Many trades start with a Google profile and one or two social pages, and add a website once they have photos of finished jobs. Full Business Setup includes a Starter Website if you want one from day one.
Will my personal Facebook be on show?
No. Facebook makes every business page from someone's personal account, but customers only see the business page, not your personal profile.
How much does it cost?
Our Brand and Accounts Setup is £595, fixed in writing before we start, with no VAT to add. You also pay IONOS for your domain and hosting, in your own name: £14.40 for the first year, then £10.80 a month and £12 a year for the domain, including VAT. A Google Business Profile is free.
Do you need my passwords?
No. You make each account on your own phone, in your own name, then add us as a manager or partner. We never ask for a password, and we remove our access when we finish.
Can you promise more customers or a top spot on Google?
No, and nobody can honestly promise that. Google decides who gets a profile and where it appears, and each platform runs its own accounts. We make sure everything is set up properly, complete and matching.
More answers on our Questions page.
Talk to Us
A first chat is free and there's no obligation. We'll get back to you within one working day.
Also see: Online Setup for Mobile and Home Services · Online Setup for Cafés and Food Businesses · Online Setup for Beauty and Wellbeing