records of jobs?

[PurdueJoe]

How many of you guys keep a written record of each job in terms of what it was bid for and how you came out on it to help when you bid similar jobs? My g/f's dad owns a home remodeling company and does this on all this jobs and swears by it. Granted it's easier justify the amount of time spend on building these records when it may take anywhere from one week to 2 months to complete a job verse doing 2-4 jobs in a day. When you are the owner, operator , mechanic, quality control etc. its hard to find time to add anything extra. I guess I could be doing that instead of asking what everyone else does.

 

[ASD]

Yes we "cost out the job" to see how we did.

We also look at the jobs we bid and did not get and track what other CO's bid compared to us so we can try and figure out how to beet them next time.

 

[bulldoglover]

Right now I do not do that, but its on my list of things that I always say I'm going to do after a job. One of these days I'll stop being lazy and actually do it.

 

[yooper]

I always keep written records. I do allot of jobs for people whom own 2nd and 3rd homes on lake superior and other lakes in the area. when they call back for another bid I know what I charged them for the last job, which helps me bid the next one. I price jobs a couple different ways, if I charge a local person who works in the area say 300 bucks for a tree job my bid will be totally different for the same tree if I go down the driveway see a couple high dollar cars and Illinois license plats on the vehicles....usually triple the price, They are used to them prices from the city and have the money to pay.

 

[Raymond]

I was just thinking of starting a thread like this

I've been wanting to keep records with the computer but haven't started it yet. I have all the jobs I've done, with notes in a big box but not much help when someone says you did some work for me in the passed. It's a deep box.

I wanna set up something that I can go to and bring up jobs...by names, phone number or addresses. Notes of what we've done, dogs, tight asses, etc.

Something that if my computer should crash or come up missing I would still have access to them.

Any help with a program or whatever for this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[PurdueJoe]

Yopper,

I bet the PIA fact also goes up with those "transplants" too?

 

[yooper]

Yopper,

I bet the PIA fact also goes up with those "transplants" too?

yep...trolls, F.I.B's, and flatlanders all get the same treatment

 

[BC WetCoast]

I've been wanting to keep records with the computer but haven't started it yet. I have all the jobs I've done, with notes in a big box but not much help when someone says you did some work for me in the passed. It's a deep box.

I wanna set up something that I can go to and bring up jobs...by names, phone number or addresses. Notes of what we've done, dogs, tight asses, etc.

Something that if my computer should crash or come up missing I would still have access to them.

Any help with a program or whatever for this would be greatly appreciated.

One way to start would be to give each customer a file folder. Each folder would then contain, estimates, contracts, timesheets (if you keep time by the job), sub contract invoices etc. Also any notes you may have. Then you can keep this alphabetically in a filing cabinet. You could also separate it geographically.

This can get you started. Then when you have time/money, hire a high school computer whiz to create a database for you and scan in the documents from each file. ACT or Maximizer could help you here.

 

[Ghillie]

One way to start would be to give each customer a file folder. Each folder would then contain, estimates, contracts, timesheets (if you keep time by the job), sub contract invoices etc. Also any notes you may have. Then you can keep this alphabetically in a filing cabinet. You could also separate it geographically.

This can get you started. Then when you have time/money, hire a high school computer whiz to create a database for you and scan in the documents from each file. ACT or Maximizer could help you here.

And just to add, once you set up a filing system as BC WetCoast as described, integrating the information into a contact management program (like ACT! or Maximizer) will be a lot easier.

I am trying ACT! right now and am liking it more and more.

 

[Greystoke]

Computers or old school

Although I would like to eventually carry my laptop to jobs and have an awesome program to keep track of everything, print invoices, receipts etc; for the last few years this is what I use. http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/402030/AT-A-GLANCE-8-Person-Daily/
I write as much info as think I will ever need, times, bids, completed prices, mileage, tree locations and prescriptions, tools i might need...just like you would in a journal; that is why I like these, because there is plenty of room, along with times and dates. I also always have this:
http://www.redesupply.com//images/RIRH4X6.jpg
in my back pocket at all times. I get a call...name, number, address, problem, ask where they heard about me...it all goes in there. I cross them off as I call back. Kind of old school, but it works for me, til I get my hoity-toity computer networked in my pickup!:computer:

Cody