Getting the first paying customer for a local contractor SaaS
A discussion highlights the best ways to get the very first customer for a SaaS aimed at local contractors. The top advice is to skip online marketing and speak to business owners directly.
When creating a SaaS for local workers like plumbers or roofers, makers often struggle to get their first sale. Online ads usually fail because these business owners are busy working on active job sites. Instead, experienced founders suggest visiting them in person or calling them directly on the phone.
Another key tip is to focus on one specific trade first, rather than targeting all contractors at once. You can even offer to set up the system for free in exchange for their honest feedback. Once one local business uses the app and sees its value, you can ask them to introduce you to others. This manual process builds the trust needed to secure early sales.
Key points
Quick term guide
- FIR
- A First Information Report — the official complaint filed with police in India that kicks off a criminal investigation.
- SaaS
- Software that people use online, usually paid for by subscription.
- local
- Stored or run inside the user’s own system instead of only on an outside server.
- contractors
- Outside companies or workers hired to do work for an organization or government.
- business
- An activity where you provide value to others in exchange for money.
- Owner
- The top account role that can usually change almost every setting.
- feedback
- A response that tells a user what they did well or should fix.
- build
- A chosen set of in-game abilities or items a player equips for their character.