Featured
What Tradespeople Charge Per Hour in 2026 — Real Hourly Rates by Trade and Region
Real 2026 hourly rate data for UK, US, and Canadian tradespeople — plumbers, electricians, HVAC, carpenters, gardeners, cleaners. By experience, by region, with emergency uplifts.
Product Updates
Excluded Contacts: choose which calls to answer yourself
You can now choose specific contacts that Clara will never answer — your partner, family, or that supplier you need to speak to yourself. Set it up in under a minute.
The 5-Minute Rule: Why 78% of Trades Jobs Go to the First Person Who Responds
The data is pretty clear: most enquiries come in after hours, and the first tradesperson to respond wins the job most of the time. Here's what that means in practice.
The Tradesperson's Guide to Getting More Google Reviews (Without Being Weird About It)
Most tradespeople know reviews matter. Most of them hate asking for them. Here's how to do it without feeling like you're begging — and what your phone manner has to do with it.
Why Dog Groomers, Mobile Vets and Pet Sitters Are Drowning in Missed Bookings
Pet services is one of the fastest-growing sectors in small business. It's also one where the gap between enquiry and booking loses more jobs than almost anything else.
What It's Actually Like Running a Trade Business as a Woman in 2025
The challenges solo female operators face in trades are specific — and mostly not the ones people assume. A few honest observations from the people living it.
Why Your Best Customers Keep Calling Back (And How to Make Sure They Do)
Repeat business in trades and service work isn't really about loyalty programmes or follow-up emails. It's about whether people felt like they could trust you — and a lot of that gets decided before the job even starts.
What to put on a job sheet (with a free template for any trade)
The 8 fields every tradesperson job sheet needs, why customer signatures matter on every job, and how to capture them on a phone in 2 minutes — with a free trade-specific template.
How to invoice as a tradesperson and get paid in 7 days (free template)
The 9 things every tradesperson invoice needs, the line that cuts late payment by half, and how to send invoices in 2 minutes from site. With a free invoice generator built for trades.
50 Professional Voicemail Greeting Examples (For Every Business Type)
Real voicemail greeting scripts for trades, dentists, real estate, salons, and more. Covers standard hours, after-hours, holiday, and out-of-office. Free generator included.
5 Best AI Phone Answering Services for US Contractors 2026
5 AI phone answering services compared for US contractors and home service businesses. Real pricing, what each does well, and which fits solo vs growing crews.
Product Updates
All calls, answered: the new way Clara works
We've changed how Clara handles incoming calls. Instead of only catching the ones you miss, Clara can now be your primary answering service — with scheduling, rules, and call learning built in.
Why Taxi and Private Hire Operators Are Switching to AI Receptionists
Missed calls mean lost bookings in taxi and private hire. AI receptionists answer 24/7, capture pickup details, and make sure every job reaches the driver — even at 2am.
How Carpenters and Joiners Stop Missing Jobs While They're on the Tools
Carpenters can't answer the phone mid-cut. An AI receptionist captures enquiry details — what the job is, where, and how to reach them — so you follow up with everything you need.
The calls you miss at 6pm are worth more than the ones at 10am
After-hours calls aren't just inconvenient — they're disproportionately high-intent. Here's why the evening is where most small businesses leak the most money.
How mobile mechanics are winning jobs from the driveway
Mobile mechanics can't answer the phone while they're under a car. But the ones who are growing fastest have figured out what to do about it.
Why heating engineers lose more leads in April than December
Winter emergencies keep the phone ringing. Spring servicing season is where the real lead loss happens — and most heating engineers don't see it coming.
How roofers handle enquiries when they're on a job
When you're working at height, answering the phone isn't just inconvenient — it's dangerous. Here's how roofing businesses deal with the enquiry problem.
"I don't want to talk to an AI"
The most common concern about Clara, and the answer isn't as simple as 'they'll be fine with it.'
Why electricians lose leads they never knew they had
The missed calls that hurt most are the ones you don't know about. For electricians, invisible lead loss is more common than most realise.
Can't Siri already do this?
It's a fair question. But Siri and Clara are solving completely different problems.
Taking on more cleaning clients without the chaos
Growing a cleaning business sounds simple. In practice, every new client adds more admin, more calls, and more things to keep track of.
Why phone tag is killing dog grooming businesses
Dog grooming runs on repeat bookings and loyal clients. But the back-and-forth of scheduling is eating into time that should be spent on the actual work.
No, it's not 'press 1 for sales'
When people hear 'AI phone system,' they picture the worst kind of automation. Clara isn't that.
How estate agents are judged before the first viewing
Vendors choose their agent before they've seen a single property. The decision often comes down to one thing: how quickly you picked up the phone.
Keeping your gardening business ticking over in the off-season
The winter slowdown doesn't have to mean a dry diary. How gardeners keep enquiries warm and clients loyal through the quieter months.
Why the phone is the hardest part of running a removals company
Removals is a complex, high-stakes service to sell over the phone. Most companies handle it the same way — and most leave money on the table because of it.
What it actually costs to answer your own phone
Most self-employed tradespeople think of the phone as free. It isn't. Here's what it's actually costing you.
Why your busiest days are bad for future business
When the work is flowing, it's easy to feel like everything is fine. But your busiest days are often the ones quietly costing you the most.
What customers think when nobody picks up
The missed call is only half the story. What happens in the customer's head after nobody answers tells you a lot about why they don't call back.
The callback you keep meaning to make
It's on your list. It's been on your list for three days. At some point, it stopped being a lead and became a guilt trip.
What missed calls actually cost tradespeople (the numbers most never add up)
A locksmith handled 68 calls in his first month with Clara. 16 turned into booked jobs. Here's how to work out what unanswered calls are costing your business.
On being busy versus building something
Busy feels like progress. Sometimes it is. But there's a difference between a business that's growing and one that's just full.
