Everything you want to know about Vera.

Vera is an AI receptionist built specifically for Canadian trades businesses. She answers every call in your business name, captures the caller's name, phone number, and reason for calling, then sends you a text message with the details. You never miss a lead while you're on the job.

Vera picks up in your business name — "Thank you for calling Riverside Plumbing, this is Vera, how can I help you?" She asks what they need, captures their name, number, and job details, and ends the call professionally. Within seconds, you get a text with everything you need to call back.

Vera speaks English, French, Mandarin, Hindi, and Spanish. She detects the caller's language automatically and switches — no setup required. All languages are included in every plan with no upsell.

Yes. On the Full Front Office plan, Vera integrates with Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook. She checks your availability, offers the caller time slots, and confirms the booking — all during the call. No portal to log into, no back-and-forth.

Yes. The Full Front Office plan includes one call redirect — typically to the business owner. You can add team member redirects for $99/month each, up to 5 total. If the person doesn't answer, Vera takes a message and texts you.

A traditional answering service uses real people working shifts — variable quality, limited hours, and high cost. Vera works 24/7, speaks 5 languages, never takes a sick day, and costs a fraction of the price. Every caller gets the same professional experience, every time.

You can be live within 48 hours of completing the intake form. The form takes about 8 minutes. We handle everything — Vera is briefed on your business, your number is set up, and you forward your existing phone to Vera. That's it.

No. You keep your existing business number. You simply forward it to Vera's number — a quick setting in your phone's call settings. Callers dial the same number they always have. Nothing changes for your customers.

No. Vera Direct is a standalone plan at $199/month — just the AI receptionist. If you already have a website and billing sorted, and just want Vera answering calls and texting you messages, Vera Direct is the right fit.

Any trade or home service business — electricians, plumbers, HVAC, landscapers, painters, cleaners, roofers, pressure washers, locksmiths, mobile mechanics, snow removal, junk removal, and more. If you run a service business and answer your own calls, Vera is built for you.

Foundation (SEO website, billing system, and review generator) is $249/month. Full Front Office — everything in Foundation plus Vera answering every call — is $349/month. Vera Direct (receptionist only, no website or billing) is $99/month. All prices are in Canadian dollars.

No contracts. You pay your first month upfront, then month to month. Cancel any month — no penalties, no questions. Everything you own stays yours: your domain, your website content, your business email.

Yes. Every plan comes with a 30-day free trial. Your card is required to start but you will not be charged until day 31. Cancel before then and you pay nothing.

Your card is charged automatically at your plan rate on day 31. You will get a reminder email 3 days before. After that it is month to month, cancel any time, no penalties.

No. One flat monthly rate covers everything in your plan — calls, hosting, domain, updates, and support. The only add-ons are optional: additional team redirect numbers ($99/month each) and Microsoft 365 email if you want it.

Your website is built specifically for your trade and your city — not a generic template. It's mobile-ready, fast-loading, and includes your services, your contact information, and your brand. Hosting, domain management, and ongoing updates are all included. You never have to think about it.

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It means your business shows up when someone in your city searches for your trade on Google — things like "electrician Edmonton" or "plumber Calgary." Every GroundWork website is built with SEO from day one, so customers who are actively looking for what you do can actually find you. Your competitor who shows up first on Google is not necessarily better than you — they just have better SEO.

AEO stands for AI Engine Optimization. It's the newer cousin of SEO. When someone asks Google's AI, ChatGPT, or Perplexity "who is the best plumber in Edmonton?" — AEO is what gets your business recommended in that answer. GroundWork websites are built with structured data and direct-answer content that AI search engines prefer. You get found by both traditional search and AI-powered search.

Yes. Every GroundWork website is submitted to Google Search Console and built with the technical foundations search engines need — fast load times, mobile optimization, structured data, and location-specific content for your trade and city. Most clients start appearing in local search results within a few weeks of launch.

Yes — completely. Your domain is registered in your name. Your website content belongs to you. If you ever leave GroundWork (no hard feelings), you take it all with you. We don't hold your business hostage.

You can keep it if you prefer. Vera Direct ($99/month) works with any existing website — it's just the AI receptionist. But if your current site isn't showing up on Google, isn't mobile-friendly, or hasn't been updated in years, starting fresh with a GroundWork site is often the smarter move.

You create an invoice in seconds — client name, job description, amount. Hit send and it goes to your client by email, professionally formatted with your business name. They pay by e-transfer. You see the payment land and mark it paid. That's it. No accounting software, no spreadsheets, no paper.

Yes. The system automatically queues a friendly reminder after 5 days and a follow-up after 12 days for any unpaid invoice. You review and approve before anything goes out — you're always the trigger puller. No automated emails go to your clients without you seeing them first.

Yes. Standing invoices let you set up a recurring invoice for any client — weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Set it once, and the system generates the invoice on schedule. You review it as a draft and release it when you're ready. Your regular clients get billed on time without you lifting a finger.

Yes. The billing dashboard shows you every invoice at a glance — draft, sent, paid, or overdue. You can see your total outstanding, what came in this month, and what's past due. No more guessing who owes you money.

Yes. The billing system is fully mobile-ready. You can create and send an invoice from your truck, on a job site, or anywhere you have your phone. Your client gets a professional invoice in their inbox within seconds.

It's not a full accounting system — it's a billing system built for trades businesses that want to send invoices and get paid, without the complexity of QuickBooks. If you have an accountant who needs full bookkeeping software, you'd still use that separately. But for the day-to-day job of sending invoices and tracking who's paid, GroundWork handles it simply and cleanly.

GroundWork is a front office platform built for solo and small-crew trades businesses in Canada. It bundles an AI receptionist (Vera), a professional website with built-in SEO, a billing system for invoices and payment tracking, and business email — all in one flat monthly rate.

Yes. GroundWork is a BusiBoxx company, based in Edmonton, Alberta. We serve trades businesses across Canada — Alberta, BC, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and beyond. Local phone numbers are available in most major Canadian markets.

Every GroundWork website is built for your specific trade and city, is mobile-ready and fast-loading, and includes built-in SEO so Google knows you exist from day one. Hosting, domain management, and ongoing updates are all included. No web designer required.

The GroundWork billing system lets you send professional invoices by email, track paid and overdue invoices, and accept payment by e-transfer. It's built to be simple enough to use in 5 minutes between jobs — no accounting software to learn.