Today’s Tools for Trades Workers

Small Tech Has Huge Returns

People who work in home service trades have important skills they use every day. They need to know how to fix things, make new things, and problem solve. Whether you’re a drywaller, a painter, a handyman, or in any other skilled trade, your job needs quality, accuracy, and speed.

There are some great tech tools and apps out there that can make your work easier and faster.
Here are a few really cool ones you might find handy:

Here’s a few really cool ones you might find handy:

Laser Distance Measurers

Fast, accurate measurements like never before!
These small boxes tell you more than just how wide a room is. It measures the entire area, including its volume and curves.

Digital Level

A digital level provides exact measurements of angles and slopes. It can be helpful for ensuring
accuracy in construction and installation work.

Thermal Imaging Camera

A heat image camera detects temperatures and shows hot and cold spots in buildings. This helps detect air and water leaks. They can also let you know if a surface is too hot or cold to work on.

Bluetooth Radio Headset

Wireless headsets let your team communicate hands-free while on the job. Improve productivity, safety, and site communication.

Portable Power Bank

Portable power banks are a great backup for charging smartphones, tablets, and other tools while on the go.

Smart Safety Glasses

With an in-frame camera and projector, you can see your plans overlay the job you are working on. This helps get things done faster and better.

Smart Helmet

The 4D visor supports HD video recording, 360-degree cameras, 3D mapping, photos, number
capture, and more. Also useful for record keeping, data mining, compliance, etc.

Smart Clothing

Responsive clothing can be programmed based on each person’s preferences or job needs. It can also send reports about your health to help keep you safe.

Tools on your Phone!?!

Your phone or tablet can hold lots of tools without adding anything to your pocket or toolbelt. Everything from area scanners to measurement converters to bookkeeping tools. Trades tools for phones and tablets are today’s must-haves in order to stay competitive! Did you know that Independent Tradespeople lose about 30% of their income just because of lost job information?

Digital Calendars

Keep track of just your work or schedule your whole team. Track job progress. There are lots of digital whiteboards so you can move cards along as you go.

Safety Apps

Valuable safety resources, like toolbox talks, safety meeting guides, and checklists. Stay informed about safety rules, record incidents, and promote a culture of safety on your team.

Time Sheets

Make it easy for everyone to record their hours with automatic reporting to your payroll software.
Often, kilometre recording is included.

Conversion Apps

Hey – we live in Canada! Sometimes we get measurements in inches and feet; sometimes we get them in centimetres and metres. Instant conversion means fewer mistakes!

On-Site Invoicing

This feature lets you invoice your customers before you leave the site. It helps with faster payments and gives your customer a chance to ask any questions right away.

Customer Management

Good customer management software will keep all your notes and history for every customer. No more losing important information!

Adding tech tools and apps into your trades business can significantly up your productivity, accuracy, and overall job satisfaction. Using tech does not mean leaving your traditional skills behind. It means doing what you already do, only better. Make more. Work less

Picking The Right Tools For You

Just like your other hand tools, software is designed for specific types of tasks. Common software tools, like spreadsheets or bookkeeping, can be overwhelming for people who do not have digital literacy skills. Most field management software is for large and enterprise companies. They have a lot of features small trades businesses just don’t need, and this makes them expensive.

Understand what the core pieces are to your business and look for simple software that only does what you need it to. You do not want to have to open a different app every time you want to do something. Typing the same information into several different apps does not save you any time. Tools need to fit Your workflow and Your budget. Some of Your core pieces might include:

A CRM or Customer Tracker: Know the history you have with every customer! A place to keep all your notes, past jobs, gate codes,etc.	Professional-Looking Emailed Proposals & Invoices: When you look better, you have more confidence and attract a higher quality customer! Try to find software that lets you upload your logo and customize the small print.
Scheduling: Having an easy-to-adjust calendar of tasks right in your pocket can make all the difference! Time management is the key to any job, and any successful tradesperson.	Send to Bookkeeping Software: You’re already using some form of bookkeeping software, or you have a bookkeeper who is. Don’t double up on this. Field management software should send everything to your bookkeeping in a readable format, saving time on data entry.

What To Look For

Think about what really causes you pain in your trade business. When you use tools designed to make your work easier, you become less stressed and have more time. This means you will be more productive and do a better job, which also makes you feel great!

Look for software that offers:

Free Trials	Simple Dashboards
Free Training	Affordable Per-Person Rates
No Usage Limits	“Easy to Use and Understand” Workflows

Tradesflow Has It All!

Built by small independent trades workers for the unique ways we do business, Tradesflow software does what you need it to do. To see how Tradesflow can help your business with its daily operations, book a Demo Here or check us out at Tradesflow.com.