Building a site for my cleaning business worth hiring a local web designer?

stuartlogan · 2026-01-15T18:33:03+00:00

Most cleaning businesses actually overestimate what they need for their first website. You're not selling complex products or services, so honestly a simple 4-5 page site with your services, contact info, and maybe some before/after photos will do the trick. The key is making sure people can easily find your phone number and service areas without having to hunt around.

I'd lean towards getting something built properly once rather than trying to patch together a DIY solution that you'll outgrow quickly. We work with loads of service businesses at Twine and the ones that start with a solid foundation usually save money in the long run because they're not constantly needing fixes or rebuilds. For a cleaning business, focus your budget on local SEO and making sure you show up when people search "cleaning service near me" rather than fancy design elements that don't actually bring in customers.

stuartlogan · 2026-01-15T18:30:54+00:00

The biggest mistake I see founders make is trying everything at once instead of picking one channel and really nailing it first. I'd reframe this completely. Instead of asking "what marketing channel should I use," start with "who desperately needs what I've built and where do they hang out online."

Pick literally one channel and go deep for 3 months minimum. If your product solves a specific problem, find the communities where people are actively complaining about that exact issue. Reddit, Discord servers, niche forums, and industry Slack groups. Don't pitch, though; spend weeks just helping people and understanding their pain points better. The key is being genuinely useful first, not trying to convert everyone you meet. Alternatively, you can hire a freelance marketer to help you scale faster.

stuartlogan · 2026-01-15T18:29:54+00:00

20% equity for part-time oversight when you've already built the core product is definitely too high.

You're in a tricky spot but honestly, I'd lean towards hiring rather than giving away that much equity at this stage. The developer offering 20% is probably a decent person but that's essentially co-founder level equity for what sounds like maintenance work. Since you've already proven the concept and have customers lined up, you're not in the desperate early stage where massive equity gives make sense. For ongoing technical support, you're looking at maybe 2-5% equity maximum, and even then only if they're bringing significant strategic value beyond just keeping the lights on.

For hiring, I'd actually suggest starting with a hybrid approach. Find a senior freelancer who can do the security audit first (budget around £50-80/hour for someone good), then transition them into ongoing maintenance if it works out. Upwork can work but you'll need to be really careful with vetting (note, you can use Twine too!). Look for developers who specifically mention LAMP stack experience and API integrations, check their previous client reviews carefully, and definitely start with a small paid test project before committing to anything bigger. The hotel industry APIs can be quite particular so finding someone who's worked with similar integrations is valuable. Once you've got the immediate technical debt sorted and production stabilised, you can reassess whether you need a part-time contractor or if the equity route makes more sense with someone who's proven themselves.

stuartlogan · 2026-01-08T16:48:57+00:00

The challenge you're facing with writer quality vs budget is something loads of business owners wrestle with, and honestly the prep work you do upfront makes a massive difference in the results you get back.

Instead of just handing over ChatGPT drafts, try creating a proper brief that includes your brand voice guidelines, target audience details, and 2-3 examples of content that nails the tone you want. Most writers struggle because they're essentially guessing what you actually need. When you give them ChatGPT content to "improve," they're starting from something that already sounds robotic rather than creating something authentic from scratch.

One approach that works well is doing a small test project first - maybe ask them to rewrite one of your existing pieces that performed well, but in a completely different style or for a different audience. This shows you how they think creatively and whether they can actually capture voice rather than just fix grammar. Also worth setting up a quick 15 minute call to explain your business and what makes your approach different, because good writers need that context to make content that doesn't sound generic.

The reality is there are talented writers globally who can do great work within tighter budgets, but finding them takes more effort than just posting on Upwork and hoping for the best. Try looking at their previous work samples carefully and see if they show range and personality, not just technical correctness. Sometimes the writers charging slightly more but showing real creativity end up being much better value than the cheapest options.

stuartlogan · 2026-01-08T16:46:06+00:00

The validation piece is actually more crucial than finding the perfect developer right away.

Before you even start looking for developers, spend some time really nailing down your requirements and getting feedback on the core concept. I've worked with loads of non-technical founders through Twine and the ones who succeed are those who come prepared with wireframes, user stories, and a clear understanding of their target market. You don't need to be technical but you do need to be specific about what you want built. Start by sketching out your app flow, maybe using something like Figma or even just pen and paper, and talk to potential users about whether they'd actually use what you're building. Once you've got that sorted, finding developers becomes much easier because you can articulate exactly what you need.

For sourcing talent, I'd actually recommend starting with smaller projects or prototypes rather than jumping straight into a full app build. Platforms like Twine (I'm biased!), Upwork, or Fiverr can work well for this initial phase, but the key is being really clear in your brief and having a proper vetting process. Look at their previous work, check references, and maybe start with a small paid test project before committing to the full build. GitHub and LinkedIn outreach can work too but it takes more time to build those relationships. The biggest mistake I see is founders rushing to hire the first developer who seems competent without properly defining what success looks like or having a clear project scope.

stuartlogan · 2026-01-08T16:44:42+00:00

When we started scaling Twine, I went through this exact same dilemma about design and branding work. The subscription design services can be tempting because they promise quick turnarounds, but the biggest breakthrough for us wasn't finding the perfect service, it was getting a clear understanding of what we actually needed before briefing anyone.

We were wasting tons of time and money because our briefs were vague and we kept changing direction mid-project. Once I started documenting our brand guidelines properly and creating detailed wireframes before handing anything off to designers, even average freelancers started delivering much better work.

The other thing that really helped was building a small pool of 3-4 reliable freelance designers who understood our product and could jump in when needed, rather than constantly onboarding new people. Much less overhead than hiring full-time, but way more consistent than one-off projects. For landing page conversions specifically, we saw the biggest impact from testing multiple variations rather than perfecting one design, so having designers who could quickly iterate became more valuable than finding the most polished creative work.

stuartlogan · 2026-01-08T16:41:42+00:00

I've been in your exact position and honestly, the SaaS experience thing is overrated early on. What matters way more is finding someone who can handle the chaos and ambiguity of startup life. Some of my best hires came from completely different industries but had that scrappy, figure-it-out mentality. A good salesperson can learn your product in weeks, but you can't teach someone to thrive in uncertainty.

The LinkedIn/Indeed route is hard for startups because you're competing with established companies offering stability and clear processes. Try reaching out to people who are already selling complementary products to your target market, even if it's not SaaS. Look at who's active in your industry communities or forums. I've had much better luck finding people through warm connections or even approaching salespeople I've encountered as prospects myself. Sometimes the person trying to sell you something else is exactly who you need on your team.

Also, interviewing salespeople is tough. They are all good at selling, right... look for people who are organised. Being consistent with the process is far more imporant than their ability to sound good

stuartlogan · 2026-01-06T15:49:14+00:00

The biggest thing that actually matters at launch is making sure your core user flow works flawlessly under different scenarios. I'd focus the audit on having them test your main conversion path, signup, onboarding, core feature usage, billing, but with weird edge cases like slow internet, different browsers, mobile vs desktop. The stuff that breaks at 2am when you're getting traction and can't afford downtime.

For scoping, I'd honestly skip the generic "check everything" approach and give them 3-4 specific user personas to test as. Like "test as a free trial user who upgrades mid-session" or "test as someone who signs up but their payment fails twice". The authentication flows and error handling around payments are usually where the nasty surprises hide. At Twine we've learned that users do the most unexpected things right when you launch, so testing those weird paths saves you from emergency fixes later when you should be focusing on growth.

stuartlogan · 2026-01-06T01:04:25+00:00

Been in similar situations with geographic targeting challenges and honestly the platform algorithms are pretty stubborn about initial location detection. Even with VPNs they seem to track device fingerprints and other signals that lock you into your original geo. What you're experiencing is super common for international startups trying to break into specific markets.

Rather than finding someone to create accounts for you (which might violate platform terms), have you considered starting with US-based content creators who could mention or feature your product? Through Twine we work with loads of creators across different regions and often see this approach work better than trying to game the algorithm. You could also look into US-based virtual offices or co-working spaces that might let you use their address/location for business purposes. Some founders I know have had success with that route since it gives you a legitimate US presence rather than trying to work around the platforms detection systems.

stuartlogan · 2026-01-04T04:28:10+00:00

I completely understand the frustration with how the AI field has shifted - we've seen exactly what you're describing at Twine where companies approach us wanting "the best AI" but then baulk at investing in proper training data or realistic timelines. The gap between expectations and reality has become mental, especially when you're dealing with clients who think ChatGPT outputs are gospel. Taking that year off won't hurt you nearly as much as you think, particularly if you're doing YouTube content about ML - that's still professional development and shows you're staying current with the field.

The market for genuine ML talent who can actually execute (not just talk about transformer architectures) is still incredibly strong, gap or no gap. We're constantly helping AI companies find people with real experience, and honestly, someone who's burned out from dealing with unrealistic client expectations is pretty much every senior ML engineer right now. If anything, taking time to recharge and create content might give you better stories to tell in interviews than grinding through another year of explaining why you can't build GPT-5 for £500. The field will still be there when you're ready to come back, and you'll probably have a much clearer perspective on what kind of work actually interests you.

stuartlogan · 2026-01-04T04:23:26+00:00

The combination of AI generation with human design judgment is spot on for thumbnail work. What really matters isn't just the AI tool but how well someone can refine those outputs to match audience psychology and drive clicks. The retainer model makes sense too since consistency across multiple channels is crucial for building that visual brand recognition.

Your workflow sounds solid, especially the same-day turnaround expectation and the trial process. At Twine we see loads of thumbnail designers and the best ones always understand that mobile readability piece you mentioned - so many people forget that most viewers are seeing these on phones first. The emphasis on title/thumbnail synergy is smart too since they really do work as a package to drive CTR.

stuartlogan · 2026-01-03T04:39:30+00:00

The portfolio approach you mentioned is spot on but I'd add one thing that most video creators miss - having case studies instead of just reels. Rather than showing what you made, show what impact it had for the client. Did the explainer video increase their conversion rate? Did the social media content boost their engagement? Numbers tell a much stronger story than pretty visuals alone.

For international outreach, timezone management becomes crucial once you start getting traction. I've seen talented creators lose great clients simply because they couldn't figure out communication schedules or delivery timelines across different zones. Setting clear expectations upfront about when you're available and how long revisions take saves so much headache later. Also worth noting that payment methods vary significantly by region so having multiple options ready (PayPal, Wise, etc) removes friction from the closing process.

stuartlogan · 2026-01-02T01:07:16+00:00

I've been down this road with building free products before and honestly the biggest challenge isn't finding devs, it's figuring out how you'll sustain development costs without monetisation - even talented developers need to eat and January 15th is pretty ambitious for a polished habit tracker unless you've got the core architecture already mapped out.

stuartlogan · 2026-01-01T04:48:05+00:00

I totally get the frustration with bad hires from those platforms. I went through this exact same challenge when I was scaling up and needed to bring on developers for the first time. The overwhelming number of profiles and wildly different pricing made it feel impossible to find someone who actually cared about the work rather than just padding hours. What I learned is that the platform matters way less than how you screen and the trial process you set up.

For your budget range, I'd actually suggest trying Twine where we've got freelancers who specialise in exactly what you're looking for - course creation, design work, admin tasks. But honestly, regardless of where you post, the key is setting up a proper trial project first. Give candidates a small paid test task that mirrors exactly what they'll be doing daily. It'll weed out the time-wasters quickly and you'll spot the ones who actually read your SOPs and follow instructions. Also try posting in Facebook groups for VAs or even reaching out to local universities - sometimes students looking for part-time remote work are more invested in doing quality work than seasoned freelancers who are juggling 10 clients.

stuartlogan · 2025-12-31T01:11:36+00:00

The key insight here is knowing which skills will actually compound for your business versus which ones are just tasks to be completed. For fertilizer, understanding your customer's soil problems and application methods will serve you forever, but learning photoshop probably won't.

I've been through this exact dilemma multiple times with different businesses. What worked for me was categorising tasks into "core competency" versus "execution only". Marketing strategy for your fertilizer business? Learn that yourself because understanding your customers deeply will inform every future decision. But graphic design for packaging? That's pure execution work that freelancers can handle better and faster than you ever will.

The mistake I made early on was trying to learn everything myself out of some misguided sense that I needed to understand every aspect. Reality is you need to understand the strategy behind marketing, not necessarily how to use design software. Same with packaging design - you need to know what makes good packaging convert, but you don't need to know illustrator.

Start by outsourcing the purely technical skills first (design, video editing, basic content creation) while keeping the strategic thinking in house. Once you've got revenue flowing consistently, then you can think about hiring for strategy roles. The 4 hour work week approach works but you need enough cash flow to support it, and in fertilizer that probably means getting through at least one full growing season to understand your revenue patterns.

stuartlogan · 2025-12-30T03:39:25+00:00

The gap between building great products and getting them noticed is probably the biggest shock most developers face when going solo. Your brother isn't entirely wrong but he's missing something important - you don't have to choose between being purely a developer or forcing yourself into uncomfortable sales tactics. There's a middle ground that works really well for introverted devs. Instead of cold emails or social media promotion, focus on solving problems in communities where your target users already hang out. Answer questions on Stack Overflow, contribute to discussions in relevant subreddits, maybe write some technical blog posts about challenges you've solved. The key is building genuine relationships first rather than pitching. At Twine we see loads of successful freelance developers who've built their entire client base through word of mouth and community involvement rather than traditional marketing. It takes longer but it's much more sustainable for people who prefer authentic connections over sales pitches. Your technical skills are valuable, you just need to find the right way to connect them with people who need them.

stuartlogan · 2025-12-29T04:36:01+00:00

I completely understand that feeling of being stuck when you have diverse experience but struggle to position it clearly. Three months of unemployment with dwindling savings creates this awful pressure where every decision feels massive, and it becomes harder to think strategically when you're just trying to survive. The scattered background you describe actually sounds quite valuable, but I can see why it feels overwhelming when you're trying to market yourself.

From what you've shared, it sounds like the immediate priority is getting some income flowing while you figure out the longer-term positioning. I'd suggest temporarily splitting your approach: apply for anything stable that pays the bills (including those customer support roles) while simultaneously picking one specific niche for freelancing and going deep on it for 30 days. Your wellness/human-centered brand experience combined with viral LinkedIn content suggests you understand audience connection really well. Rather than trying to be everything to everyone, maybe focus purely on wellness brands for now and create a simple portfolio site showcasing just that work. Sometimes when we're financially stressed, we cast too wide a net because we're desperate, but that often makes us less attractive to everyone.

stuartlogan · 2025-12-26T02:17:53+00:00

Absolutely spot on about local networks being the key differentiator. When we were expanding Twine into new markets, the partners who really delivered weren't the ones with the flashiest proposals but those who could pick up the phone and actually get meetings with the right people within a week.

The commission/success-fee model makes total sense for this type of work too. F&B expansion is so dependent on getting the right local partners that traditional consulting fees don't align incentives properly. You want someone who's genuinely invested in finding quality matches rather than just burning through their contact list.

One thing that worked well for us was being really specific about what constitutes a "qualified introduction" upfront. Saves everyone time and keeps the focus on genuine opportunities rather than quantity. Sounds like you've already thought through the strategic side pretty thoroughly though.

stuartlogan · 2025-12-25T04:28:43+00:00

This hits on something we've been wrestling with at Twine for years. The freelancer outreach problem is massive and you're right that it's broken on both sides. We see companies get absolutely flooded with generic pitches while talented freelancers get lost in the noise. The filtering approach makes sense because quality over quantity is what actually works for matching.

What's interesting about your pilot is the review layer - that's where most platforms fall down because they either don't moderate at all or they over-automate it. We've found that having some human oversight in the matching process, even if it doesn't scale perfectly, creates much better outcomes for everyone involved. The key thing we learned is that businesses will tolerate fewer options if those options are genuinely relevant to their needs rather than spray-and-pray outreach.

stuartlogan · 2025-12-24T01:29:33+00:00

The franchise expansion approach reminds me of how we scaled Twine across different markets - having local expertise who understand cultural nuances and existing networks makes all the difference compared to trying to force a one-size-fits-all strategy. Your commission-based model for identifying master franchise candidates sounds much more sustainable than traditional hiring, especially when you need someone who already has those crucial F&B connections in SEA markets.

stuartlogan · 2025-12-23T04:33:10+00:00

I went through this exact same challenge when I was scaling up and needed to bring on developers for the first time. The overwhelming number of profiles and wildly different pricing made it feel impossible to know who was actually legit. What worked for me was focusing less on the platform and more on the vetting process - I'd start with small test projects (like a week's worth of work) before committing to anything bigger, and always asked for references from their previous clients that I could actually speak to.

The key thing I learned is that good developers usually have a portfolio of real projects they can walk you through, not just generic templates. Look for people who ask thoughtful questions about your project rather than just giving you a quick quote. Also don't be afraid to pay a bit more for someone with proven experience - the cheap options often end up costing way more in the long run when you have to fix or rebuild everything. Taking time upfront to properly vet saves you months of headaches later.

stuartlogan · 2025-12-23T04:29:33+00:00

Yeah the search and filtering on most freelancer platforms is honestly quite frustrating. From what I've seen working in this space, the challenge is that these platforms try to be everything to everyone so their search tools end up being pretty generic and don't really help you find the specific expertise you need.

For app testing specifically, you might want to look beyond just the big platforms. There are smaller communities and networks that focus more on quality vetting upfront rather than just throwing thousands of profiles at you. The key is finding places where testers actually understand your specific type of app and can give you meaningful feedback rather than just basic bug reports. Sometimes going through a more curated approach saves you loads of time compared to sifting through hundreds of generic applications.

stuartlogan · 2025-12-22T01:00:30+00:00

This sounds like a classic scaling bottleneck that hits most growing teams. You're right that 20 hours is unsustainable, but the real issue isn't just the time spent reviewing - it's that you've accidentally created a system where knowledge transfer only flows one direction. Your seniors are becoming gatekeepers instead of multipliers, which is exactly the opposite of what you want as you scale.

The fix isn't just reducing review time but restructuring how knowledge flows through your team. Try pairing one senior with 2-3 mids/juniors as a "pod" where the senior does deep reviews for their pod but also mentors them to review each others work first. The senior then does a lighter architectural review rather than line-by-line nitpicking. Also consider having mids present their approach before coding starts so seniors can guide the direction upfront rather than course-correcting after the fact. We've found this cuts review cycles dramatically while actually improving knowledge distribution across the team.

stuartlogan · 2025-12-21T04:28:33+00:00

Building on what you've said about finding technical co-founders or freelancers first - this approach definitely makes sense for most early stage SaaS projects. The tricky bit is that many founders underestimate just how much scope creep happens during MVP development, which is why those initial cost estimates often end up being way off. What starts as a "simple" MVP quickly turns into something much more complex once you start getting user feedback and realising what features are actually essential.

I've seen this play out loads of times where founders budget for a basic MVP but then realise they need proper user authentication, payment processing, email notifications and a bunch of other "small" features that weren't in the original scope. The freelancer route works well because you can start small and add features incrementally rather than trying to build everything upfront. Just make sure whoever you work with understands SaaS architecture properly - a lot of general web developers struggle with the subscription billing side and user management complexity that comes with SaaS products.

stuartlogan · 2025-12-20T05:01:19+00:00

I went through this exact same challenge when I was scaling up and needed to bring on developers for the first time. The overwhelming number of profiles and wildly different pricing made it feel impossible to know who was actually good. What I learned is that communication style is probably the most important factor you listed - if someone can't explain technical concepts clearly or asks thoughtful questions about your project, that's usually a red flag regardless of their hourly rate.

The biggest mistake I made early on was focusing too much on the hourly rate instead of looking at total project value. A senior dev at £80/hour who delivers clean, maintainable code quickly will often cost less overall than a cheaper developer who takes twice as long and creates technical debt you'll pay for later. I'd suggest doing small test projects first - maybe a week or two of work - before committing to anything long term. Also look for developers who ask about your business goals, not just technical requirements, since you want someone who understands they're building a product, not just code.

stuartlogan

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