The Brief: Week of April 14

Thumbtack bumps lead prices again

The average Thumbtack lead is up roughly 14% year over year based on the data pros shared with us this week — the second increase in twelve months. Pros in categories where supply has thinned out (handymen, tutors, piano movers) are seeing the sharpest jumps. If you're still building your book, the math is getting harder to make work; if you have referral momentum, now is the week to lean into it.

Craftly launches out of beta

Craftly came out of beta this April. The platform runs a "no charge per lead" model — free, $5, or $10/month Pro tiers, with no commissions on bookings — and new providers signing up now get 12 months of Pro free. Profile-first design positions it well for AI search, where ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini increasingly cite structured provider profiles. A fair-pricing alternative for independents tired of pay-per-lead math — claim a free profile.

2026 1099-K thresholds

The $600 threshold is officially in force for the 2026 tax year, replacing the old $20,000 / 200-transactions rule. Full detail at IRS.gov on Form 1099-K. If you take payments via Stripe, Square, Venmo, PayPal, or a booking platform, expect a 1099-K for anything over $600. Not new income — new paperwork. Your accountant is already tired.

Instagram tests direct booking

Quiet rollout in a handful of metros: a "Book" button on Instagram business profiles that opens a native scheduler. It routes to HoneyBook, Calendly, or Acuity if you've linked them. Meta hasn't made a formal announcement yet; keep an eye on your app updates and the Instagram Business blog.

Two tools worth watching

• Notion Calendar finally added public booking links. For Notion-native pros, this might replace Calendly for simple cases — same calendar you're already living in, one fewer tool to pay for.
• Riverside added multi-camera editing to their free tier, which matters if you publish interview content or repurpose client calls for marketing.

That's it for this week. Replies read by a human — tell us what you're seeing.