Most new contractors spend zero time on their online presence until they're desperate for work. Then they scramble to set up profiles, pay for lead platforms, and try to build a portfolio from scratch while the phone stays quiet.
The right sequence is to build your online presence before you need it — so it's working from your very first job.
Here are the 7 things to set up before you take your first job. Total time: under two hours.
1. Create Your Free Local Business Listing
TimeFotos has a free city business directory at /l/[yourcity]/businesses. Your listing is indexed by search engines and visible to homeowners who are specifically browsing for local contractors.
Setting it up takes five minutes:
- Business name and trade
- Service area (city and zip codes)
- Contact info
- A brief description of your services
You'll add photos after your first few jobs, but getting listed is the first step.
2. Post Your First Service Listing on the Local Marketplace
The TimeFotos local marketplace at /l/[yourcity]/marketplace lets you post a service listing in front of homeowners who are actively browsing local services.
Write a clear post: what you do, where you do it, and how to reach you. You can update it with photos after your first job.
3. Claim Your Google Business Profile
Go to business.google.com and claim or create your listing. Verify it (usually via postcard or phone call, which takes 2–5 business days).
Fill in:
- Business name (exact legal name or DBA)
- Address or service area
- Phone number
- Services (be specific by trade)
- Service area cities
You'll add photos and get reviews as you complete jobs, but claiming and verifying the profile now means it exists when homeowners search for you.
4. Create a Facebook Business Page
Takes 20 minutes. Even if you never actively post on Facebook, having a Business Page means:
- You appear when someone searches for your business name on Facebook
- Local neighborhood groups can tag you when recommending you
- You have a professional page to point people to
5. Set Up a Nextdoor Business Page
Nextdoor is the neighborhood social network where homeowners discuss local recommendations. A free Business Page means you're findable when someone asks "does anyone know a good plumber in [neighborhood]?"
6. Get a Professional Invoice Template
You need to be able to send a professional invoice before you leave your first job. Options:
- TimeFotos — invoicing is included in Field Pro (start with the free trial)
- Wave — free standalone invoicing
- PayPal — free invoice creation
Pick one and have it set up before job 1. Sending a professional invoice immediately after the job is a huge trust signal for new contractors.
7. Set Up a Simple Photo Workflow for Every Job
Before your first job, decide how you'll document it. The minimum:
- One photo of the area/issue before you start
- One photo of the completed work after you finish
- Both photos timestamped and saved with the property address
TimeFotos automates this: create a job by address, take photos, and they're automatically timestamped, GPS-tagged, and organized by address.
This workflow, applied consistently from job 1, builds a portfolio that will generate its own leads by job 50.
After Your First Job: The Three Follow-Ups
Once you've completed your first job with this setup, do these three things:
- Send the client a professional job summary link — one click in TimeFotos
- Ask for a Google review — "Would you mind leaving a quick review? Here's the link: [link]"
- Update your marketplace post with a real before-and-after photo from the job
The Compound Effect Starts on Day 1
The contractors who are busy three years from now are the ones who started building their online presence on day 1. Every job documented, every review requested, every photo added to a portfolio compounds into visibility that generates calls without any ongoing marketing effort.
The contractors who wait until they're desperate start from zero every time the referral network gets quiet.