Groundwork handles the two operational bottlenecks every small business battles: answering the phone 24/7 so you never lose a job to voicemail, and politely chasing overdue invoices until they're paid.
Every small business owner we know is brilliant at the work and quietly losing revenue to two things they have no time for: a phone they can't answer while their hands are full, and completed jobs sitting on unpaid invoices because following up is awkward.
Groundwork does both boring parts so you can focus entirely on high-value client work and going home on time.
One-time setup: $49 per product, $99 for Complete. Cancel online any time.
A dedicated 24/7 voice receptionist (Riley) answers in your company's name after a few rings, takes caller details, confirms callback times, and sends immediate text summaries to your phone. Urgent calls get escalated straight to you.
"Thanks for calling [Your Business Name], this is Riley. How can I help you today?" — your company name, your services, your rules.
Address, scope of work, best callback number — accurately verified. True emergencies (urgent repairs, priority client emergencies) put straight through.
A full text summary with audio recording sent to your cell within a minute. One reply books or updates the job.
Tell us your services, hours, service area, and urgent escalation rules. We configure your custom greeting and you test it on the demo line before going live.
Zero truck re-wraps. Zero reprinted cards. Zero Google profile risk. You keep your existing business phone number. Carrier conditional call forwarding (*71 / *61) only forwards unanswered calls when your hands are busy.
Every call is transcribed and recorded. Access transcripts and audio anytime from your phone, with a comprehensive activity digest delivered every Monday.
Three polite touches over 45 days, in your voice, on the channels your customers actually read. When they reply, it's understood and handled. When they pay, it stops automatically.
"Quick note that invoice #1042 is a week past due. Happy to resend it or send a link."
"Invoice #1042 is now three weeks overdue. Could you let us know when we can expect payment?"
"This is our final reminder on invoice #1042. Please settle by Friday or get in touch so we can sort it out."
A spreadsheet, or an export from QuickBooks, Xero, Wave, FreshBooks, Jobber — whatever you use. Once. We clean your customer contacts as part of setup, and you keep the clean list.
Every message identifies your business and sounds like you. Replies like "paid yesterday" or "can I pay Friday?" are understood and answered. Disputes and anything unusual go straight to you.
What was chased, what came in, what's promised, what needs you. That's the only thing you ever have to read.
Get both flagship solutions bundled into one seamless operational engine. Never miss an inbound client lead, and never chase another overdue payment after dinner. Save $49/mo every month.
$99 one-time non-refundable setup fee ($398 total Day 1). Dedicated line provisioning, custom greeting configuration & contact scrub. Zero long-term contracts — cancel anytime.
Local small businesses, independent practices, and solo operators — small businesses (plumbing, HVAC, electrical, roofing, landscaping), accountants and bookkeepers, solo attorneys, hair salons and styling studios, auto repair shops, physical therapy clinics, and commercial services — anyone who works hands-on and needs the phone answered and invoices collected.
Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC first. If you're somewhere else and want in, say so on the demo form.
One-time setup: $49 per product, $99 for Complete. Cancel online any time.
Transparent monthly plans with zero long-term commitments. Setup fees are non-refundable and cover dedicated line provisioning & setup.
$49 one-time non-refundable setup fee ($198 Day 1).
$49 one-time non-refundable setup fee ($248 Day 1). Billed monthly.
$99 one-time non-refundable setup fee ($398 Day 1). Both products bundled.
10-minute setup online · Live tomorrow morning
Experience both services before you spend a dime:
Dial the number, pretend to be a customer booking a job or asking about services, and hear Riley answer after a few rings.
One-time setup: $49 per product, $99 for Complete. Cancel online any time.
It's an automated 24/7 voice receptionist, trained specifically on your business and services. It answers after a few rings at 2am on a Sunday, never puts anyone on hold, and every call is transcribed and texted directly to your phone. For anything urgent, you receive the notification within a minute.
They hate voicemail more. Callers get a polite, quick conversation that ends with confirmation that you will follow up directly — which is more than most businesses give them. You can test the demo line yourself right now at (571) 554-5050.
Absolutely not. You keep your exact existing business phone number on your vehicles, storefront, business cards, Google Business Profile, yard signs, and website. Using standard carrier conditional call forwarding (*71 / *61), your phone rings a few times first. If you don't pick up because your hands are full, the call silently routes to Riley. The whole setup takes about ten minutes.
You tell us what counts as urgent for your business (e.g. active water leak, no heat in winter). Those callers are put straight through to your cell, and if you can't be reached the caller gets your emergency instructions and you get a text immediately.
Three messages in 45 days, all polite, all in your name — that's fewer than most people send by hand, just more consistent. You approve the exact wording before anything goes out, and anyone who replies with a question or a complaint is handed straight to you.
It sends one generic email that gets ignored — which is why the money is still outstanding. We reach people where they actually read, by text, in your voice, and we handle the replies. Software sends; we chase.
No. It's you reminding your own customers about your own invoices, the way you do today, just consistently. No third party, no threats, no fees added to their bill.
The system understands that, stops immediately, thanks them, and flags it for you to confirm against your bank. It never chases something marked paid.
It stays on servers we control and is used only for the reminders you've authorised. We never wipe your customer history: if you leave and come back later, your account and its records are reactivated as they were. Full details in our privacy policy.
One-time setup: $49 per product, $99 for Complete. Cancel online any time.
One-time setup: $49 per product, $99 for Complete. Cancel online any time.
I run Groundwork from Tysons Corner, Virginia. I built it because every small business owner I know is brilliant at the work and quietly miserable about the chasing. Groundwork does the boring part so you don't have to — starting with getting paid and answering your calls, then the rest of the admin nobody enjoys.
Questions? (571) 554-5050