The Pavado Blog
Signal over hype.
Page 6 of 34. Evidence-based guides on building custom CRM systems and earning visibility in AI search. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews. Written by the Pavado team.
Custom CRMHow to Track Crew Hours on Job Sites: 7 Rules
Crew hours do three jobs: pay, prove and cost. Seven rules for tracking hours across job sites, plus the FLSA travel-time trap GPS creates for you.
16 min
Lead GenerationIs Direct Mail Worth It for Home Services? 5 Tests
Cost per booked job from mail runs $62 to $400, and only two numbers move it. The arithmetic that decides direct mail before you spend a dollar.
17 min
GrowthResidential vs Commercial: Which Is More Profitable
Remodelers netted 6.3% in 2024. Subs wait 83 days on commercial. The profit split follows recurring vs one-off, not residential vs commercial.
15 min
GrowthShould I Accept Credit Cards as a Contractor?
At a 10% net margin, a 3% card fee eats roughly 30% of the profit on the job. Here is the math, the rules in Canada and the US, and when to say no.
16 min
GrowthHire a Subcontractor or an Employee? 4 Gates
The IRS bills 10.68% of wages when a sub turns out to be an employee, and the comp audit lands first. Four gates decide which one you actually need.
17 min
Lead GenerationShould I Offer Financing to Customers? 4 Numbers
Financing lifts close rates from 38% to 49%. A 25% dealer fee wipes out every dollar of that gain. Here is the break-even math to run before you sign.
17 min
Lead GenerationWhat Should a Contractor Pay a Marketing Agency?
Agencies publish 20 percent of ad spend, then hold a $1,500 minimum. Below $8,000 in spend the minimum is the real price. Three tests to check any quote.
16 min
GrowthCrew Member Quits Mid Job: A 72-Hour Playbook
Walking someone out when they give notice can move your final-pay deadline from next payday to four hours. Here is the 72-hour playbook for the live job.
17 min
GrowthWhen Should a Contractor File a Lien? 4 Triggers
Your lien clock starts on a date the statute picks, not the day you lose patience. The 4 triggers, the deadline by province, and the break-even math.
16 min
GrowthWhy Did My Google Ads Stop Working? 4 Causes
Ads that die overnight fail in four different ways, and the fix for each one is opposite. Compare your click drop to your lead drop and you know which you have.
17 min
Lead GenerationWhy Is My Competitor Outranking Me on Google?
Usually it is three profile fields, not your website. Diagnose which Google surface you actually lost, and what the 2026 ranking data says fixes it.
16 min
Custom CRMBest Software for a Two Man Crew: The Seat Cliff
No major vendor sells a two-user plan. Housecall Pro includes 1 user, then jumps to 5. The real seat math for a 2 person crew, and what to buy instead.
16 min
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