No Time As A Tradesman? Tech To Help You Reclaim Your Lunch Hour

Working as a plumber or builder doesn’t leave much time for activities in general. It can be tough to find even just a short break as you transition to a small business and take on all the responsibilities that come with it.

So how do you work your way around this? The answer lies in embracing the modern world: capitalising on technology’s efficiency. Join us as we detail just some of the best software that will ensure you can reclaim your free time.

Mobile tools

Perhaps what often stops you from taking that all-important break is having to run about for items and materials. Maybe your client told you they have a spirit level but when you turned up it was nowhere to be found, or upon starting a job you discovered that additional tools are required to complete it.

With mobile apps such as Makita, it’s no longer necessary to get in your vehicle and seek out these implements. Instead, you can use your mobile phone to carry out tasks like checking sound levels, measuring distances and ensuring that any fixings are level.

Job search help

Maybe the reason you never have a lunch hour is because your mind is always focused on the next project, and so you can’t help but to take any opportunity to find new work. There’s software available that can reduce the amount of time this takes. These include Rated People, which is specifically designed for the tradesman industry.

With over 75,000 jobs published each month, it allows you to quickly and easily find new leads. On top of this, there’s a separate app for homeowners that are looking to have work completed by a tradesman. This means, with any luck, you’ll barely have to search for projects, and instead have them come straight to you without any effort.

Time organisation assistance

If you find laborious administrative tasks are taking up your time, then there are plenty of time management tools out there to help. These will enable you to schedule and manage multiple projects so you’re always on track. With business calendars and software to stay up to date with project progress, you’ll never forget a job, and clients will be continuously satisfied!

And it’s not just your time you can organise with time management apps. If you have any employees, you can coordinate their jobs with ease too. It’s simple to track their time on individual jobs with full visibility provided via tools such as Harvest. The software also allows you to see the proportion of a budget that has been used, on top of key aspects such as deadlines.

Quotation creation

Timesheets can also be easily created using specific software. Plus, the struggle of creating before-job documents, such as cost estimates, is also taken away.

With apps like Quilder, you can create estimates, quotes, invoices and shopping lists on the go, saving time and also helping to win business. Additionally, you can manage all paperwork and ensure all documents are designed in line with your company colours. All of these features mean you can make sure that there’s no delay in starting your projects.

Finance management

You’ll want to guarantee that there’s no lag in getting paid for your jobs either. There are specific apps that allow you to create customised invoices, making the process swift and smooth. With software such as Zervant, you can automate the procedure so that invoices are generated, sent and chased without any actual effort required from you.

If you often take in-person payments of significant value, then even these can be made simpler with technology. Clients don’t need to have cash on them, and you won’t have to take a card machine with you on every job. Instead, you can use an app that securely scans debit or credit cards. The transactions are 100% safe and encrypted, without any details stored on your phone. Peace of mind will be provided for both the client and you.

Tax return software

One financial aspect you might have particular difficulty with is the Self Assessment tax return. Thankfully there is also a software available to help with every step involved in this burdensome task.

Many find that completing their tax return is either too difficult or they simply don’t have the time required to do it themselves. However, accountants are often too expensive. As well as looking for software to save time and money, you need somewhere to keep track of expenses, mileage and materials.

As a tradesman, you can keep on top of logging these by easily inputting them in Self Assessment software. Tools like GoSimpleTax even allow you to take photos of receipts and add them via a smartphone, so you can complete your required tax tasks on the go!

Claiming expenses is a great way to reduce the tax you pay, and the software will offer relevant saving recommendations as you fill in your information. On top of this, it works out all the calculations for you. You can forget any stress associated with the tax return. GoSimpleTax makes the whole process easy.

Our software also submits the Self Assessment tax return straight to HMRC for you. This means you don’t have to go through the lengthy process of trying to file directly to them yourself. With our tools, you can manage your time and finances with ease. So, say goodbye to poring over the figures – and take back your spare time.

To get started with GoSimpleTax, you can sign up for a free 14-day trial. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with our friendly team today.

Blog content is for information purposes and over time may become outdated, although we do strive to keep it current. It's written to help you understand your Tax's and is not to be relied upon as professional accounting, tax and legal advice due to differences in everyone's circumstances. For additional help please contact our support team or HMRC.