If you’ve ever found yourself buried in a pile of paperwork that only seems to be getting bigger, then you’re not alone. Running a trade business is full of obstacles that can easily get between you and the things you love — whether that’s taking a break, hanging with the family, or spending more time on the tools.
The typical solution for most business owners who need a hand with their admin is to find a software solution that saves them time and stress. But this isn’t as easy as it sounds — there are a lot of options out there, and making the right choice can be tricky.
Let’s explore whether Tradify’s job management software is right for you, and if not, what alternatives could be a better fit.
Not sure what job management software is or how it can help you run your business? Tradify answers the question: What is job management software?
Short on time? Skip ahead!
- 1. Should you use Tradify?
- 2. The best free software for sole traders
- 3. The best software for big businesses
- 4. Best accounting & bookkeeping software
- 5. The best task management software
- 6. Find the right fit
1. Should you use Tradify job management software?
If you’re a small-to-medium-sized trade business and are looking for a fast & easy way to run your business, then Tradify is probably the perfect fit for you. It can save you 10+ hours/week on admin, eliminate paperwork, and is designed specifically for tradespeople.
Tradify features:
- Quoting and estimating - create quotes and estimates quickly from any device — on-site, on the go, on the couch, or in the office.
- Invoicing - create professional-looking custom invoices quickly, so you can get paid faster.
- Scheduling - get a real-time view of project schedules, active jobs, and the locations of staff or subcontractors for real-time collaboration.
- Job tracking - keep track of time spent on jobs, organise work, and create individual tasks for your staff or subcontractors. Make team collaboration easier than ever before.
- Timesheets - create and submit digital timesheets, and use the live job timer to record hours and track time.
- Enquiries - respond to enquiries wherever you are and whenever you like.
- Automated payment reminders - automatically send follow-up emails for unpaid invoices and get paid faster.
- Subcontractor management - connect with subcontractors, organise jobs, and send or receive important job information.
- Creating an Instant Website - create a custom website tailored for your business and potential customers.
That being said, Tradify isn’t for every business. If you haven’t started a business yet, need free software, or operate a large business of 20+ staff, then below are some other options worth considering.
2. The best free Tradify alternatives for sole traders
Google Sheets
Google Sheets is one of the most basic ways of getting your business online and is great for crunching numbers and other data. But be careful, while spreadsheets can help organise a small business, they can also become a shambles as time goes on or other users get involved. Use it for free.
Evernote
If you want to do away with the notepad and find a neater, more organised space for your job notes, then Evernote is a great choice. Like Tradify, Evernote is cloud-based and can be accessed anywhere, at any time, from any device. Use it for free.
3. Best for big businesses
Whether your business has experienced rapid growth in the past year, or steadily scaled from the ground up, then it may be time to find software that’s designed for a larger operation. The following software will unite your team and ensure that you’re maximising efficiency and productivity.
ClickUp
ClickUp is an all-in-one business management solution for large-scale businesses. With ClickUp, you can manage teams, chat, create to-do lists, use a range of dashboards and more. View pricing here.
ProofHub
If you’re looking for software that will take you from planning to delivery while nailing all the steps in between, then ProofHub is a great option. It’s packed full of features and integrations that will give you the freedom to run your big business on your own terms. View pricing here.
Flow
Flow’s appeal is largely down to how great it is at bringing your large team together. The software is used by some of the biggest names in business, like Apple and Red Bull. View pricing here.
4. Best accounting and bookkeeping software
If you’re looking for a purely financial solution for your trade business, then it’s hard to go wrong with the following options. They have brilliant functionality and can even sync with Tradify, so you can keep track of your entire business virtually.
Xero
Xero is a brilliant software tool for small-to-medium-sized businesses looking to bring their bookkeeping into the cloud. Features include bill-tracking, invoicing, and two-way sync with Tradify.
MYOB
MYOB is a super-simple accounting software for businesses in Australia and New Zealand. Payroll, invoicing, tax, budgets, bills—you name it, MYOB has a feature for it.
QuickBooks
QuickBooks is known for its feature-rich software. It’s a great option if you’re a small-to-medium-sized business that wants a well-rounded accounting package that can cater to all your business needs.
Sage
Sage is a great option for smaller businesses that need cloud-based bookkeeping software, but don’t want to fork out too much for it. The software is affordable, has all the features you need, and is perfectly suited to businesses of 10 staff or under.
5. Best for task management
Whether you’re in the trades or a different industry entirely, there’s one thing we can all agree on: managing your tasks, to-dos, and priorities are the key to staying efficient. These great tools keep you on track, organised, and motivated.
Trello
If you need a hand keeping on top of your tasks, then look no further than Trello. Essentially, it’s an interactive to-do list that lays out all your tasks in an extremely simple and easy-to-read format. You can also set reminders and deadlines, and invite others to collaborate on your Trello board. View pricing here.
ToDoist
Another great tool for staying ahead of your to-dos is ToDoist. With a little extra functionality than Trello, this is a great option if you have multiple projects and the go or have plans to expand your operation in the future. View pricing here.
6. Find the right fit
Finding the right software solution for you or your business is really about asking what problems you need to solve. If you’re a sole trader or contractor, then your biggest challenge might be dividing your time between tasks. If you’re a larger business, then your main focus could be uniting your team. But if you’re an owner of a small-to-medium-sized trade business and your biggest problem is admin, then Tradify’s job management software is undoubtedly the solution for you.
Try Tradify free for 14 days and see for yourself.
