Most marketing reports are written for marketers: impressions, click-through rates, sessions, bounce rates. An accountant reading one can't tell whether the money worked. Our advisor-ready report answers one question on one page: what did marketing cost this month, and how many paid jobs came from it?
What the report is
It's a monthly summary of marketing spend and results, laid out for someone who doesn't work in marketing. The owner receives it first. If the owner wants their accountant, lawyer or lender to see it, we send it to them as well, and only them.
It's an honest operating report, not a financial document. Figures that rely on the owner's own job records are labelled that way.
Who it's for
- owners who want a clear answer each month without decoding marketing jargon
- accountants who prepare monthly or quarterly figures for trades clients, see accountant referrals
- lenders and brokers whose borrowers have asked them to keep an eye on progress, see lender referrals
- lawyers handling a sale or succession who need to know marketing assets are in order, see lawyer referrals
What's on the page
| Line | What it means | Why an advisor cares |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing spend | Everything paid to us, to ad platforms and to any other marketing vendor | Matches the expense line in the books |
| Genuine enquiries | Calls, texts and emails from potential customers, minus spam and job seekers | Shows demand, not noise |
| Booked jobs | Enquiries that became scheduled, paid work | The only result that pays the bills |
| Cost per booked job | Spend divided by booked jobs | Comparable month to month and against job value |
| Average job value | From the owner's records | Shows whether marketing brings the right size of work |
| What changed | Two or three plain sentences | Explains swings before anyone asks |
Timeline
The first report covers the first full month of work. Expect early reports to be noisier than later ones; three months gives a fairer picture, and twelve months shows the seasonal pattern that matters so much for Ontario trades, where heating calls peak in winter and landscaping in spring.
How the numbers hold up
We use a few rules so the report stays trustworthy:
- Spend includes everything. If the owner pays another vendor, we include that cost when they tell us about it.
- Enquiries are cleaned. Wrong numbers, sales calls and job applicants are removed.
- Booked jobs are confirmed against the owner's records where possible, and marked as estimates where not.
- Nothing is annualised or projected without saying so clearly.
A worked example: in March a roofing company spends $4,500 in total and books 9 jobs averaging $9,000. Cost per booked job is $500, or about 5.6% of job value. In July the same spend books 15 jobs, so cost per job falls to $300. The report shows both months side by side, so nobody panics in March.
What owners tell us they like about it
The format exists because owners asked for it. Many trades owners meet their accountant quarterly and their lender once a year, and they want to walk in with a clear answer to "is the marketing working?" rather than a stack of dashboards. A single page with six lines lets them answer in a sentence and spend the meeting on what matters. It also puts the owner in control: they decide who sees the page, and they can see exactly what their advisors see.
Who sets up access
The owner tells us, by call, text or email, which advisors should receive the report. We confirm each change in writing, and the owner can withdraw permission the same way. We never add a recipient because an advisor asked; the request has to come from the owner.
Mistakes to avoid
- Copying advisors by default. Consent comes first, and the owner can withdraw it any time.
- Reading one month in isolation. Trades are seasonal; compare like with like.
- Treating the report as an audit. It's a management summary.
- Ignoring average job value. Cheaper leads that bring smaller jobs can be worse.
Our guide to marketing numbers for accountants explains each line in more depth. To see a blank example layout, call, text or email.
Frequently asked questions
Who receives the report?
The owner, always. Anyone else, such as an accountant, lawyer or lender, receives it only when the owner tells us to send it, and the owner can stop that at any time.
Is this an extra cost?
No. Monthly reporting is included in every Trades.Agency plan. The advisor-ready layout is just the format we use when an owner wants their advisors to follow along.
Is the report a financial statement?
No. It reports marketing activity and outcomes. It isn't audited, it doesn't replace anything an accountant prepares, and it isn't a forecast or a credit document.
Where do the booked-job numbers come from?
From call tracking, enquiry records and the owner's own job records. Where a figure depends on the owner's records, the report says so, because we can't see inside every scheduling system.