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Morning, gap-hunters.

Vanity metrics are finally getting tossed, AI is sneaking into trades you didn’t expect, and small businesses are finding time, money, and optimism where dashboards once lied. If you still track “likes” as growth, today’s issue is your intervention.

Aryo

SPOTLIGHT: Partnering With Founders Who Hate Wasting Ad Spend

GAP OF THE WEEK: Growth Isn’t Clicking the ‘Like’ Button Anymore

What just dropped:

Tech companies and platforms used to chase SMBs with flashy analytics and vanity metrics. But the latest data shows those faux metrics now rank dead last across 15 performance indicators. Business owners surveyed say revenue growth, ROAS, and net-new customers matter most. Metrics like views, shares, or even email opens are least useful for scaling real revenue.

Why it matters:

SMB operators don't have margin for wasted metrics. If “engagement” isn’t converting, stop chasing likes and pivot measurement to money—fast.

Simple pivot plan (30-day test):

1. Drop one vanity metric you’re tracking and replace it with a revenue-linked KPI (e.g. add-to-cart rate).

2. Audit current dashboards: flag anything that doesn’t correlate with closed deals or real pipeline.

3. Run A/B tests where the only difference is focusing on lead quality versus reach—and double down on the winner.

SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Blue-Collar Businesses Are Secretly Winning With AI

What’s Happening:
AI isn’t just for startups—it’s quietly reshaping trades. HVAC techs, landscapers, plumbers, and electricians are tapping into AI tools via platforms like Housecall Pro, Jobber, and ServiceTitan. A survey shows 40% of users employ AI, saving an average of four hours per week. That’s admin hours turned into billable hours.
(kiplinger.com)

Why It Matters:
If you believe your sector is “offline,” think again. AI is now embedded in the workflows of businesses that still roll in their vans every morning. It’s boosting efficiency, professionalism, and margin—without flashy AI fanfare.

30-Day Playbook:

• Peek at your local tradespeople—who’s already using ServiceTitan or similar—and ask how.

• Test one AI tool on your own admin tasks (auto-email, booking, schedules).

• Measure reclaimed time: divided by your hourly rate—that’s instant ROI.

TWO-MINUTE GAPS

• Tradespeople lead AI adoption (without replacing humans)
  Over 70% of home-service contractors have tried AI, and roughly 40% use it actively for admin tasks—scheduling, invoices, and customer messaging—freeing up an average of 4 billable hours per week.
  (asbn.com, pmmag.com)

• AI use fuels optimism, not job cuts
  Nearly 40% of small business owners using AI expect to add new jobs in 2025—not eliminate them. 68% are already using AI, and most say it improves efficiency, not replaces their team.
  (asbn.com)

• AI saves 20+ hours and cuts costs
  58% of SMBs report saving more than 20 hours per month with AI tools, which they reinvest into growth like customer acquisition and processes.
  (arxiv.org, finance.yahoo.com)

STAT OF THE DAY

36% of UK small businesses are now growing — that's up from just 21% last year. And among those using AI, a remarkable 77% report increased productivity (nearly half saw improvements in under three months). (TechRadar / Intuit survey)
(techradar.com)

TURBO HEADLINES

• UK Services PMI Hits Highest in 17 Months
  New business surged, pushing services sector growth to a post-pandemic high—even as cost pressures linger.
  (reuters.com)

• BoE Calls for Calm as Bond Yields Spike
  UK long-term borrowing costs briefly climbed to the highest since 1998 before easing—raising concern over fiscal strain.
  (theguardian.com)

• SMBs Still Held Back by Tech Costs
  A Shopify survey finds 96% of SMBs see tech as growth-critical, but 44% cite cost and 30% cite ROI risk as blockers.
  (techradar.com)

Top Publishers Hand-Selecting Amazon Brands to Promote this Holiday Season

This holiday season, top publishers are actively sourcing brands to include in their gift guides, newsletters, listicles, reviews, and more to drive high-intent shoppers straight to Amazon storefronts.

Here’s why it matters:

• Amazon brands are seeing a 5:1 conversion rate compared to their DTC site

• Millions of shoppers discover products through trusted publishers

Levanta is working directly with these publishers to introduce them to a small number of 7–9 figure brands.

If you qualify, your products could be featured in high-traffic placements that deliver predictable CAC and directly measurable sales.

See if your brand qualifies

⏭ CLOSING LOOP

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Forward this to the founder still bragging about impressions while the HVAC guy down the street just freed four billable hours with AI.