I have spent more than 20 years in marketing. I’ve led teams, managed large media budgets, and launched products for companies in healthcare, education, and technology. In 2023, I started something very different: Eminence Services, a small property care business in the southwest Minneapolis suburbs.
I started it because I love the trades. I believe in skilled work, hard work, and the people who do it.
Running a trades business, even a small one, has taught me things I never learned in a corporate office. The work itself is usually not the hard part. The hard part is everything around it. Getting found. Answering calls quickly. Writing estimates after a long day. Sending invoices and following up on them. Finding reliable help without taking on costs you can’t carry through a slow season.
That is why I’m starting this series. I’m calling it Field Notes for Trades Owners.
I plan to cover two main topics. The first is marketing: how to get found, get the call, and win the job. That is where my experience is most useful. The second is running lean: what office work to hand off, how to find good help, and how to keep the business from depending on you for every small task.
Some of this comes from Built to Scale, a series of guides I wrote for home service owners. Some of it comes from my own business, where I’m working through many of the same questions.
I want to be clear about one thing. My business is small, and I run it alongside my marketing work. I’m not going to pretend I’ve built a large operation. I’m sharing what I know, what I’m doing, and what I’m still figuring out.
If you run a lawn care, cleaning, painting, HVAC, handyman, or other home service business, I hope this helps. If there is a topic you want me to cover, send me a message on LinkedIn.
Winter is a good time to start. For many trades, the phone is quieter and there is a little more room to think. Write down the one thing in your business that frustrates you every week. That is a good place to begin.
Let’s get to work.