u/Cute_Razzmatazz_3229

Hi everyone

We recently inherited an old house in Etobicoke. We plan a full reno but want to start with the main bathroom as it desperately needs a complete redo. We’re planning to strip it right down to the studs, but to be honest, we’re complete newbies when it comes to major renovations, as we never really had one.

Since it’s an older place, we’re pretty nervous about we will find behind the walls with the plumbing and wiring. We also have no idea how building permits work with the city, so working with someone who knows the Toronto/Etobicoke rules and can guide us through the process would be very helpful.

What we are looking for:
- Scope: full demo, layout tweaks if needed, new tile, plumbing updates, and fixtures
- Location: Etobicoke
- Requirements: Must have active WSIB, full liability insurance, and be able to provide references from similar recent jobs. We definitely need someone licensed who has knowledge about permits.

If you’ve done a similar overhaul in the West End and loved your contractor, please send their details our way!

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

My business partner and I run a small landscaping company based in Mississauga, serving the broader GTA. Up until now, word-of-mouth and referrals have kept us steady, but we're starting to see a slowdown in organic leads and are trying to figure out our next move with digital marketing.

We have a simple website that we’re happy with, but when it comes to driving traffic, we're overwhelmed by all the options out there.

We keep seeing conflicting advice - some people say google/meta ads are the quickest way to get leads for local trades, while others say you just burn through budget on low-quality clicks. Then we hear everyone claims to be a top SEO expert in Canada, but it feels like a long-term investment with a lot of empty promises.
We’ve also recently heard the GEO term thrown around regarding AI search recommendations, but we have no idea if it’s actually relevant for a local service business right now or just another buzzword.

Because there’s so much noise, we don't really know where to allocate our budget first.
For other GTA contractors, trade business owners, or folks who have hired marketing help:
Did you start with Paid Ads or SEO/Local search, and which gave you a better initial ROI?

Is GEO actually something local businesses need to worry about yet, or should we just stick to standard local SEO/Google Business Profile optimization?

How long did it take before you saw a noticeable shift in lead volume or lead quality?

What green flags showed you an agency was legit, and what red flags should we watch out for?

Please no agency promotional messages or DMs!!

Thanks for all the good advice