One thing we all know for sure: change is inevitable. The basic knowledge and skills required for trades and home services work hasn’t changed much over the years, but technology has changed the way certain tasks are accomplished. For example, most hardwood floors are no longer sanded by hand, but with a large floor sander to cut down the amount of work. Like sanding floors, estimating projects and invoicing customers can be done by hand, but to make life easier for you, software is there to send estimates and receive payments.
Estimates with
software
There are a couple of reasons why some businesses still handwrite their estimates. It seems cheaper and more convenient, and sometimes writing out an estimate feels traditional and authentic because that’s the way it’s always been done. But while you’re feeling nostalgic about that handwritten estimate, your customer may be wondering where your time machine is. Most customers will expect to have an estimate emailed to them so they have a copy that’s not easily misplaced. Perhaps you’ve even had a customer request a digital copy of their estimate after you handed them the handwritten estimate.
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Emailing estimates to customers through a single software tool not only provides them with easy-to-find project records but also helps you keep a digital record of all jobs you have estimated. This makes it easy to search for an estimate when a customer calls to ask about the pricing: Instead of thumbing through stacks of estimates, you can type the customer’s name into the software and bring up the estimate right there on the spot. You can also change the estimate, resend to the customer for approval, and never have to worry about finding the most recent version in your stack of papers.
Invoicing and
payments with software
Although you may not get asked for digital payment methods very often, customers are starting to expect the flexibility and benefits associated with digital payments. Using software to give your customers the option to receive a digital invoice and pay by credit card or eCheck allows you to tie the payment back to the customer and the original estimate, which makes it easy to see what’s been paid and what’s outstanding. With software like Project 2 Payment, you can save even more time by converting any estimate into an invoice and then sending the invoice and payment link to your customer with the click of a button. No driving to pick up payment checks. No bank deposits. Just one simple and easy-to-use payment flow.
Why are
contractors moving to digital payments?
Plain and simple: contractors are experiencing real business benefits with digital payments. More than 8 in 10 companies now accept electronic payments, and it’s improving their collection speed! But that’s not all digital payments do to help your business:
- You get paid faster. When you don’t have to run to a job site to pick up a payment or visit the bank to deposit the check or cash, you cut out a lot of wasted time. Taking digital payments means that the payments hit your account in a minimum of two business days with hardly any effort on your part.
- Tracking payments is a breeze. Most people are great about providing a check when the work is completed, but not everyone is. You didn’t enter the trades to shuffle papers, babysit customers’ payment habits, and make sure they’re home when you’re ready to pick up the check. Make it easier on yourself by using software to take payment and track payments for you. It’s much easier than studying your bank statements or flipping through estimates and invoices to see if you received payment.
- Grow your business. According to NerdWallet, people spend substantially more money when they make purchases on a credit card instead of using cash or checks. Accepting digital payment methods could help encourage your customers to add the custom project flourishes that they would otherwise pass up.
Software like Project 2 Payment saves you time and makes you look like a modern-day trades business that understands how to pair traditional industry knowledge with today’s convenient technology. Making your project estimates, invoicing, and tracking faster and easier is a win-win for both your customers and your business. Start exploring how a small change in tools can end up making a big difference.
