A job moved, a customer postponed, and now there are open days on next week's schedule. This plan is a week of specific actions for filling short-notice openings. It won't guarantee a booking, and it won't fit every kind of work. A window-cleaning opening can fill in a few days. A kitchen remodel or a new build has a buying timeline measured in months, and a social post won't change that.
By Logen Doiel, founder of Tech Turtle and former painting business owner · 7 min read
The short version
1Write down exactly what you can take: dates, crew capacity, job types, and area.
2Start with people already talking to you: open estimates and customers who asked to be contacted later.
3Then ask referral partners you already have a relationship with.
4Post one specific opening with a real recent project, and make sure the link or number in it works.
5Count inquiries, estimates, and bookings separately. Likes aren't bookings.
First, define the work that actually fits
Before you post anything or think about a discount, write five things down. A vague "we have openings!" post attracts the wrong jobs, and a discount offered before you know your capacity can fill the week with work that doesn't pay.
Available datesThe actual days, and whether they're full days or partial.
Crew or owner capacityHow many people, for how many hours. One person for two days isn't the same as a crew of three.
Job types that fitWork that can be scoped quickly and finished in the window. For a painter, that might be one or two interior rooms, not a full exterior.
Service areaHow far you'll drive for a short job. A one-day job 90 minutes away may not be worth it.
Scheduling limitsWeather, material lead times, permits, or anything else that rules certain jobs out.
The seven-day plan
Each day has what to prepare, what to do, and what to write down. Change the order to fit your situation. If you already have three open estimates, Day 2 might fill the week on its own.
Day1
Define the opening and pick a real project
Prepare
Your calendar for the next two weeks.
Photos from a recent job similar to the work you want to fill the opening with.
Do
Fill in the capacity sheet: dates, crew, job types, area, limits.
Pick one real, recent project to use as proof. Make sure you have the customer's OK to share it.
Record
The exact opening, such as "Tue to Wed, 2-person crew, interior rooms, within 25 miles."
Day2
Review active inquiries and agreed follow-ups
Prepare
Your list of open estimates and recent inquiries.
Notes on who asked you to check back later.
Do
Contact open estimates where a follow-up is expected or was agreed to.
Reach out to anyone who said "maybe next month" and asked you to get back in touch.
Record
Who you contacted, what you said, and what they answered.
Day3
Contact your existing referral partners
Prepare
A short list of people who already send you work or know your work: realtors, property managers, related trades, past customers who've referred others.
Do
Send each one a short, personal message about the specific opening. No group texts, no purchased lists.
Record
Who you messaged and any referrals that came back.
Day4
Publish a specific availability post
Prepare
The project photos from Day 1.
A clear next step: a link to your estimate form or a phone number.
Do
Post the opening on your business page and anywhere else business posts are allowed.
Say what you can take, when, and where. Use the real project as proof.
Record
Where you posted and the date.
Day5
Make the next step clear, and test it
Prepare
The link or number from your post.
Do
Tap the link in your own post on your phone. Send a test request.
Check that your voicemail greeting, website, and Google profile don't contradict what the post says.
Record
Whether the test request arrived, and anything you fixed.
Day6
Answer questions and update availability honestly
Prepare
Your calendar, as it actually stands now.
Do
Reply to questions and comments.
If the opening filled, edit the post or comment that it's booked. If part of it filled, say what's still open.
Record
Inquiries received and estimates scheduled.
Day7
Review what actually worked
Prepare
Your notes from Days 2 through 6.
Do
Fill in the results log: which action produced inquiries, which produced estimates, and which produced a booking.
Record
What you'd do again and what you'd skip next time.
Messaging examples
Hypothetical example
Five messages for one open week
Pressure washing: a business-page post
We have an opening this Thursday and Friday for house washing and driveways in the Wausau area. Last week we cleaned the green growth off the north side of a two-story house (before and after above). If you've been meaning to get yours done before winter, send us a photo and your town through the link and we'll get back to you with a price.
Interior painting: a business-page post
A project moved, so we have two days open next Tuesday and Wednesday for interior painting. That's about right for one or two rooms, walls and trim. Here's a living room we finished last month. If you have a room you've been putting off, request an estimate through the link and tell us which rooms.
Moving: a business-page post
We have a crew and truck available Saturday the 24th for local moves within about 30 miles. That's a good fit for an apartment or a smaller house. If your move date is flexible, send us the date range, where you're moving from and to, and roughly how many bedrooms.
To an existing referral partner, sent one at a time
Hi [Name], it's [Your name] with [Business]. We have two days open next week, Tue to Wed, for interior painting, about one to two rooms. If any of your clients are getting a place ready to list or move into, I could fit them in. Either way, thanks for the referrals this year.
To a customer with an open estimate who hasn't decided
Hi [Name], it's [Your name]. You don't need to decide anything today, but I wanted to let you know we have an opening the week of the 14th if you'd like to get the [job] done sooner than we discussed. If later still works better for you, that's fine too.
Only contact people you have a reason to contact. Customers with an open estimate, people who asked you to follow up, and partners you already work with are fair to message. Purchased lists, mass texts to people who never asked, and anyone who has opted out or said no are not. Texting rules vary, so if you're unsure whether a message is allowed, don't send it.
What not to do
"Only 2 spots left!" when it isn't true
Instead: Invented scarcity is easy to spot and hard to recover from. Say exactly what's open.
Calling it a cancellation when it wasn't
Instead: If you just have open time, say "we have openings." You don't need a story.
Promising dates you can't keep
Instead: Only offer the days and crew you wrote down on Day 1. Then update the post when they fill.
Cutting prices first
Instead: Try the steps above first. If you do offer a lower price, tie it to something real, like a flexible date.
Messaging someone again after they said no
Instead: A "no" or "stop" ends the conversation. Note it so nobody on your team messages them again.
Posting in groups that ban business posts
Instead: Read the group's rules first. Many local groups only allow business posts on specific days or not at all.
How to record results honestly
A post with 40 likes and no inquiries didn't work. A single text to a past customer that booked a job did. Count each stage separately so you can tell which actions produced work.
Separate stages to track, with hypothetical example counts
Stage
What it means
Example count
Saw it
Views or reach on a post. A rough signal, not a lead.
~600
Inquiry
Someone asked about the work.
6
Suitable project
It fit your dates, area, and job types.
4
Estimate
You gave a price.
3
Booked
They said yes and scheduled.
2
Completed
The work was done.
2
Hypothetical numbers for illustration only. They aren't a benchmark or a Tech Turtle client result.
Do this todayOpen your calendar and write one line for the next open stretch: dates, crew, job types, and area. If you can't fill that line in, you're not ready to post about it yet.
Where your website fits
Every post, text, and referral in this plan needs somewhere to send people: a page that explains the service and a way to request contact. Without one, an interested reader has to message you and wait.
Tech Turtle's $50/month contractor website gives each service a clear page and an estimate request form, with instant notifications when someone fills it out. It won't fill next week's schedule on its own. It gives the steps above somewhere to point.
