4 minute read
Banish the pinch points
Can using job management software really save you time on business admin? James Chillman, UK country manager for Fergus, explains how it can.
Running a business can be hard. As well as all the work on site, administrative pinch points can take precious time away from the things you love doing, like spending time with your family and friends.
Despite the digital revolution of the past 30 years, many tradespeople are still using manual, often paper-based systems and processes to manage their businesses. This can ultimately lead to poor cashflow, lower profits and significant stress.
Tradespeople have effectively been left behind and ignored by the software industry, predominantly because the average size of trade businesses was considered too small to matter. In the main, the trades have had to rely on paper-based systems and other processes, such as email, which aren’t joined up and can lead to inefficiencies.
It’s all too easy for things to slip through the cracks, such as late payments or invoices, and that makes running your business laborious and stressful. Job management software is one solution and the best ones enable you to integrate all aspects of
your business, giving you complete oversight from start to finish.
Dan Pollard, founder of Fergus, began life as a plumbing and heating engineer in New Zealand. After going bust once and burning out once, Dan figured out that a trade business needs proper systems in place to keep it running – without running its owner into the ground.
Here are some top tips to avoid the pinch points in business:
Get the basics right
Always know your day-to-day costs and what you need to cover equipment and wages. You should always keep the minimum amount of money that your business needs in your account and never go below this. Keep a close eye on your accounts and on payments in and out.
Know when a customer has failed to pay an invoice, when you’re due to pay a supplier or when a late payment needs chasing. Spend time every day on your accounts and file receipts and invoices as soon as you get them. It saves time later on when you need to file your tax return.
Price correctly and control your overheads
Controlling your overheads helps eliminate waste. Use business software to integrate all aspects of your business and provide a powerful, easy-to-read, visual overview of your business in its entirety.
Using Fergus, you can see the status of a job from quote to completion, which gives you the power to plan ahead. Then you can employ sub-contractors when you need them and hire
equipment only when necessary. You can assign people to jobs in seconds by just using drag and drop; they’ll automatically receive notification through the app so there’s no need to phone or have a meeting.
You can build bespoke quotes in minutes, adjusting pricing or mark-ups on materials, or offer discounts where necessary; create digital job cards which can be seen anywhere and by anyone on your team by just logging into the app; fill out templated gas and electricity certificates; log hazards and on-site incidents, and record sign-offs.
Tackle problems fast
Problems can arise on any job and they can escalate if not dealt with quickly. This can then delay completion and eat into your bottom line. It’s important to spot problems as soon as they happen and deal with them. Fergus’s status board, for instance, is colourcoded and easy to read at a glance, so you’ll be able to see if something’s going wrong and fix it quickly.
Invoice on time
One of the biggest challenges and frustrations for tradespeople is invoicing and chasing up payments. Reminding customers to pay you on time is never pleasant and can make both you and them feel uncomfortable. One of the best features of a job management system for gas engineers is the ability to use in-built automated payment reminders. They can also make it easier to provide quick quotes and estimates.
Chase late payments
Get in the habit of issuing clear and easy-to-understand invoices as soon as a job is done. Job management software simplifies this: by logging your costs, the materials, and tracking the time you and your employees spend on it, you will have all the information needed to feed into the invoice. You can follow up late payment with automatic SMS messages.
Using these tips, you’ll be able to run your business more efficiently and more profitably. You’ll be happier, able to achieve a good work/life balance, and have more time to do the things you enjoy. ■
