I spent the last two years helping businesses figure out AI.
Most of them were tech companies, agencies, and startups. And the work was fine. But something kept nagging at me.
The people who need AI the most aren't using it at all.
I'm talking about contractors. The HVAC company owner running a $2 million operation off a whiteboard and a gut feeling. The plumber who's losing three hours a week typing up estimates that could take ten minutes. The electrician whose office manager is drowning in scheduling calls when a simple automation could handle half of them.
These businesses are the backbone of every city in America. Ten percent of the entire US workforce. And right now, private equity firms are quietly buying them up, consolidating them, and squeezing out the independent operators who can't keep up.
That's why I started The AI Memo.
This newsletter exists for one type of person: the contractor or home service business owner who knows something is shifting but doesn't have time to sort through the noise.
Every Tuesday, I'm going to send you one thing you can actually use. Not theory. Not hype about robots replacing your crew. Practical stuff that saves you time, wins you more jobs, and tightens up your operation.
I'm also building something bigger. A community where trades business owners can connect, share what's working, and learn from each other. More on that soon. But for now, let's start with something you can use today.
Your first AI win (try this before next Tuesday)
Pull up ChatGPT or Claude on your phone. Copy your last three Google reviews — the good ones. Paste them in and type this:
"Based on these reviews, write me five different responses I can post. Keep them warm, professional, and under 50 words each. Mention specific details from each review."
That's it. What used to take you 20 minutes of staring at your phone trying to sound professional now takes about 45 seconds. And responding to reviews quickly is one of the strongest local SEO signals Google looks at. So you're saving time and showing up higher in search results.
If you're an HVAC company and a customer writes about how your tech fixed their furnace on a Saturday night, your AI-written response will reference that specific detail. It looks personal. It looks fast. It builds trust with every future customer who reads it.
Try it. It works.
Next week, I'm breaking down the three AI tools that every contractor should be using right now — and none of them cost more than $20 a month.
I'm also lining up interviews with real trades business owners who are already using AI in their operations. You'll hear directly from people running companies like yours, talking about what's working and what isn't. Those conversations will be dropping as audio right inside this newsletter, so you can listen on the drive to your next job.
If you got something out of this, hit reply and tell me one thing: what's the biggest time-waster in your business right now? I read every response, and your answer will shape what I cover next.
Talk Tuesday.
— Greg Adams