QR TOP 500 LIVE brought together contractors of all sizes, but this year felt especially meaningful for small and growing home improvement businesses. With big industry changes happening all at once, SMB remodelers walked away with a clearer sense of where the industry is headed and how to stay competitive.
Here’s what stood out for MarketSharp.
Cautious Curiosity, But Still Plenty of Optimism
While headlines about industry shakeups created a more serious undertone, the overall mood was constructive and forward-looking.
What surprised many attendees was how many new and emerging companies were present. A strong signal that even smaller contractors see opportunity ahead.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed, most attendees seemed energized and:
- Interested in how others are adapting
- Open to new tools and processes
- Looking for simple, practical steps to modernize
This curiosity was one of the biggest strengths of the crowd.
The Biggest Theme for 2026: “Where Do We Start With AI?”
AI was everywhere: in sessions, in hallways, in booth conversations. But for small and medium businesses, the conversation was less about advanced automation and more about where to even begin.
Key question themes we heard from attendees:
- “How much AI do we really need right now?”
- “What can actually help my small team today?”
- “How do I make sure AI doesn’t complicate things?”
The takeaway for MarketSharp’s audience?
- Start small.
- Use AI to save time, support follow-up, and help your team stay consistent.
- Don’t feel pressure to overhaul everything overnight.
Be Clear, Be Helpful, Be Found
In his opening session, Marcus Sheridan pushed contractors to get more transparent online. This means clearer pricing, clearer answers, clearer expectations.
For small to medium home improvement companies, the impact is huge.
Most smaller remodelers still compete on reputation and referrals, but homeowners increasingly research companies long before they pick up the phone.
MarketSharp’s Product Manager, Brendon Willenkamp, summed up Sheridan’s point nicely:
“Marcus emphasized that companies must become far more transparent—especially around pricing, timelines, and project challenges—so that AI-driven search can accurately reflect their business. His message was timely and highly relevant for any contractor looking to improve how they show up online.”
The takeaway? If you don’t answer customer questions online, AI will (and it may not get it right).
For smaller teams with limited marketing resources, this is an opportunity to stand out without spending more money:
- Answer common questions on your website
- Explain pricing ranges
- Share honest timelines
- Address project challenges openly
A little clarity goes a long way.
Efficiency and Customer Experience Matter More Than Ever
One of the clearest messages from the event was that the customer journey is becoming just as important as the project itself.
For small teams, this translates into a few practical priorities:
1. Streamline your process
With fewer people on the team, manual tasks slow everything down.
2. Modernize the homeowner experience
Easy communication, quick follow-up, and clear expectations now set contractors apart.
3. Build resilience early
Economic uncertainty and labor unpredictability hit small companies hardest.
Simple, repeatable processes help reduce risk.
Final Thought: Small Teams Are Ready to Grow Smarter
Our Product Manager summed it up well for teams of all sizes:
“My biggest takeaway was just how quickly the industry is shifting toward operational efficiency and technology adoption. Contractors are thinking more strategically about the customer journey, not just the project itself. AI, payments, and financing came up consistently as areas where businesses know they need to modernize but aren’t yet sure how to start.”
This year’s QR TOP 500 LIVE reinforced something important. You don’t need massive systems to make real improvements.
You just need repeatable processes, a connected workflow, and a simpler way to keep up with leads and customers.
That’s exactly what MarketSharp is built to help you do. Schedule a demo today and see how MarketSharp can help your business run smarter.