You've got the ABN. You've got the insurance. Now you need actual customers paying you actual money. This is where most new tradies get stuck. They don't know where to look, so they try everywhere. Facebook, Hipages, their nan's church group — and end up chasing their tails.
Here's where tradies actually find work. Not where the marketing blogs tell you to look. Where it actually happens.
Lead Platforms — The Good, the Bad, and the Race to the Bottom
Hipages, Airtasker, ServiceTasker. They exist for a reason. They funneling customers straight to you. And they work — especially when you're starting out and need to get jobs fast. But here's the honest part: "It's basic economics. If your product is considered a commodity and you're competing against a large pool, price will be driven down and you'll end up in a race to the bottom." That's a tradie who figured it out too late.
Hipages has the biggest volume of leads. That's both good and bad. You'll get work, but the customer pool is price-sensitive. Everyone's comparing quotes, and if you're the fourth plumber they've messaged, you're competing on price alone. Airtasker is similar — you fill gaps in your schedule when it's quiet, but you're bidding against people who don't know what they're doing, non-licensed operators, and hobbyists. ServiceTasker is newer and a bit more local, with lower fees, but the same dynamic applies.
The trap is building your whole business around these platforms. If Hipages changes their algorithm or raises their fees tomorrow, you're screwed. But as a tool to steady the flow when you're new or during quiet weeks? They're useful. Just don't rely on them. Use them to smooth out the bumps while you build other channels.
Google Business Profile — The Long Game That Actually Pays Off
This is the single best thing you can do for free. When someone searches "plumber near me" or "electrician [your suburb]," your Google Business Profile is what shows up. The customer is already looking for what you do. They're not comparing 15 different quotes trying to squeeze you down to $50. They're looking for someone legit, available, and nearby. That customer is worth ten Airtasker bids.
The catch is it takes time. Your profile needs good photos, correct service areas, opening hours, and real reviews. You can't fake it. But once it starts working, it's the highest-quality work you'll get. Set it up properly now, ask every happy customer for a review, and in 12 months you'll be getting regular calls from people who found you on Google. In two years, it'll be your backbone.
Word of Mouth — Still King, Always Will Be
Ask any tradie who's been at it five years or more where their work comes from. Most will say the same thing: word of mouth. Referrals from happy customers, mates recommending you, builders who keep your number on speed dial because you turn up on time and don't rip them off. You can't buy this. You earn it by doing good work and being easy to deal with.
But you can systemise it. Don't just hope people remember you. Ask for the referral. Hand out cards after every job. Text a customer a month after you're done just to check in — "Hey, how's that tap holding up?" Nine times out of ten they'll remember you positively, and next time a mate asks them for a plumber, you're the one they'll recommend. Follow up after jobs. Be the tradie people actually want to refer.
Social Media — What Works and What's a Waste of Time
Facebook is where tradies get work. Not Instagram, not TikTok, not LinkedIn. Facebook. Specifically: community groups, Marketplace, and local buy/sell groups. That's where your customers hang out. Join your local groups, be helpful without being spammy, and post progress photos of your work. A photo of a bathroom you just renovated in a local community group will get more responses than any Instagram aesthetic shot.
You don't need a social media strategy. You don't need trending audio or a content calendar. You just need to show up where people already are, be visible, and show your work. Paid ads ($5–10 a day targeting locals) can work during busy seasons, but they're not necessary. Organic presence in the right groups beats paid reach in the wrong places.
Your Website — It Just Needs to Exist
You don't need a $5,000 custom website designed by an agency. You need a page that says who you are, what you do, your phone number, and shows your Google reviews. That's it. Squarespace, Wix, even a free Google Site. It takes a couple of hours and costs almost nothing.
The purpose is credibility. When someone finds you through a referral and Googles you before calling, they need to find something that looks legit. Something that says you're not a one-man cash job operation working from your ute. If they Google your name and find nothing, they'll call the other bloke. If they find a proper website with reviews and photos, they'll call you.
How You Quote Matters More Than Where You Advertise
Here's the thing nobody talks about: once someone finds you — from a lead platform, Google, a referral, whatever — the thing that wins or loses the job is how fast and how professional you quote. "The tradie who sends a proper quote within an hour beats the one who texts a number three days later, every time."
A proper quote means: your business name, ABN, what you're actually quoting for, clear line items, and a total. A PDF, not a text message. It takes the conversation out of "how cheap can I get him" and into "this is what this costs." A professional quote says you're serious. A text saying "$800 maybe" says you're not.
This is where tools come in handy. There are job management tools out there that help you quote and invoice quickly. Some tradies are using AI now — talk through a job, let it draft the quote, done. VerbalIt lets you voice-record a job ("four hours labour, new tap, supply $120") and generates a professional PDF quote in seconds. There are other options too. Square handles payments cleanly. Whatever you use, the point is the same: get professional paperwork in front of the customer fast. It wins jobs.
The Real Answer — It's All of It
No single channel works on its own. The tradies who win aren't the ones who found one magic source of leads. They're the ones who showed up consistently across a few channels and did good work.
Start with Google Business Profile and word of mouth. Both are free, and both build over time. Once you're steady, add a lead platform if you want to accelerate. When you've got the bandwidth, layer in social media presence — just Facebook, just being visible in local groups. Get a simple website up so you don't look sketchy when someone Googles you. And when you quote, look professional. Every single one of these channels working together beats trying to dominate any one.
The tradies who stay busy aren't the smartest or the cheapest. They're the visible ones. The ones who show up consistently, deliver good work, ask for referrals, maintain a decent online presence, and quote professionally. That's it. That's the system.