Why voice estimates beat paper and spreadsheets
Writing estimates at 9 pm after a full day on site is how details get lost. Here is why dictating them right from the job site changes everything.
Estimating, pricing and running a trade business — practical guides from the Pro Speak Artisan team.
Writing estimates at 9 pm after a full day on site is how details get lost. Here is why dictating them right from the job site changes everything.
Half your unanswered estimates are not a "no" — they are a "not yet". A simple 3-touch follow-up sequence converts a surprising share of them into signed jobs.
A deposit filters unserious clients, funds your materials and secures your schedule. Here is the right percentage by job type — and the wording that makes clients accept it.
Silence is the worst strategy. Here is a day-by-day escalation plan — friendly nudge, formal notice, then real leverage — that recovers most unpaid invoices.
Most tradespeople copy the competitor down the street. Here is the actual calculation — from your real costs to a rate that pays you a salary AND grows the business.
They look similar, they are legally opposite. Knowing exactly when an estimate becomes binding — and when to invoice — protects your cash and your liability.
A clear, complete estimate wins jobs and prevents disputes. Here is the exact structure a professional trade estimate should follow, line by line.