What I'm building, and why
I'm helping local businesses stop losing customers when they can't get to the phone. I want you to understand the work, why it matters, and why even a few clients could make a real difference.
Missed calls, in plain English
Think about the last time you called a local business and nobody picked up. Did you leave a voicemail — or did you just call the next one?
Almost half the calls to home-service businesses — roofers, plumbers, HVAC, electricians — never get answered. They're small crews doing physical work, not office staff sitting by a phone. And when a call goes unanswered, most callers don't wait around. They call a competitor.
That's the problem I fix. I set up a simple system for the business: the moment a call is missed, the caller automatically gets a friendly text — “Sorry we missed your call! How can we help you?” — and the conversation continues right there by text. The owner sees every one of those rescued conversations in a simple log, so they can see exactly what the system caught for them.
No apps for the customer to download. No robot phone trees. Just a text, like a person would send — sent in the seconds when it still matters.
How the business works
The last version of this business depended on an outside company doing the technical work. This one doesn't. I set up each client's system myself, I keep it running, and I'm the person they call. Simpler — and I can stand behind it.
Each client pays $500 to set it up, then $150 a month. No big contracts, no tech crew to hire — just a system that catches the customers they were already earning but losing.
How I find clients
I don't guess which businesses have this problem — I check. I call them after hours, the way a real customer with a leak or a torn-up roof would. If the phone rings out and nothing happens — no answer, no text back — that's a business losing customers every week, and I can show the owner exactly what I found.
I find strong local roofers and home-service businesses in the area.
I call after hours and see what a real customer experiences.
I call and walk them through what I found — plainly, no pressure.
They try the system free for a month and watch it rescue real calls.
The part that's hard for me
Cold calling means putting myself out there with someone who may not want to talk. The fear of being rejected makes that first call — and the next one — hard for me. That part hasn't changed, and I'd rather be honest about it than pretend otherwise.
I'm working on making the calls and following up even when I feel nervous. Researching and preparing matter, but getting my first clients also means having conversations whose outcome I can't control.
When you ask how it's going, this is what I'm working through. Making a call is a step forward, even before it becomes a client — and your encouragement helps me keep taking those steps.
The economics
The math is simple this time. There's no partner taking a cut — what a client pays is what the business earns, minus the cost of the phone and texting services underneath it.
Simple illustrations, not guarantees. Even the first row of that table means more breathing room and more options.
How you can help
Ask about a conversation I started or a call I made, as well as whether I've signed a client. Help me recognize progress while I work toward those first yeses.
Offer to listen while I practice my introduction, or let me talk through a difficult call. A little patience and encouragement can make the next call feel more manageable.
If you know a roofer, plumber, HVAC owner, electrician, or another local business owner whose crew is out working while the phone rings, connecting us can start a conversation.
You don't need to sell anything. A simple “You should talk to Brian — he helps local businesses catch the customers they lose when they can't answer the phone” is more than enough.