What building for tradespeople has taught us: seven lessons from the build
Looking back from the start of 2024 to now, seven ideas kept proving themselves. They apply to running a trade business as much as to building software.
Part 36 of 39 of Building TradeYoke, the story of how the platform was built, from January 2024 to today. Previous: How we thought about pricing TradeYoke: four plans, one price per business. Next: From a 2019 idea to today: the whole TradeYoke journey. See every part on the build timeline.
Quick answer
Quick answer: Seven lessons from building TradeYoke: start with the thing that repeats, let money follow the visit, make the phone the main tool, write things down where you will look, be open about what you track, say only what is true, and build in the order people need things. They are useful whether or not you use software.
Key takeaways
- Start with the thing that repeats, such as the round.
- Money follows the visit; bill from the job.
- Write things down where you will look for them.
- Be open with your team and your customers about what you do.
Looking back
We began building in January 2024. Along the way some ideas turned up in every part of the build. Here are seven, in the order they would help you.
1. Start with the thing that repeats
In a window cleaning business it is the round. In a gardening business it is the seasonal visit. If you get the repeating thing right, a lot else follows. See what is a round.
2. Money follows the visit
A job done but not billed is money not collected. Bill from the job, with nothing retyped. See why invoicing came next.
3. The phone is the main tool
You are at a doorstep, not a desk. If it does not work standing up with wet hands, it will not be used. See the early engineering decisions.
4. Write it down where you will look
Notes, certificates and photos are only useful if you can find them again. File them against the job and the customer. See one signature pad and a library for the paperwork.
5. Look before you price
Some jobs cannot be priced from the doorstep. A visit before the quote costs a little time and saves a lot of argument. See site surveys.
6. Be open about what you track
If you use any kind of tracking, tell your team what and why. See consent first.
7. Say only what is true
It is the rule we set on day one. It is why we say "pilot" and why we tell you what is not finished. See why we started building.
Using these without software
None of this needs TradeYoke. A notebook with a next-due date next to every customer already beats most rounds. If you would like the software to do the typing, the free trial is 30 days of Essentials with no card needed.
Questions people ask
What did you learn from building TradeYoke?
Seven things: start with what repeats, let money follow the visit, make the phone the main tool, file things where you will look, look before you price, be open about tracking, and say only what is true.
Do these lessons need software?
No. A next-due date next to every customer, a bill raised from the job and notes filed against the customer all help in a notebook.
Related: Where TradeYoke began · Running the round · Getting paid · Pricing · The build timeline
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