Building your first Burnaby referral circle, step by step

Step 1: Find the partners you already have

Before approaching anyone new, look at who already sends you work. Most owners find they have referral partners they've never acknowledged.

Go through your last 30 to 50 jobs and, for each, note three things:

1. How the customer found you. A person, a business, a search, a sign on a truck, a repeat customer.
2. Who worked on the property just before you. Ask the customer if you don't know.
3. Who they needed next. Did they ask you for a recommendation?

Put the answers in three columns. Patterns appear fast. A cleaner might find that a quarter of her jobs follow a move, and that two movers account for most of those. A tile setter might find that one kitchen designer has quietly sent him six jobs in a year.

Those quiet sources are your first candidates. They already trust you; they just don't have an agreement or a reason to keep going.

Step 2: Map the sequence around your work

Next, think about the customer's journey around your job, not your trade's. What does a Burnaby customer need in the 60 days before they call you, and in the 60 days after?

The answer depends a lot on where they live:

• In a Town Centre tower, such as Metrotown or Brentwood, the sequence often involves a property manager, building rules, a move booking and a suite renovation. Managers and strata councils control access and vendor lists.
• In a townhouse complex, in areas like Forest Grove or Cariboo Heights, work is often planned by a council and done in a sequence across many units.
• On a detached street, in places like Burnaby Heights or Parkcrest, the homeowner decides, and neighbours and previous trades carry most of the trust.

Write down five to eight business types that sit before or after you. Our areas page describes which partner types tend to matter in each district.

Step 3: Score and choose three

Now narrow the list. Score each business type from 1 to 3 on four questions:

Add the scores. Pick the top three types, then, within each type, choose a specific business you'd happily hire yourself. If you can't think of one you trust, leave that type for later.

A common mistake is choosing on size. A large firm can look like a great partner, but referrals there often go through staff who have their own favourites. An owner-run business with ten good customers a month may send you more.

Step 4: Hold the first conversation

Ask for a short meeting, in person if you can. Coffee near their shop or a job site is fine. Go in with a clear, modest proposal rather than a vague "let's help each other".

A useful structure:

1. Start with their customers. "I've noticed a lot of your [type of job] customers need [your work] soon after. I'd like to make that easier for them."
2. Offer before you ask. Mention what you can send their way, and how often realistically.
3. Propose basic terms. What each side refers, how fast each replies, how customers are treated, and whether any fee applies.
4. Raise disclosure. "I'd like us both to tell customers we have a referral relationship. It keeps everything straightforward."
5. Agree a trial. Suggest 90 days, then a review.

Don't press for a decision on the spot. Send a short written summary the next day, based on the nine points in our written terms service.

Step 5: Put it in writing

Even a one-page summary signed by both owners is far better than nothing. It should cover scope, area, response time, treatment of referred customers, any fee, disclosure, complaints and exit.

If money is involved, or either side wants exclusivity, ask a lawyer to review the document before you sign. That cost is small next to a dispute later.

Then write the customer-facing wording. Our disclosure guide has templates for phone, quotes and your website.

Step 6: Set up simple tracking

From day one, record every referral in both directions. Six fields are enough: date, source type, partner, whether you made contact on time, outcome and job value.

Give each partner a simple name or code their customers can mention. Ask every caller the same question: "Did someone recommend us?" before "How did you hear about us?" The referral tracking service shows the full layout.

Step 7: Run the first 90 days

During the trial, your job is to be the partner everyone wants:

• Reply fast. If you agreed one business day, aim for the same day.
• Report back. Tell the partner when you've contacted their customer and, later, how it went, without sharing private details.
• Send work their way. Even one referral in the first month shows you mean it.
• Thank them. A short call or note after a good job matters more than most owners think.

Keep a light touch. Partners are busy owners too, and a weekly check-in will feel like pressure.

Step 8: Review at 90 days

At the end of the trial, look at the record with each partner:

• How many referrals went each way?
• How many became jobs, and what were they worth?
• Were response times kept?
• Did any customer raise a concern?

Then decide together: continue as is, adjust the terms, or part on good terms. Ending a partnership that isn't working is a healthy outcome, not a failure.

Common mistakes in a first circle

• Starting with too many partners. You'll break promises without meaning to.
• No disclosure. It feels awkward to mention at first and costs you dearly if a customer finds out later.
• Treating partners as a link source. If a partner's website mentions you, it should be to help their customers, not to move rankings. Google treats link exchanges made for ranking as spam.
• Forgetting the other direction. Relationships that only take soon go cold.
• No review date. Without one, poor partnerships drift on for years.

What to do next

Work through steps one to three this week; they cost nothing but time. If you'd like a second pair of eyes on the mapping, our partner mapping service does the same work with you, and the contact page explains how to reach us by call, text or email.