These guides are for Burnaby owners who want to understand referral partnerships properly, whether or not they ever hire us. Each one takes about fifteen minutes to read and leaves you with something you can use the same week: a calculation, a checklist or a piece of template wording.
They share one assumption. A referral partnership is a business relationship between two owners, written down and disclosed to customers, and judged by the jobs it produces. It is not a link exchange, a lead list or a secret arrangement.
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How to disclose referral relationships without making it awkward
Disclosure means telling a customer, before they decide, that your recommendation comes with a business relationship. It takes one or two sentences, protects your reputation and fits naturally into the way you already talk to customers.
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Building your first Burnaby referral circle, step by step
A referral circle is a small group of complementary businesses, usually three to five, that recommend each other where it truly helps a customer. This guide takes you from a blank page to a working circle in about 90 days.
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Referral fee arithmetic: what a partner's referral is really worth to you
Whether to pay a referral partner, and how much, comes down to three of your own numbers: average job value, gross margin and win rate on referred enquiries. This guide works through each structure with figures you can replace.
Building your first Burnaby referral circle
Building your first Burnaby referral circle is the starting point for owners with no formal partners. It walks through:
- reading your own job history to find partners you already have
- choosing three complementary business types instead of ten
- the first conversation with a prospective partner, step by step
- the first 90 days, and what to check at the end of them
It draws on the way work moves through Burnaby's towers, townhouse complexes and detached streets, described in more detail on our areas page.
Disclosing referral relationships to customers
Disclosing referral relationships covers the part most owners get wrong or skip entirely. It explains:
- why disclosure protects you more than it costs you
- what to say on the phone, in a written quote and on your website, with templates
- how Canada's anti-spam rules affect follow-up texts and emails after a referral, with a link to the regulation
- why partner links should never be used to chase rankings
If you only read one guide, read this one. A single complaint about a hidden arrangement can undo years of goodwill.
Referral fee arithmetic
Referral fee arithmetic is for owners deciding whether to pay partners, and how much. It covers:
- the three common structures: no fee, a flat thank-you, or a percentage
- a worked calculation from average job value and gross margin
- why paying per completed job usually beats paying per enquiry
- when a fee becomes a bad idea
The numbers are illustrative; swap in your own figures as you go.
How to get the most from the guides
Read with your own records open. Each guide asks for numbers or names only you have: your last few dozen jobs, your average job value, the businesses that already send you work. Reading without them is pleasant; reading with them changes what you do next week.
Work in order if you're starting from scratch:
- Use the referral circle guide to find and choose your first three partners.
- Use the fee guide before you agree any money, even a small thank-you.
- Use the disclosure guide to write your phone, quote and website wording before the first referral arrives.
Keep the results somewhere you'll see them again. A single page with your partner shortlist, your fee decision and your three disclosure templates is enough to run a small program for a year.
What the guides deliberately leave out
They don't name partner firms, recommend specific businesses or list members, because there is no membership and the choice of partners has to be yours. They don't give legal, tax or compliance advice; where rules matter, they link the official source and suggest who to ask. And they don't treat referral relationships as a way to gain links or rankings. If a guide ever seems to suggest otherwise, read it again: the measure is always referred jobs.
How the guides connect to our services
Each guide matches a service, if you would rather have help:
| Guide | Related service |
|---|---|
| First referral circle | Referral partner mapping |
| Disclosure | Written referral terms and disclosure |
| Fee arithmetic | Referral tracking and partner scorecards |
The services overview explains how to choose between them, and the contact page explains how to reach us by call, text or email.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do this without hiring anyone?
Yes. These guides are written so an owner can follow them alone. Hiring help mostly saves time and adds an outside view when terms get awkward.
Are the guides legal advice?
No. They explain business practice and link to official sources. Ask a lawyer to review any agreement involving money, exclusivity or liability.
Which guide should I read first?
If you have no partners yet, start with the referral circle guide. If you already have partners, read the disclosure guide, then the fee guide.