Most contracting businesses are small businesses, and most articles about small business lead generation services are written about software companies. The prices, the sales cycles and the buying committees are all different, so a contractor reading a general small business benchmark is reading about somebody else's market.
What a contractor actually pays
Published fresh exclusive contractor leads run $100 to $225 by trade, shared versions at roughly half, and aged records $0.15 to $10. Those figures come from lead sources' own pages and describe the market a contractor buys in. A general small business lead benchmark quoted from software or professional services describes a different product with a different sales cycle.
What small business services usually bundle
Lead generation companies for small businesses frequently sell a package: a website, a listing presence, some advertising management and a lead flow, on a monthly fee. The trouble with a bundle is that it cannot be compared with a per-lead rate without unbundling it, and the seller has no incentive to help you. Ask what the monthly fee produces in enquiries, then divide.
The check that matters most
What you own at the end. A package built on your own domain and ad accounts leaves you an asset; one built on the provider's site and phone numbers leaves you nothing, and the difference is rarely made explicit at the point of sale. Ask specifically who owns the domain, the number and the reviews, because those three are the whole value of a small contractor's marketing.
Questions people ask about small business lead generation services
What do small business lead generation services cost a contractor?
The relevant published figures are the contractor tiers: $100 to $225 for a fresh exclusive lead by trade, roughly half that shared, and $0.15 to $10 for aged records.
Should I buy a bundled package?
Only after unbundling it. Ask what the monthly fee produces in enquiries and divide, so it can be compared with a per-lead rate.
What should I own at the end of a contract?
The domain, the phone number and the reviews. A package built on the provider's assets leaves a small contractor with nothing when it ends.
Do general small business benchmarks apply?
Rarely. Most are written about software and professional services, where a lead means a business with a budget cycle rather than a household with a broken system.