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.