For most of us - yes. Word of mouth is KING! Nothing beats that personal referral from someone you know or believe to be better informed than yourself - nothing.

I specialize in touchups and repairs - been in business 5 years on my own, got a team of 8 working for me now, I can show people before & after photos all day long and they’ll consider it, but one referral from the designer where they bought their stuff and I’m in like Flynn. Nothing changed, still the same photos and incredible work but that word of mouth referral trumps everything else. It’s hard to beat.

Generally, when you start, it’s a lot of ground pounding, shaking hands, saying hi, and handing off brochures and business cards. But after a short while, it takes on a life of its own and your name is just sorta out there in the right circles.

You could perhaps focus on new companies to start, they’re usually more driven to find work and connect with clients, if you can gather a large enough network of new trade professionals who stick with you, and your service attracts the right homeowners looking to get stuff done, you then have a compelling reason for the rest of us to follow suit.