I build FixyFlow — a customer-communication tool for 1–5 person service businesses. The idea came from watching local shops in Collingwood and the Georgian Bay area lose hours every week to “is it ready?” calls and “where are you?” texts. The big field-service platforms were overkill; paper was chaos. FixyFlow is the in-between.
Before FixyFlow, I founded and ran More Customer Growth, an SEO consulting firm working with small businesses on local search, technical SEO, and measurable growth. A lot of what shows up in this blog — the GSC analyses, the SERP-differentiation work, the “run real math, not example math” instinct — comes from years of doing exactly that for clients before I started building tools instead of just consulting on them.
Outside of FixyFlow I run a handful of other small ventures (mostly cottage-care services for the Georgian Bay area) and spend a lot of time talking to shop owners about what actually works versus what software companies tell them should work. Most of the blog here comes from those conversations.
Where the numbers in these articles come from
Every article on this blog tries to do the same three things: open with a real owner's words (not a generic “small business owner Jane” example), run real GTA / Ontario dollar math (not convenient round numbers), and acknowledge what the data doesn't actually say (instead of pretending precision that isn't there).
Most stats are sourced from primary research where it exists (Harvard Business Review's response-time study, Invoca platform data, Ambs Call Center's 2025 missed-call cost report) and from owner-language pulled directly from r/HVAC, r/Plumbing, r/Electricians, r/AskMechanics, ContractorTalk, LawnSite, Mike Holt Forum, and equivalent venues. Where a widely-cited number has murky origins (the “85% of voicemail callers don't call back” figure is the classic example) I attribute it honestly as “widely cited but original methodology unclear” rather than pretending a single peer-reviewed study exists.
GTA pricing in the articles is current 2026, calibrated against the trades I'm closest to (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, auto, mobile services). If you spot a number that's drifted, the LinkedIn link above is the fastest way to flag it.
Topics I write about
77 articles across the topics that come up most often in conversations with small service-business owners.
Missed calls and lost leads
What unanswered calls actually cost service businesses, why owners are stuck in the gap between answering and hiring, and what works in 2026.
No-shows and reminders
Industry benchmarks for no-show rates, what each missed appointment costs, and the 4-step reminder systems that work.
Pricing for solo operators
What service businesses actually charge per hour, why industry averages mislead, and how to price your own shop without scaring off your customer base.
Customer communication and SMS
Templates, scripts, and tactics for service-business customer comms — including 10DLC compliance, WhatsApp vs SMS, and review-request timing.
About FixyFlow
FixyFlow is a per-job customer-communication tool for owner-operator and small service businesses (typically 1–5 people). It handles the SMS layer that the field-service platforms either bury or charge $79–$199/month for: status updates, “on my way” ETAs, post-job review requests, and (with 10DLC registration handled in the background) the missed-call text-back that closes the gap between “customer called” and “customer booked someone else.”
Plans start at $15/month, with a free tier for under 5 tickets a month. The shape of the product comes directly from the same conversations that produce the blog content — the goal isn't a 50-field FSM; it's the text-the-customer half of an FSM at one-tenth the cost.
Recent articles
The latest posts on customer communication for small service businesses.
11 Service Business CRMs Ranked by Total Cost of Ownership (2026)
Real 12-month TCO for 11 service business CRMs (Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, Workiz, FixyFlow and more). Scenario: 2 techs, 200 jobs/month.
June 22, 2026 · 11 min read
15 Service Business KPIs You Should Track Weekly (With 2026 Industry Benchmarks)
The 15 KPIs every service business should track weekly in 2026, with formulas, industry benchmarks, sources, and what to do if you are below.
June 22, 2026 · 11 min read
9 SMS Compliance Mistakes That Get Service Businesses Suspended in 2026 (TCPA + A2P 10DLC)
TCPA fines hit $500 to $1,500 per text. A2P 10DLC suspensions kill your number in 24 hours. The 9 mistakes that get service businesses shut down, and how to fix each.
June 22, 2026 · 10 min read
Samsung Patent: Chunky Brick Phone That Unfolds Into a Tablet (2026)
Samsung patented a folding device that transforms into a tablet. The chunky 'brick' design folds to pocket size and rolls out into a larger screen. Here is how the mechanism works.
June 18, 2026 · 4 min read
The Hidden Cost of Running a Service Business Without a Front Desk (2026)
Most solo and 2-3 person service businesses can't afford a $40k front desk hire and shouldn't. Here's what a front desk role actually contains, what skipping it costs, and the ladder of automation that closes the gap before a real hire makes sense.
June 1, 2026 · 9 min read
Landscape Scheduling Software: What Solo Operators Actually Need in 2026
Honest take on landscape scheduling software for solo and 1-3 crew operators. When routing engines matter, when they are overkill, and what scheduling actually means at your stage.
May 22, 2026 · 7 min read