customers want estimates e-mailed

toptreeman

toptreeman

Ive always giving written estimates with two sheets of carbon copies but most want an emailed copy. Should I just do quickbooks?? I would LOVE to just buy an ipad and have an easy app to just write a quick quick and email. any suggestions would be appreciated????????????
 
Gmail works great for me. Integrated calendar, best contact list I've found, and Google Drive for payroll and etc docs. I can't believe that people are paying for software with stuff this good out there - for free. An ipad may streamline the process, but a smartphone is good enough!
 
If you have QuickBooks already, Matt, I would just use the email option for sending estimates to clients which should then be converted easily to a sales order (see http://blog.betterbottomline.com/scott_g...uickbooks.html)

You could check the number of outstanding estimates periodically so you can do follow-up with the potential customers. If you can stay on top of it you might get some more conversions to sales or at least find out why you might not have gotten the customer to call you back.

Google offers a customer relationship management system that you can try for free, though the ability to link calendars and contacts means paying a monthly fee that's not that much more than Jobber. See a review of Insightly at http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2415234,00.asp

Good luck!
 
I had an added thought about getting away from paper: over a year ago a sizable landscape and arborist business of 50 years lost just about all their records in a catastrophic fire.

Going to the software "cloud" may be the better alternative to having your customer records go up to the clouds in a puff of smoke (or floods, tornados and earthquakes if fire doesn't scare you enough!
hot.gif
)
 
I do not have quickbooks. I have thought about it. I keep very poor records when it comes to estimates. jobs done or money collected. My small tree service of me and one helper continues to grow and i am becoming overwhelmed and restrained when it comes to juggling estimates, billing, or collecting, But I feel my most important job is to give the customer what they need and I feel they need a simple form describing the job and the job price emailed, So which one of these will be the easiest way for me to do in a timely fashion while with the customer or at there residence.Quickbooks? Jobber? and WINCH? does gmail have a streamlined estimate looking form
 
I use an app called invoice2go on my iPad,
I also have a printer in my truck,
I email and print the quote for the customer,


Shaun
 
Obviously, Google Drive is cloud-based too, accessible anywhere. Doing a quick search for "blank estimate forms on google drive" I found a number of acceptable forms - you can customize any one to your particular preference.

First thing is to get a gmail account, then start exploring all the options on the Google Drive. You will be glad you did.
 
I think, based on what you mention about your overall business records and how you manage them, you run the risk of losing insight into how your bottom-line is going. QuickBooks does have a "cloud-based" version so that you can track your inventory, your estimates, accounts payable and receivables, and such. The cloud base version is slightly higher than the one you buy at Staples or Office Depot, but you can also use payroll service for your assistant and know that with the right setup you've got the withholding data right. There is an alternative program that I hear rave reviews about: Freshbooks.com. I believe it is less pricey, still cloud-based, and has a solid following among very small business owners. I am not familiar with it "hands on" so I cannot speak as confidently about it. I would suggest you consider it, nonetheless.

Jobber, by it's own admission from I post I read them here (http://appcenter.intuit.com/jobber) isn't interested in managing the whole financial aspect of your business. Let's face it, if you haven't got a good grip on where your money comes and goes, a good estimate system is the least of your problems.

Ideally, you'd have a system that intertwined smoothly with both a QuickBooks system (I don't recommend Peachtree Accounting as it is really designed for CPAs and hard for non accountants to use)and a field-management system. I know those integrated systems do not come cheap for the small operation.

No, QuickBooks isn't really fast, easy and cheap (that sounds kind of like a sad prostitute, sorry!) to set up but you could load your various services into the billing and estimate portion so that you can select the services you are offering from a list and have it all compiled and totaled on the estimate. If you are using an accountant or bookkeeper to help you sort out the shoe box of stuff at year end, I would talk with them about setting a QuickBooks system up for you and give you some basic training; where I live the Small Business Admin has funded free trainings by their local partner agencies in QuickBooks so you may find the same near you.

The best customer service comes with a system that helps you know exactly how your business is doing so you can work with them with added confidence about your pricing, scheduling, etc... Good luck!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I do not have quickbooks. I have thought about it. I keep very poor records when it comes to estimates. jobs done or money collected. My small tree service of me and one helper continues to grow and i am becoming overwhelmed and restrained when it comes to juggling estimates, billing, or collecting, But I feel my most important job is to give the customer what they need and I feel they need a simple form describing the job and the job price emailed, So which one of these will be the easiest way for me to do in a timely fashion while with the customer or at there residence.Quickbooks? Jobber? and WINCH? does gmail have a streamlined estimate looking form

[/ QUOTE ]

If you delegate your accounting and bookkeeping to a pro; and wish to just sell and perform your trade - a really simple app for the iphone is available https://www.joistapp.com/

Its not quite refined enough for our job costing, budgeting, and productivity evaluation needs, but i had investigated and played with it a while back.

Produced in Winnterpeg, MB so it ought to be good!
 
I dont use quickbooks because my accountant does all of my bookkeeping as well. I dont want to worry about bookkeeping as i have enough other issues to worry about and our needs are complex. I did use quickbooks for four years and I think the program is pretty lame for anything but straight accounting. Its no substitute for a good service management software.
 
Yeah, Gmail is great and all, but google docs aint got nothing on Jobber. I've got some gripes about jobber, but when I compare it to when we used to make invoices and quotes on spreadsheets in Google Docs...I am living in the future now!

Just try it. It's very good at making it so I don't have to remember things. And they have a free trial. You literally have not a thing to lose.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Obviously, Google Drive is cloud-based too, accessible anywhere. Doing a quick search for "blank estimate forms on google drive" I found a number of acceptable forms - you can customize any one to your particular preference.

First thing is to get a gmail account, then start exploring all the options on the Google Drive. You will be glad you did.

[/ QUOTE ]

Totally disagree. Yes. You can make a fine enough of an estimate on Google Drive, but once it's sent out, Jobber would pick up your slack and help you to book the job once the client confirms it, then it will track all your jobs in a handy easy to see list, then ask you when each job is completed, then it will remind you to send out invoices, then you tell it when you got the check and if you don't get a check, it serves as a great reminder to resend the invoice.

Yes, Google drive can make the document, but Jobber can do SO much more for not much $/month
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom