The Business Maximizer Checklist: Where Your Contractor Business Is Leaking Money
A scorecard-style checklist for trade business owners covering the three pillars that drive growth — branding, marketing, and sales. Rate yourself and get a clear picture of exactly what to fix first.
Pillar 1: Branding — are you memorable?
Check each item. One point per "yes."
• Name, address, and phone match exactly across Google, Yelp, Facebook, BBB, and your website • You have at least one professional photo of your crew or truck • Your website loads in under 2 seconds on mobile • You own your domain (not your nephew, not a dead agency) • You have a 1-sentence value proposition you can recite in under 5 seconds
Score 0–2: You are invisible. Fix branding first — paid ads will not save you. Score 3–4: Serviceable. Move to Pillar 2. Score 5: Solid. Most small contractors never reach this.
Pillar 2: Marketing — are you findable?
• Your Google Business Profile is claimed, categorized correctly, and has 25+ reviews • Your site ranks on page 1 for at least one "[trade] + [city]" query • You are running at least ONE active paid channel (LSAs, Search, or Meta) • You have a weekly "5-minute" cadence — post, review request, or email — you actually execute • You know your cost per booked job to the nearest $50
Score 0–2: You are losing jobs to competitors who show up first. The other guys aren't better — they're just more visible. Score 3–4: On the right track. The next $500/mo matters. Score 5: You are among the top 10% of local trade businesses.
Pillar 3: Sales — are you closing?
• Inbound calls are answered within 3 rings during business hours • After-hours calls are captured by voicemail-to-text or an answering service • Quotes are sent the same day the estimate is performed • You follow up on unsigned quotes at 3 days, 7 days, and 14 days • You ask for a review the moment a job is marked complete
Score 0–2: You are leaving 30–60% of your potential revenue on the table from existing leads. Score 3–4: Good bones. Tighten the follow-up cadence. Score 5: Keep doing exactly what you're doing.
What to do with your total score
Total score 0–7: You don't have a marketing problem, you have a foundation problem. Start with Pillar 1.
Total score 8–12: You're running a real business — the gap to the next level is usually consistency, not strategy.
Total score 13–15: You are a legitimate top-tier operator in your market. The Rekenrek System can amplify you another 2–3x with the right tooling.
The short version
- Growth comes from fixing three pillars in order: branding → marketing → sales.
- You cannot out-spend a broken foundation.
- Most contractors score 5–9 out of 15 — the ceiling is visible, not invisible.
- The fastest improvement is almost always in sales follow-up, not ad spend.