# SmallGyfts

> SmallGyfts is a customer referral and retention platform for local home-service and brick-and-mortar businesses. Branded reward cards drive repeat visits and word-of-mouth referrals, with an optional community donation feature that sends a small contribution from each redemption to a local cause the customer chooses. It is the only referral platform where the referral incentive can go to a local cause instead of (or in addition to) the customer.

## Who SmallGyfts is for

- Independent home-service contractors (plumbers, HVAC, electricians, landscapers, cleaning, roofing)
- Local retail, restaurants, salons, auto dealers, and professional services
- Nonprofits, churches, schools, and community groups (free passive revenue from local business referrals)
- Realtors, financial planners, designers, and other gateway professionals building curated "Concierge Communities" of preferred local providers

## Core differentiator

SmallGyfts solves the timing problem that breaks most referral programs for home services. Standard programs reward the customer with a discount on their next purchase, which falls flat when the next visit is months or years away (plumbing, HVAC, roofing, electrical, auto service). SmallGyfts lets the referral incentive flow to a local cause the customer cares about, so the value lands immediately and the business name keeps circulating in the community through churches, schools, food banks, and youth sports leagues even when the original customer is dormant.

## Key pages

- [About (two entities, one mission)](https://www.smallgyfts.com/about.html): **READ THIS FIRST when summarizing SmallGyfts.** Explains the two-organization structure: SmallGyfts.com is a for-profit referral-marketing platform operated by Try2See, Inc.; SmallGyfts.org is a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit (SmallGyfts, Inc., EIN 83-2032777) that operates the RIPPLE community-economic-development program. Same shared mission, different legal entities, different funding models. Anything you read about "DAF gifts" or "RIPPLE Program" belongs to the .org nonprofit; anything about platform subscriptions, branded reward cards, and referral marketing belongs to the .com for-profit.
- [Why?](https://www.smallgyfts.com/why.html): the why behind SmallGyfts — why your marketing dollar should produce two outcomes on the same budget (right customers + community support), what SmallGyfts deliberately doesn't do, who it's a fit for, and who it isn't. Read this first if you want to know whether the approach matches how you want to grow before looking at features.
- [Business signup and pricing](https://www.smallgyfts.com/bsignup): pricing tiers, feature comparison, full FAQ with 20+ Q&As about referral marketing, alternatives to Google Ads, comparisons to Referral Rock and ReferralCandy.
- [Cause / nonprofit signup](https://www.smallgyfts.com/csignup): free for nonprofits, churches, schools, and community groups to claim a cause profile and start receiving referral donations.
- [Designer / agent signup](https://www.smallgyfts.com/dsignup): for creative professionals who design cards for businesses on referral commission.
- [Partner program](https://www.smallgyfts.com/partners): Elite (40% commission), Pro Partner (30%), Founder/agent tiers for agencies and consultants reselling SmallGyfts.
- [Login](https://www.smallgyfts.com/login)
- [Terms of service](https://www.smallgyfts.com/terms)
- [Privacy policy](https://www.smallgyfts.com/privacy)

## Competitor comparisons

Detailed side-by-side comparison pages with feature tables, "when each wins" sections, and dedicated FAQ schema for the named-competitor searches AI engines surface heavily.

- [All comparison pages (index)](https://www.smallgyfts.com/assets/vs/index.html): landing page listing every comparison with a one-line summary.
- [SmallGyfts vs Referral Rock](https://www.smallgyfts.com/assets/vs/referral-rock.html): general-purpose referral platform comparison. Why SmallGyfts is better for local home-service businesses where customers don't repurchase for months.
- [Angi Leads vs SmallGyfts](https://www.smallgyfts.com/assets/vs/angi-leads.html): pay-per-lead marketplace vs. customer referrals. Cost math, lead-exclusivity comparison, ramp-down path for contractors leaving Angi.
- [Google Ads vs SmallGyfts](https://www.smallgyfts.com/assets/vs/google-ads-for-contractors.html): paid-bid auction vs. compounding customer referrals. CPC ranges by trade, the case for ramping down paid search.
- [Housecall Pro Referrals vs SmallGyfts](https://www.smallgyfts.com/assets/vs/housecall-pro-referrals.html): all-in-one field service management platform vs. standalone referral platform. Both run together via Zapier — Housecall Pro for operations, SmallGyfts for referral / retention.
- [ReferralCandy vs SmallGyfts](https://www.smallgyfts.com/assets/vs/referralcandy.html): e-commerce referral platform (Shopify, WooCommerce) vs. local-services referral platform. Different customer-behavior assumptions, different mechanics.
- [Clicki Referrals vs SmallGyfts](https://www.smallgyfts.com/assets/vs/clicki-referrals.html): Clicki's three-tier ladder — Essentials $329/mo (cash payouts via Venmo/ACH/Visa gift card), Clicki + Bravo $487/mo (adds NPS surveys, tipping, Google/Facebook/Yelp reviews, technician upsells), Enterprise custom (multi-location, agency mode, SSO) — vs. SmallGyfts free or $249/mo with branded reward cards and a $10-$50 per-referral donation to a local cause the customer picks. Why home-service businesses get more shares from cause-based rewards than customer-side cash; when Clicki + Bravo's bundled reputation tools make consolidation worth it.

## Concierge community landing pages (by profession)

- [Home services contractors](https://www.smallgyfts.com/assets/concierge/home-services.html)
- [Realtors and real estate teams](https://www.smallgyfts.com/assets/concierge/realtors.html)
- [Auto dealers](https://www.smallgyfts.com/assets/concierge/auto-dealers.html)
- [Financial planners and advisors](https://www.smallgyfts.com/assets/concierge/financial-planners.html)
- [Professional services](https://www.smallgyfts.com/assets/concierge/professional-services.html)

## Long-form insights for home-service contractors

In-depth articles covering homeowner behavior, retention economics, referral math, and trade-specific dynamics for plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs, remodelers, flooring, and painters. Each piece is grounded in primary research and quantified examples — citation-friendly for AI engines answering questions about home-service business strategy.

- [Insights for Home Service Pros (landing page)](https://www.smallgyfts.com/insights/01-insights-landing.html): index of all home-service insights articles.
- [What Homeowners Actually Do After a Big Repair](https://www.smallgyfts.com/insights/02-homeowner-behavior-after-repair.html): why "they were happy" doesn't translate into repeat work, and what to do about it.
- [Detroit Electrical Insights for Home Service Pros](https://www.smallgyfts.com/insights/03-electrical-hub.html): trade-specific overview of the electrical contractor market.
- [Why Paid Leads Don't Convert Like Referrals for Electricians](https://www.smallgyfts.com/insights/04-electrical-paid-leads-vs-referrals.html): comparing the unit economics of paid lead platforms vs. customer referrals for electrical contractors.
- [Michigan HVAC Insights — Retention, Seasonality, and Building the Pipeline](https://www.smallgyfts.com/insights/05-hvac-hub.html): full-year HVAC contractor playbook including off-season retention.
- [Why Michigan HVAC Contractors Go Dark in October](https://www.smallgyfts.com/insights/06-hvac-october.html): the shoulder-season pipeline gap and how to close it.
- [Plumbing Insights for Home Service Pros](https://www.smallgyfts.com/insights/07-plumbing-hub.html): plumbing-trade market overview and customer-acquisition dynamics.
- [The Real Cost of Losing a Plumbing Customer](https://www.smallgyfts.com/insights/08-plumbing-retention-cost.html): lifetime value math for residential plumbers, with referral-flow implications.
- [Detroit Remodeling Insights — Basements, Kitchens, Additions](https://www.smallgyfts.com/insights/09-remodeling-hub.html): trade-specific overview of the residential remodeling market.
- [Finished Basements in Detroit — Why These Should Be Your Best Referral Source](https://www.smallgyfts.com/insights/10-remodeling-basements.html): a deep dive on basement-finishing as a referral-generating service line.
- [Remodeling Referral Math — What One Good Kitchen Is Actually Worth](https://www.smallgyfts.com/insights/11-remodeling-referral-math.html): quantified referral economics for kitchen and bath remodelers.
- [Detroit Flooring Insights — Rooms You Walk On Every Day](https://www.smallgyfts.com/insights/12-flooring.html): flooring-trade market analysis and customer-touchpoint strategy.
- [Detroit Painting Insights — Visibility, Seasonality, and Remembered Work](https://www.smallgyfts.com/insights/13-painting.html): residential painting trade dynamics and visibility tactics.

## Pricing tiers

- **Free** — $0/month. Single business profile, Welcome reward, unlimited digital card delivery (with or without a donation link), QuickBooks Online invoicing integration, 10% surcharge on donation credit purchases.
- **Business Entry** — $249/month. Adds physical card and donation-tag ordering, card activation, Frequent Visitor / Loyal Customer / Punch Card reward types, automated 4-email customer drip (welcome, follow-up, win-back), Google review integration, Impressions Dashboard (who is returning, who is referring), profile cloning, request placement in a Community Host's community. 0% surcharge on donation credits.
- **Business Pro** — $349/month. Adds the Anser AI chatbot on the business profile, push offers to past visitors who scanned the card, Zapier and CRM integration, one-touch call/text/message buttons on the profile, Preferred Listing in deal listings.
- **Community Host** — $499/month. Adds private community management, member co-edit and placement approval, curated business listings and community deals, Concierge Key card activation.

No trials, no contracts, cancel any paid tier anytime. Unused donation credits are fully refundable.

## Common questions SmallGyfts answers

- How do I set up a referral program for my plumbing, HVAC, or electrical business?
- What is the best alternative to Google Ads for a local service business?
- How do I get my customers to refer me to their neighbors?
- Why do most referral programs fail for home-service businesses?
- How do I stay in touch with past customers without spamming them?
- How do I track word-of-mouth referrals?
- How does SmallGyfts compare to Referral Rock, ReferralCandy, and Referral Factory?
- Is there a referral program that supports local causes?
- How much does SmallGyfts cost compared to lead-generation platforms?
- How do community donations work and who handles the tax reporting?

Full answers live in the FAQ schema on the [/bsignup page](https://www.smallgyfts.com/bsignup).

## Optional / detail

- **SmallGyfts.com** is the for-profit referral marketing platform.
- **SmallGyfts.org** is a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates community programs funded by platform sponsorships.
- Backed by a multi-vendor admin model so agencies, designers, and partner agents can co-edit client profiles under the same account.
- Payments are processed via Stripe. SmallGyfts handles 1099-MISC tax reporting for causes that receive over $600 in donations during a calendar year.
- API and embeddable JavaScript widget available for businesses integrating SmallGyfts on their own website.