These are the questions suppliers ask before working with us, from price and contracts to ownership and reporting. The short version: plans start at $1,999 a month, there's no long-term contract, you own everything, and we report on contractor accounts rather than vanity numbers. TradeAgency.ca is a marketing service, not a contractor, so none of our work involves installing or servicing products.
Frequently asked questions
What does TradeAgency.ca cost?
Plans start at $1,999 a month on month-to-month terms, or $1,499 a month billed annually. Elite is $3,999 ($2,999 annual) and Enterprise $7,999 ($5,999 annual). Prices are in Canadian dollars, plus GST/HST based on the supplier's province (GST and QST in Quebec).
Is there a long-term contract?
No. Plans run month to month and you can cancel with 30 days' notice. Annual billing is optional and gives a lower monthly rate.
Are you a contractor or installer?
No. TradeAgency.ca is a marketing and business consulting service. We never install, repair or service equipment, and we don't compete with the contractors you sell to.
Who owns the website, ad accounts and content?
You do. Ad accounts, analytics, your domain and the content we create are set up in your name or transferred to you. If you leave, everything stays with you.
We tried an agency before and it didn't work. Why would this be different?
Often the earlier agency treated a supplier like a consumer brand and reported on traffic instead of accounts. We start by defining what a good contractor account is worth to you, and we report against that. If we don't think we can help, we'll say so on the first call.
How long before we see results?
Branch listing fixes and search campaigns can show movement within the first quarter. Catalogue SEO and dealer program work usually take six to twelve months to reach full effect. We give you a realistic timeline before you sign up.
Do you promise a number of leads or rankings?
No. Nobody can honestly promise search rankings or lead counts. We promise clear work, honest reporting, and changes when something isn't performing.
What do your reports show?
Monthly reports cover the measures we agreed at the start: inquiries by source, accounts opened, branch listing activity, catalogue rankings, dealer engagement and spend. We explain what changed and what we're doing next.
Can you work with our sales reps and branch managers?
Yes, and we should. Reps and counter staff close most contractor deals. We set up lead routing so inquiries reach the right person quickly, and we ask for their feedback on lead quality.
Do you handle French-language marketing for Quebec?
We plan and manage French content and campaigns as part of the work, with French copy written for Quebec readers. The Office québécois de la langue française is the authority on the legal requirements, and your counsel should confirm compliance.
Can you give us advice on CASL or other regulations?
We design campaigns around consent and link the official guidance, but we don't give legal advice. For specific questions, use the CRTC's CASL resources or your own lawyer.
Do you only work with HVAC suppliers?
No. We work with suppliers to any trade that buys products: plumbing, electrical, HVAC, roofing, building materials and more. Our published results come from HVAC work, and we're open about that.
Do you work outside British Columbia?
Yes. We are headquartered in Vancouver and work with suppliers in every province and territory, consulting by video call or in person as well as by phone, text and email.
Before you call
It helps to know three numbers before a first conversation: roughly how much an average active contractor account spends with you in a year, your gross margin on that spend, and how many new accounts you open in a typical month. If you don't know them precisely, estimates are fine. They let us talk about value instead of guessing.
Our trade-account economics guide shows how to work these out from your own sales data.
About contracts and ownership
We work month to month because it keeps us honest. If the work isn't useful, you can stop with 30 days' notice. Everything we build in your accounts stays in your accounts. Full plan details are on our pricing page and the Trades.Agency pricing page.
About results
Our published results come from our HVAC work, including a parts catalogue with 2,000+ programmatic pages. We explain on the results page what each one shows and which parts transfer to a supplier. We don't publish invented supplier case studies or reviews.
About regulations
We name and link regulators and program administrators on our regional pages, but we never give compliance, legal or engineering advice. Where a rule matters to your marketing, such as Quebec's French-language requirements or CASL consent for commercial messages, we point you to the official source and suggest you confirm with your own advisers.
Questions we ask you
A good first conversation runs both ways. These are the questions we usually ask a supplier, so you can think about them in advance:
- Which trades make up most of your sales, and which would you like more of?
- How do contractors usually find you for the first time: a rep visit, a referral, a search, a trade show?
- What happens when a contractor calls or texts a branch for the first time? Who answers, and how fast?
- How many new accounts did you open last quarter, and how many are still buying?
- Do you have a dealer or installer program? How many members are active?
- What changes are coming in the next six months: launches, price moves, new branches, rebate changes?
You don't need perfect answers. Even rough ones show us where the opportunity is, and they often show you something useful too.
Signs we're probably not the right fit
We'd rather say this up front. We are likely not the right choice if you need trade-show booth production or print runs, if you need a promised number of leads, if your team can't respond to contractor inquiries within a business day, or if you're looking for compliance or legal sign-off on product claims. In those cases we'll tell you so and, where we can, suggest what kind of help would suit you better.
How we handle your data
Suppliers often share sales figures, account lists and margin data with us during an engagement. We use them only to plan and measure your marketing, keep them out of any shared material, and return or delete them when the engagement ends if you ask. If your company needs a confidentiality agreement first, say so in your first message and we'll review yours.
Still have a question?
Call, text or email. You'll talk to a senior strategist, not a call centre. See the contact page for what to include in your first message.