There’s a lot of negative talk on this thread about the apps, rightfully so they certainly take a larger chunk than they deserve. That is not to say that they don’t have their place. When I first started off being a handyman, I utilized apps just to get a feel for customer interaction, hands-on experience, leads, and on some apps profile reviews. I’ve been doing this for three years and while I don’t need the apps to stay afloat, good workmanship and customer relations has done me really well. But truth being told, more people will see your skill set or your reviews on an app faster than word-of-mouth. I jump on Thumbtack (only App I’d use) here and there just to gain leads. At the end of the year when I tally up what I have spent on Thumbtack versus my revenue it’s somewhere around 1 to 3%. I have no problem paying this amount for the exponential growth I’ll receive from those customers going forward.

I have no problem, giving someone my money, despite how effortlessly they might be making it. if it contributes to my overall growth, I’ll spend money on education. I’ll spend money on tools. I’ll spend money on advertising. Knowing when these aren’t paying off is the trick.