AI and software advice for trades businesses across the Carolinas
Better tools.Fewer headaches. Room to grow.
Trade Software Advisors is a consulting service for owners of HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing and other trades businesses. I help you figure out which software and AI tools are worth it, and which aren’t, with plain-English advice built around how your shop actually runs.
Where technology helps
Where the right tools make a real difference, and where they don’t
Most trades owners don’t need more software. They need the right few tools, set up to fit how their crews and office already work. Here are the kinds of problems worth looking at.
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Calls and leads slipping through
Missed calls after hours, quote requests buried in a text thread, no clear record of who followed up. Simple call handling, booking and follow-up tools can close many of these gaps.
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Scheduling and dispatch by memory
When the schedule lives on a whiteboard or in one person’s head, a sick day can throw off the whole week. A shared schedule your techs can see on their phones is often the first upgrade worth making.
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Getting paid takes too long
Paper tickets, invoices written days later, chasing payments by phone. Invoicing from the job site and accepting card payments on the spot can shorten the wait.
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Paperwork after hours
Estimates, job notes, reminders and review requests that eat your evenings. This is where AI can help most today: drafting the first version so a person only has to check and send it.
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Tools that don’t talk to each other
One app for scheduling, another for invoices, a spreadsheet for everything else, and the same information typed three times. Sometimes the answer is connecting what you have, not buying something new.
Example (hypothetical): a four-truck plumbing company.
The owner answers calls from job sites, and his office manager rebuilds the schedule every morning. Rather than jumping to the biggest platform on the market, a good first step might be one field-service tool with shared scheduling and mobile invoicing, plus a review request sent after each job. A bigger system can wait until the team has outgrown it.
Examples on this page are illustrations, not client results.
How it works
A simple, no-pressure process
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Tell me what’s getting in the way
Use the form below to share a little about your business and what you’d like to improve. No jargon needed.
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We talk through how your business really runs
Your team, your jobs, the tools you already pay for, and what you can realistically take on right now.
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You get honest recommendations
Which options fit, what to watch out for, and what to leave alone. Sometimes that means a new tool. Sometimes it means using what you have better, or waiting.
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An introduction, if it helps
When a provider looks like a good fit, I can introduce you so you’re not starting from a cold sales call. The decision is always yours.
Straight answers
Straight answers before you spend a dollar
When the problem is really a process problem, when your team doesn’t have time to learn it this season, or when you’re only using a fraction of what you already pay for. A tool won’t fix an unclear process. It usually just makes the confusion faster.
What does it cost per user, per month, after any intro pricing? How long is the contract? Can you export your customer and job data if you leave? Who helps you set it up? Will your techs actually use it in the field?
It’s good at first drafts: estimate descriptions, follow-up emails, job summaries, review replies and answering routine questions. It’s not a replacement for your judgment on pricing, safety or customer promises. A person should review what goes out under your name.
It depends on the tool. Before using one, check where your data is stored, whether it’s used to train the vendor’s AI, and who on your team can access it. Avoid pasting sensitive customer or payment details into general-purpose chat tools.
Not necessarily. The right fit depends on your size, your trade, and how much setup you can handle. A two-person crew and a 30-tech company need very different things.
Pricing for advisory work is still being finalized. Separately, some software providers may pay me a referral fee if you sign up after an introduction. If that applies, I’ll tell you before you decide, and it won’t change my recommendation. See the full disclosure at the bottom of this page.
About
Hi, I’m Tyler Bolty
I’m a family man with a lot of respect for the people who keep homes and businesses running. Trades owners carry a lot: crews to lead, customers to keep happy, and bills to pay, often while still working in the field themselves.
I have a background in software engineering, and I started Trade Software Advisors because good tools can give owners some of their time back, but the options are overwhelming. This is a consulting business, and I’ll be upfront about that. What I’m offering is honest, fit-first advice: understanding how your business runs, then helping you choose what’s worth it, even when the answer is “you don’t need this yet.”
I love this part of the country and the people building businesses in it. If I can help you get a little more done with a little less stress, that’s a good day’s work for both of us.
Contact
What would you like to improve?
Tell me a bit about your business and what’s getting in the way. I’ll read it personally and get back to you by email.