Is there ever a bad time to get job management software? Probably not. But working out which software can best serve your business is important. Find out how to make the best choice for your business with our handy guide.
If you’re running a busy trades business, you’ve probably considered job management software (JMS) before. But when is the best time to get off the pen and paper approach that’s supported you for so long and start investing in software to manage your jobs? Well, that’s the million-dollar question.
Let’s break it down to find out when job management software could be a good choice for your business.
How long does it take you to get paid?
Cashflow is key to a healthy business and if you’re not invoicing frequently then you’re not getting paid frequently.
Here’s a funny rule our Founder, Dan Pollard, goes by “the longer you take to invoice, the longer the customer takes to get paid”. Often business owners will talk about their weekly or monthly invoicing session, this usually happens when invoicing is a difficult process.
You’re less likely to make mistakes writing out the invoicing, less likely to forget the details of materials and labour, and you’re also less likely to forget to invoice altogether.
When do you do your admin?
Late at night? On the weekends? As little as possible?
Small business owners suffer from burnout at outrageous rates. 54% of small business owners feel anxiety because they struggle to turn off. Implementing sustainable processes in your business will help keep the burn out at bay.
JMS helps you to make admin easier to do frequently and quicker to get through. A touch of a button turns a quote into a job and a job into an invoice.
How much would you actually use the software?
This all depends on how you run your jobs and whether or not the JMS has the right features to align to how you run your business. There are lots of JMS options out there, and no two are exactly alike. Check out our buyers guide (link) to find out more about which JMS is the right one for you.
If you’re a one-man-band, you might just need simple job scheduling and invoicing tools, keeping you organised and on top of your finances. This can be worth the investment, as you can quickly and accurately price up jobs for customers on the go, chase unpaid invoices and check your upcoming jobs, without having to go through a manual calendar.
On the other hand, you might have a growing business with a few employees going out to various jobs throughout the day. In this case, having some more JMS functionalities might be useful for your business, such as a calendar to check which jobs your employees are at on certain days, remote job sign-off tools and keeping on top of charged and uncharged job time.
Do you want to grow?
The last consideration when choosing your job management software is future planning. Where do you want your business to be in the next 5-10 years? You don’t want to have to change software options every time your business goes through a growth phase, so have a think about if it’s a software that can grow with your business.
You can find out if a JMS will be able to support your future business by looking at the subscription options on offer. If you’re starting off small but wanting to grow, see if you can find a software that offers a basic subscription with the option to upgrade later down the line when you want to start managing employees working on different jobs.
In short, there’s no wrong time to get job management software. At a basic level, it will help you to get on top of your finances, reduce hours spent on admin in the evenings, and allow you to take control of the direction of your business. See it as an investment, allowing you to make your money back in time saved (and make actual money back from those pesky unpaid invoices).
Fergus job management software offers everything you need to manage your business, from simple quoting and invoicing on the go, to managing teams of up to 50 staff, at a range of subscription levels to suit your individual business needs. Book your free demo today to find out if Fergus is right for you.
Dan Pollard
