One morning, we woke up to find the water wasn't running. Since it had been working the night before, I figured it was either a municipal issue or a leak.
After a quick check with neighbors (who all had water) and a peek at the water meter (which was spinning despite all faucets being off), it was clear: we had a leak somewhere. Not knowing much about plumbing, I did what most homeowners do – I frantically searched for a plumber online.
The Problem: Finding a Qualified Local Plumber
What I found was frustrating. Most plumbers in our area had either:
- No website at all – just listings on service directories with minimal information
- Outdated websites that looked like they were built in the early 2000s
- Generic template sites with little useful information
I ended up calling several plumbers based solely on Google reviews, leaving messages, and waiting anxiously as water potentially continued to leak somewhere in our home. The whole process was stressful and inefficient.
The Lightbulb Moment
Eventually, a local plumber named Mike returned my call. He was at my house within the hour, found a burst pipe in the crawlspace, and fixed it promptly. As he worked, we chatted about his business.
"You know," he said, "I lose a lot of business because I don't have a website. People want to see what I do, check out my credentials, and get a sense of my work before they call."
Mike explained that he'd looked into getting a website built, but most web developers wanted thousands of dollars for something custom, and the DIY website builders were confusing for someone who spends his days working with pipes, not pixels.
That's when it hit me – there was a real need here. Tradespeople like Mike are experts in their craft but often lack the time, technical skills, or budget to create professional online presences.
The Solution: BuildYourTradeSite.com
On the spot, I offered to build Mike a simple website. He was thrilled, and within a week, he had a clean, professional site showcasing his services, experience, and contact information.
The impact was immediate – Mike called to tell me his booking rate had increased by 30% in just two weeks. Potential customers could now find him directly, learn about his services, and feel confident in his expertise before calling.
That success sparked an idea: what if I could create an affordable, simple platform specifically designed for tradespeople? Something that would:
- Be incredibly easy to use with no technical knowledge required
- Feature templates and content specifically tailored to trades
- Cost a fraction of what a custom website would
- Include all the essential elements that help trades businesses stand out
And just like that, BuildYourTradeSite.com was born.
The Journey Begins
I'm now deep in development of the platform, working directly with plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and other tradespeople to understand exactly what they need from their online presence.
The goal is simple: to help skilled tradespeople showcase their expertise online without requiring them to become web experts themselves.
What started with a water leak has turned into an exciting project that solves a real problem. And isn't that what building products should be about? Identifying a genuine need and creating the simplest, most effective solution.
I'll be documenting the entire journey of building this SaaS product here on the blog – from validation to design, development, and launch. Stay tuned for more updates!