The Launch & Found blog

Growth notes for people who run the business.

Straight advice on web design and paid ads, from operators who spent their own money before they ever charged for it. No jargon, no fluff.

Strategy

Why You're Not Getting Leads as a Contractor (7 Reasons)

If the phone has gone quiet, it is usually one of seven fixable things. Here is each reason contractors stop getting leads, and the exact fix.

Read it

Found System

What a $500/month marketing system actually includes

Every piece of our done-for-you system for contractors: website, missed-call text-back, automated follow-up, reviews, local SEO, and what the same stack costs if you buy it part by part.

Read it

Pricing

How much does a marketing agency cost in Ontario?

Real 2026 ranges for Ontario agencies, the three pricing models and where each one burns you, and five questions that expose a bad quote before you sign.

Read it

Strategy

How to get Google reviews as a contractor (without begging)

We went from zero reviews to 500+ at 4.9 stars. Here's the exact system that worked — and why asking in person is the worst way to do it.

Read it

Strategy

HomeStars alternative: why smart contractors build their own lead channel

HomeStars charges $150+ per shared lead. Here's why the smartest contractors stopped paying and built their own lead machine instead.

Read it

Strategy

How much does contractor marketing cost in Canada? (2026 breakdown)

Real 2026 numbers for contractor marketing: websites, ads, SEO, and lead gen. Plus the hidden cost most quotes never mention.

Read it

Web design

5 signs your contractor website is losing you jobs

The 5 fatal flaws that kill contractor websites. If your site has even one of these, you are losing jobs you never knew about.

Read it

SEO

The contractor's guide to local SEO (without hiring an agency)

The 80/20 of local SEO for contractors. Three things that matter, three that don't, and how to do it yourself.

Read it

Sales

How to follow up with leads in under 5 minutes (and why it matters)

The contractor who responds first wins the job 78% of the time. Here's how to be that contractor without staying glued to your phone.

Read it

Tools

Why most contractor CRMs fail (and what to use instead)

Contractor CRMs are built by software companies, not contractors. Here's what they get wrong and what actually works.

Read it

HVAC

Seasonal marketing calendar for HVAC contractors (2026)

The exact seasonal marketing calendar for HVAC contractors. What to promote each month and how to survive the slow season.

Read it

Operations

How to answer calls when you are on a job (without losing leads)

The phone rings while you are on a job. You miss it. They hire someone else. Here is how to fix that forever.

Read it

Web design

What should a contractor website include? (the checklist)

The exact checklist for contractor websites. What to include, what to skip, and what actually makes the phone ring.

Read it

Founder story

From $14K to $1M: What scaling a DTC brand taught me about marketing

I built a candle brand from $14K to $1M+ in two years. Here is what actually worked, what did not, and why most contractors are making the same mistakes we did.

Read it

Strategy

Why most marketing agencies fail before the first ad runs

73% of agencies churn in 90 days. Not because they run bad ads — because they never fix the business first. Here is what actually happens.

Read it

Web design

How to choose a web designer

We rebuild websites that never rang the phone. Here is what is always wrong with them, and the 7 questions that expose a weak web designer before you pay one.

Read it

Paid ads

Google Ads vs Facebook Ads: which should you run?

A 10-second decision rule, what each really costs, and the budget mistake that quietly kills small campaigns.

Read it

Paid ads

What does a Google Ads agency cost?

The three pricing models, and the honest part most agencies skip: the spend level below which hiring one loses you money.

Read it

Web design

How much does a website cost in Canada?

Real 2026 ranges by tier, the one question that exposes a bad cheap quote, and the cost that never shows up on the invoice.

Read it

Paid ads

How much does Google Ads cost in Canada?

Typical cost per click by industry, a sane starting budget, and the simple math that tells you whether Google Ads pays.

Read it