New iPhone/iPad app makes life easier - for builders and customers!
Chris Hogan, 7th March 2015, Business
An app launched two years ago to help building trades with their paperwork, quotes, estimates and billing is winning awards and attracting investors. What's so good about it and could it help you?
As the iPhone and then the iPad made the internet easier to use and access, all sorts of sectors have started using computers in a way that was just not possible ten or even five years ago.
Computers in the building trade
People working in the building trade who wanted to use computers would have to rely on written notes and then do everything on a computer once they were back at home. Unsurprisingly most people in the building trade don't really like doing paperwork and admin, so using computers becomes a pain unless it's all made easy.
So it was really only larger companies with offices and full-time admin staff who could really use computers to any real benefit.
Phones and tablets change all that
But now trades can get online quickly and easily and, perhaps more importantly, customers can as well. Using an iPhone or iPad app for the admin actually helps out - because by taking away all the bits of paper and diaries it reduces costly mistakes.
Trades using something like this will automatically appear more professional and organised than those relying on paper. It can even save money because invoicing becomes more efficient and accurate.
Keeping track of jobs
'Powered Now' has aimed at trades like plumbers, carpenters, electricians and builders and gives them the ability to cover the whole job process, from appointments through estimates and quotes to invoicing, taking all the relevant information along the way. This means there are no errors from manually copying figures from bits of paper, notebooks and diaries to a computer and then to an invoice.
As the job progresses things change, as they nearly always do. The customer changes their mind about where they want something. A tree stump or drain damage is discovered which holds up the job and trades have to be put on hold. Materials prices go up after you've quoted but before they are bought. The tiles the customer wanted are out of stock and the replacements are a different price.
All these things need to be remembered and if they change the price, the customer needs to be informed and agree to them (depending on your terms and conditions). With your iPhone or iPad close to hand these changes can all be recorded immediately so nothing is lost. And quotes can be automatically accepted and rejected by the customer by text or email if you're using the full version.
Managing time
There's a fully functional diary and calendar system which can even calculate the time and distance between appointments, so that times given to customers are more realistic. Customers can even be updated on progress or likely arrival times via text message or email.
When you can't connect to the internet the app stores everything on your device, then the next time you're in range it copies all the information across automatically. It can send all the relevant information to bookkeepers and accountants too, so that's another painstaking job out of the way.
What does it cost?
Currently it's only available on iPhones and iPads but according to the press there's an Android version in development. There is a free version with all the features for managing jobs, invoices, quotes and appointments, but it doesn't allow you to communicate by email or text or use the postcode.
You can also use the full version on trial for 14 days then move to a paid version or downgrade to the restricted free version. There are two payment options for the paid version: annual at £49.99 or if you're still unsure, you can pay £4.99 per month without any long-term commitment.
It's low risk so why not give it a try?
