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Guides for service-trade pros

Universal guides for every service business - pricing, customers, hiring, taxes, and the things nobody tells you on day one.

A food truck parked at a city event with customers ordering at the service window.

How to Start a Food Truck Business from Scratch in 2026

An honest guide for someone genuinely starting one - with real 2026 numbers, no motivational fluff. Built for first-time operators who want to know what they're actually signing up for.

13 min read·Updated May 27, 2026
An SBA loan application document on a desk with a calculator, pen, and a small business owner's hands reviewing the paperwork.

How to Get a Government Loan to Start Your Business in 2026

An honest, scam-aware guide to SBA, USDA, and state-backed business loans - what you actually qualify for, what it actually takes, and how to spot the "free government money" scams.

17 min read·Updated May 27, 2026
A handshake between a service contractor and a customer in front of a residential home, representing the moment of getting a first paid customer.

How to Get Your First 10 Customers as a Service Business (2026 Guide)

Honest, ranked playbook for the first 10 customers - not a scale-marketing guide. Built around what actually works in months 1-3 when you have zero reviews, zero ranking, and zero ad budget.

13 min read·Updated May 27, 2026
A laptop, notebook, and coffee on a wooden desk - the lean office setup most service businesses actually need before buying software.

How to Run a Service Business Without Software in 2026 (Free Templates)

Seven free Word + Excel templates plus the honest playbook for running your first 30+ customers on $0 of monthly software. Don't buy Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, or Plyrium until you actually need it.

19 min read·Updated May 27, 2026
A small business owner reviewing their Google Business Profile listing on a smartphone with a laptop open to Google Maps in the background.

How to Set Up Google Business Profile for Service Contractors (2026 Guide)

The honest playbook for setting up GBP as a service contractor in 2026 - including the service-area business rules half of contractors get wrong, the #1 ranking factor most miss, and the ongoing cadence that actually moves you into the Local 3-Pack.

15 min read·Updated May 27, 2026

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