AI the vL Way

Business Problem Statement: Write Yours in 5 Lines

October 5, 2026

Watch: Business problem statement, write yours in 5 lines

This is the video behind the post. It runs about a minute and shows the card being filled in line by line, so you can copy it while you watch.

A business problem statement is a short note that says what’s broken, what it costs you, and what better would look like. For a trades business, 5 lines is enough. You can write it on the back of a quote.

In my community we call it a Build Card. It’s the first thing a new member posts. This post gives you the same 5 lines, and you can use them anywhere: with your crew, with your bookkeeper, or with your AI.

Why a business problem statement comes first

Most owners skip this part. They know something is off in the office, so they go shopping for an app.

Then the app gets set up for a problem nobody wrote down. Months later it’s still on the credit card, and nobody opens it.

Writing the problem down first does 3 things:

If you don’t know which problem to write about yet, start with which business problem to fix first. It shows you how to pick the one that costs you most.

The 5 lines

Copy these and fill them in. Keep it short. Rough words are fine.

My trade, and how big my team is:
The 1 office problem I want fixed first:
What happens now:
What it costs me (jobs, dollars or evenings):
What better would look like:

Here’s what goes on each line. (This part of the video)

Line 1: your trade, and how big your team is. A 2 person electrical shop and a 15 person roofing crew have different problems. So say which one you are.

Line 2: the 1 office problem you want fixed first. Just 1. Not the list. If you write 4 problems, you’ll get 4 half answers.

Line 3: what happens now. Say it the way it really goes. “The phone rings while I’m on a roof, and I call back 2 days later.”

Line 4: what it costs you. Count it in jobs, dollars or evenings. Pick whichever one you can put a number on. A rough guess is fine. If you want a plain place to start on the money side, the Business Development Bank of Canada has a short page on what cash flow is.

Line 5: what better would look like. This is the line most people get wrong, so it gets its own section.

Use a number or a moment

“Things run smoother” isn’t a finish line. You can’t tell when you’ve crossed it.

So on line 5, use a number or a moment. Like this:

“I stop losing 3 calls a week.”

Or a moment: getting home by 6.

Both of those you can check. Either the calls stopped getting lost or they didn’t. Either you were home by 6 or you weren’t.

“I stop losing 3 calls a week” beats “things run smoother”. (See the 2 cards side by side)

It’s the same idea as a measuring tape. You don’t cut trim “a bit shorter”. You cut it to a number. The bank has a name for goals written this way, and its page on SMART objectives is worth 2 minutes if you want the longer version.

What a filled-in one looks like

Here’s an example. The shop is made up, and so are its numbers.

My trade, and how big my team is: Plumbing, 4 of us
The 1 office problem I want fixed first: Missed calls
What happens now: Calls go to voicemail while we're on a job. I call back at night, or not at all.
What it costs me: About 3 jobs a week
What better would look like: I stop losing 3 calls a week.

That took 5 lines. And now anyone who reads it knows where to start.

Then show it to someone

A problem statement that stays in your truck doesn’t do much.

So show it to 1 person who can help. In my community, that’s the whole point of the card. You post it, then you read 1 other member’s card and leave 1 helpful reply. (That step in the video)

Reading someone else’s card helps you too. You’ll see your own problem in a different trade.

Once it’s written, the next question is how to fix it. Build vs buy software runs 2 questions on whether to rent a tool or build your own way of doing it.

Try it on your own business

Here’s your move for this week: fill in the 5 lines, with your own number on line 5.

If you want help with it, the full Build Card and a prompt that walks you through it one question at a time are free in my Skool community. It’s lesson 1.4 in Start Here. Post your card there, and I’ll point you to where to start.

More at thevlway.com.