Keeping everything organised

[Ant Parkes]

Right lads and lasses,

Picking up quite a lot of work recently. Mainly bathroom refurbs which keep me in a spot for 2 weeks a time. Or atleast I book a full 2 weeks, if I finish in 1.5 i'll fill the gaps with CP12's or boiler services.

What do you lot use to keep your business running? I'm a one man band and from start (18 months ago) I've used Google Calendar for my cal and Kashflow accounting package.

However, I'm finding I'll write the names / numbers / addresses down on an A5 pad when on the phone to them as my calendar is on my phone. Then I transfer that to my larger A4 pad which I write all my quotes on. I like to keep this pad tidy, so I can scroll through quotes etc. I then type them up on Kashflow and send them. Once I win them I obviously book them in.

However, those smaller jobs i'm really struggling with planning. I'll write them down (or started putting them on Google Tasks), but they're the jobs I'll plan in, the morning I know i'll have chance to get to them. Where you think, I'll finish the bathroom prep at 2 and shoot off and do a couple jobs but hit problems and leave at 4 etc. Those sort of jobs. Some of which, i forgot i've even got to do because i'm flicking between like 2 pads and google cal and kashflow.

Surely there is something out there to keep track of all this? Apart from someone doing my Admin lol

Are most digital these days or sticking with a paper diary? My worry is leaving it somewhere and that's your jobs booked in gone **** up

 

[townfanjon]

Get fixed up with a app based invoice system that holds a database and previous invoices in a cloud .
I use powered now , it has a lot if other features that I havnt got in to yet .

 

[rpm]

I keep it all up here in my head.
Sorry what was the question

 

[ShaunCorbs]

i keep a pad (a5 size) for small jobs any big jobs goes in the phone also any materials i need etc

 

[Ant Parkes]

Get fixed up with a app based invoice system that holds a database and previous invoices in a cloud .
I use powered now , it has a lot if other features that I havnt got in to yet .

Thanks mate.

Kashflow is great at keeping record of my accounts. I used to use Expert Trades but just did my head in with certs etc and more bothered about marketing than getting things fixed. But one thing I miss from that is changing a quote to won and booking it into the calendar which synced with google cal. Then once the end date is up convert to invoice and send.

 

[Ant Parkes]

i keep a pad (a5 size) for small jobs any big jobs goes in the phone also any materials i need etc

What do you use, just notepad on phone mate?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

What do you use, just notepad on phone mate?

I use my Callander and notes for materials keep materials list to each job

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Thanks mate.

Kashflow is great at keeping record of my accounts. I used to use Expert Trades but just did my head in with certs etc and more bothered about marketing than getting things fixed. But one thing I miss from that is changing a quote to won and booking it into the calendar which synced with google cal. Then once the end date is up convert to invoice and send.

Have you tried telling them that ?

 

[Harvest Fields]

Gas engineer software transfers quotes to invoices really easily, that’s what I use. I also use an A5 pad for jobs and my iPhone notes for larger stuff.

 

[Ant Parkes]

Have you tried telling them that ?

Telling expert trades? Yes mate. They have been saying a new app is to be released and been saying it for 6-8 months now and still nothing.

I've left them now as they just worry about podcasts too much as opposed to listening.

I've messaged kashflow to ask if they can incorporate a calendar to Google cal to convert quotes to appointments

 

[Ant Parkes]

Gas engineer software transfers quotes to invoices really easily, that’s what I use. I also use an A5 pad for jobs and my iPhone notes for larger stuff.

What do you then use for accounts mate?

 

[Harvest Fields]

What do you then use for accounts mate?

Sage mate. You can I link it all together.

 

[Ant Parkes]

Sage mate. You can I link it all together.

Which sage mate? Cloud based or desktop version?

Just took a look at that powered now and does look very good actually. GES I have used a trial of before and also good, just very particular with how invoices look as i'm OCD!

 

[Harvest Fields]

Which sage mate? Cloud based or desktop version?

Just took a look at that powered now and does look very good actually. GES I have used a trial of before and also good, just very particular with how invoices look as i'm OCD!

I had to let that go. As the App is very Efficent. My invoices are very basic now, ohh and cloud based. Not keen on it but it works.

 

[Ant Parkes]

I had to let that go. As the App is very Efficent. My invoices are very basic now, ohh and cloud based. Not keen on it but it works.

Thats the only thing I really struggle to let it go.

Although the certs seem great. There is around 150 certs we do each year so not huge. MY main work is bathrooms unfortunately. I'd like to change that as my old man was always and is a gas man. I just got my name about for bathrooms until I qualified in gas and its a hard one to shove now.

 

[Harvest Fields]

I’m getting more and more bathrooms. Not sure where they are all coming from to be honest.

 

[Ant Parkes]

I’m getting more and more bathrooms. Not sure where they are all coming from to be honest.

Same mate, can't complain though as keep you busy for a while. I'm booked until end of October atm which is nice to look forward to and good money in them aslong as the customer expects it and realises it isn't a 500 quid job.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

What they coming out at roughly

 

[Harvest Fields]

Same mate, can't complain though as keep you busy for a while. I'm booked until end of October atm which is nice to look forward to and good money in them aslong as the customer expects it and realises it isn't a 500 quid job.

Make sure you take a 50% deposit

 

[Harvest Fields]

What they coming out at roughly

Depends on the bathroom mate. I price each job individually. I do not use set prices.

 

[Ant Parkes]

Depends on the bathroom mate. I price each job individually. I do not use set prices.

Same as this. I did myself a print out so I could take to each job. Tick boxes etc on what is / isn't needed and I have set costs for those. Like electrics etc. Tiling per sq m.

I take a deposit if buying the suite, but a lot of the time I send customer in to pay for it as it keeps my turnover down and under VAT.

 

[Ant Parkes]

@Harvest Fields - hard to tell i know but. What would you roughly charge to fit tongue and groove white cladding ceiling 1.5 x 2.5 (its in 250mm wide sheets) and then 3 wall panels in shower. 880 x 1160 x 880.

Sent a price to a guy yesterday and got told I was ripping him off lol. Just wondering what you would guestimate at incase I am, ripping him off lol. I hate cladded ceilings.

 

[Harvest Fields]

I do not do ceiling work mate. The only person I know has fitted one off the top of my head is @king of pipes (I think it was him anyway)

Was the panels labour only? Are you stripping the old stuff out? Skip? What’s there are the minute. Are you fitting the shower tray/bath (If bath I wouldn’t panel the walls, I would get a tiler to do it. Probably to many factors unless you have a list of everything mate.

 

[Ant Parkes]

I do not do ceiling work mate. The only person I know has fitted one off the top of my head is @king of pipes (I think it was him anyway)

Was the panels labour only? Are you stripping the old stuff out? Skip? What’s there are the minute. Are you fitting the shower tray/bath (If bath I wouldn’t panel the walls, I would get a tiler to do it. Probably to many factors unless you have a list of everything mate.

Labour only mate, hes getting ceiling panels and shower board panels.

He said he'll strip the old screen out and tiles but I've got to just disconnect shower. So no skip either.

I'll then board wall panels onto wall there, as long as its sound. If not i'll tell him he'll need it re-plasterboarded / plastered. The ceiling is new but for the cladding i've always been told best to put 2x1 on the ceiling screwed through into existing joists and then pin the cladding to that. Some pin through cladding into plaster ceiling and glue it but i'd rather not.

I do my own tiling too.

The panelling is always something I struggle to quote haha

 

[king of pipes]

Hi bud i have clad a few ceilings it's a all day job so a day for that and 2 days for 2 men to do the panels if they are not straight forward , just finished one they come out at 2- 2.5 k for labour from start to finish so even a small bathroom your looking at 5K , I have 6 bathrooms on my books taking 2.5 - 3 weeks a time to complete so I am well into the new year with the heating switch on and 70 + boiler services to do I am gonna struggle but can't complain . Kop

 

[Harvest Fields]

So you only want. A price to panel the walls and ceiling? No tray or bath or basin?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Standard bathroom I'm looking at 6k all in

 

[Harvest Fields]

Standard bathroom I'm looking at 6k all in

Standard bathroom I'm looking at 6k all in

All full bathroom for me is anywhere from 3k upwards

 

[Ant Parkes]

See this is the pig. The basin and toilet are staying and so are the tiles behind them.

Only the shower area being boarded and ceiling being done. Ceiling an arse because I'm working over everything.

@king of pipes Do you 2x1 the ceiling to fix to or go straight into the existing ceiling with glue and screw?

I went 680 including glue for shower area boards and ceiling which I though was Okay. The boards and ceiling materials are 600 quid

 

[king of pipes]

I use a j trim around the perimeter of the room stuck up with up low modulus silicone and stapled in place with stainless steel staples ceiling boards are slid in stuck up and stapled in place through the tounge , that's how I do it boarding can't be rushed if you want a satisfactory finish £680 labour seems ok . Cheers kop

 

[Harvest Fields]

See this is the pig. The basin and toilet are staying and so are the tiles behind them.

Only the shower area being boarded and ceiling being done. Ceiling an arse because I'm working over everything.

@king of pipes Do you 2x1 the ceiling to fix to or go straight into the existing ceiling with glue and screw?

I went 680 including glue for shower area boards and ceiling which I though was Okay. The boards and ceiling materials are 600 quid

Not terrible but I would probably Have been higher if I’m honest. By a few hundred

 

[Ant Parkes]

@king of pipes - ah i've heard so many different ways. I would have also stapled, some say inch screws. Neither here nor there that but then some say 2x1 on ceiling to staple to, some say no need. I guess as long as its also siliconed to ceiling and stapled it shouldn't move.

@Harvest Fields - I wish i was now mate haha