August 2025 Pro Highlight — Meet Tony.

DustiO

Meet Tony, a 4 year Top Pro home services pro with over 100 5-star reviews — and Pro Advisor on our Thumbtack Pro Advisory Board. Tony is the owner of WiseChoice Home Services in Colorado. We asked him about his Thumbtack experience and to share some advice for other pros. Check out what he had to say and comment below with your story or any advice you'd like to share with other Thumbtack pros.

Can you tell us a bit about your business and what inspired you to start it? We started WiseChoice Handyman services because we saw a gap in quality and professionalism in the segment. There are plenty of professional roofing, plumbing, and remodeling companies, but not many handyman services. We knew that by providing a quality service we would quickly rise to the top.

What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as a business owner, and how did you overcome them? Hiring. Finding good help is REALLY hard, and keeping good talent is equally hard. We are still working on solutions to streamline hiring quality but a big help was having a quality assurance officer who has eyes on all of the projects being performed.

How has Thumbtack contributed to your business's success? Thumbtack is our primary lead source. We have seen over 1000% ROI (Return On Investment) from what we have spent on leads. So it is safe to say that it has contributed greatly to our success.

What advice would you give to new business owners starting out on Thumbtack? There is only one reason for a person to be on thumbtack and that is to request a service. The consumer has to jump through numerous hoops to get their contact info to you which helps to weed out people who aren't serious. So when a lead comes in I know that they want the service performed, it's just a matter of who gets the business. For this reason, follow up is KEY. If you don't do it somebody else will.  If a Thumbtack lead goes out to 3 people and our company gets 70% of the business, that tells me that the other 2 companies are splitting the other 30% of the leads! Do you think they are talking about how great Thumbtack is? Nope! They are probably going to cancel and leave more leads for us. Thumbtack pays off for those who actively respond to and work leads. If you can't do that then this lead source may not be the best choice for you. If you can commit to having a strong follow up Thumbtack is AWESOME!

These leads are about as ready to make a decision as you could hope for. So, to keep it simple and relatable, put yourself in the shoes of today's consumers.

We are a society of immediacy who've become used to getting the information or product we're looking for in a matter of minutes, if not seconds. "The Jeff Bezos effect" as I like to call it. Consumers on Thumbtack are now different. They have questions about a potential project OR even better, have done whatever research they need to and are ready to schedule. So pros should: 

• Get back to them immediately
• Answer any questions they have
• Offer themselves as a resource instead of a service to sell
• If they don't close on the initial contact, set clear expectations for future follow up

Last but not least... And for me, it is clutch! LOOK AT YOUR COMPETITION. Keep it as simple as knowing how many reviews the other pro has and of course, making sure you respond before they do. Plus... when a consumer only chooses you and no other pro's, that can be a very different conversation.