Just as the industrial revolution allowed for more productivity, advances in technology over the last twenty years have allowed for the quality of work to be much more accurate. With all the different software available today to help a tradesman, the possibilities are endless.
There’s an app for that!
There are apps for everything nowadays. The general consumer uses their phone for ordering a ride, dinner, checking the stock market, social activities, and now to hire a tradesman when something malfunctions at home.
The best tradesmen are listed on apps, because they know that this is where people go to find business. Tech companies have made these apps very user-friendly, since consumers don’t want to invest too much time searching for the right guy. Tradesman apps are wonderful solutions for people who might not know any plumbers or electricians, because they have people for hire listed by their trade, their rating and reviews. The efficiency of the mobile platform allows for easier customer-access and quicker business growth to the tradie.
Online trades and guides
Technology has also improved the way that trade journals look and how they’re delivered. These days, all the trade journals that you’ve been reading for years are changing into electronic newsletters. The advantage of this is that you can easily obtain a copy of the journal on any of your devices, and keep up to date with whatever is going on in your trade of interest. In these journals you’ll find news on any updates to regulations, and the general news surrounding your trade. This platform allows for quick and easy access to information, by which consumers and tradesmen alike can make wiser business decisions. Through more accurate information from the internet and the various trade journals focused on your industry, you will have a better chance of making smart investments.
At the jobsite
The first impression is the most important thing when arriving at the potential customer’s property. When you arrive with a pen and a clipboard, it might convey that you have an old school mindset. But if you arrive with a tablet, and a software program or spreadsheet you have created to collect data, it tells the customer that you’ve moved into the more technical side of your trade. You can easily switch between things such as the cost of your supplies and your proposed contract without any inconvenience.
Once you have the bid for the job-ready, you can email it directly to your customer. This way, your prospects and potential customers are more capable of making informed decisions.
Digital commerce has allowed for easier access to and purchase of the supplies that you need, within a shorter period. Once you get the job, you’ll be able to use your tablet to get the right supplies and have them delivered directly to the jobsite. For example, you were hired for the job to renovate a bathroom. You can go online, find the exact paint and tile examples to show your client, check to see their selected items are in stock and purchase the supplies and tools you need to do the job – all with a few taps on your tablet.
Tools have also turned high tech. If you’re in the plumbing trade, you can geek out on all the new gadgets: amazing HD video inspection system with a cable and an LCD monitor, and the ability to record video and audio; the latest faucet with voice recognition in your client’s new bathroom. The possibilities are endless.
After the job is over
Let’s not forget the amount of paperwork that follows the completion of a job: the invoices, keeping track of your payments, and your taxes.
The amount of software programs available in this digital age have made it so much easier for a tradesman to complete the paperwork. If you can’t afford to outsource, look at using a program like QuickBooks or a free program such as Sighted or Due; these can be a great help in ensuring a successful business. This touch of professionalism really inspires more customer confidence, and is more likely to advance you among your competitors.
In addition, you can offer your customer a discount on their next service if they give you a great review on your app. Tech companies have made tradesmen more profitable in their industry. From the way they are discovered and booked, to the way they estimate and order products for the job, tech has allowed tradesmen a greater peace of mind and confidence in the future of their business.