So, like most, you have probably had enough of your previous invoicing software to manage the back end of your company. Your software is just not cutting it anymore. You are still printing invoices and mailing them. Well, ContractSpot is now making it easier than ever to switch from your old invoicing software, to a fully electronic solution complete with the ability to accept online payments. With ContractSpot’s Customer Import button, your customer’s information can seamlessly be uploaded right to your ContractSpot account. 

The uploaded file can have the following columns: Organization, First Name, Last Name, Email, Address 1, Address 2, Address 3, City, State, Zip, Mobile Phone, Home Phone, and Fax. An example worksheet can be downloaded here. Please note that this is an excel workbook and not a csv file. You will need to save your completed customer list as a csv to be able to properly upload the file into our system.  

With all of your customers now uploaded, creating invoices is a cinch. Your invoices are then sent electronically to your customers’ email addresses.  Your customers can then pay you electronically through your ContractSpot account. It is that easy.

 Register for Free at https://www.contractspot.com/s/contractors/final-step.php

My key focuses during the five years I was a landscaper, however, came with downsides. Since I spent all my time working to please my clients, I had little time to focus on the billing side of my business. Initially I felt this wouldn’t be a problem, and it would just work itself out. Well, if invoices are not sent out in a timely manner money isn’t coming in timely either. Money is what runs the business, so therein lays the predicament. I was amazed on how difficult it was to get quotes and invoices to customers and how long it took to get responses and money. I tried various so-called solutions (i.e. quickbooks, peachtree, etc.), which led to stress rather than success. Serving over 100 customers on a weekly basis, it became nearly impossible to keep track of which customers have paid and which customers have not.  This backend B.S. quickly began to weigh on my mind as the weeks passed without having time to invoice and collect from my clients.

After a few beers one October evening, Bryan and I (one of the co-founders) began to get into our “feeling-good, ground-breaking idea state of mind”. You’ve been there before.

“Hey man, wouldn’t it be nice if we could just sit here all day and play golf because we had that big idea that would solve millions of peoples’ problems.”

Most times, those ideas just end up in some black hole that can’t be pieced back together even if Stephen Hawking figured out that problem he is working on. Anyway, I think we were onto something that night. We both woke up the next morning and discussed what we talked about the night before. This had to be a good idea right? We both remembered the conversation and were extremely excited, but didn’t really know what to do. Well, that is the first step – diving into a problem without a clue in hell what to do. This way you aren’t scared of what could potentially be a barrier down the road. Enough, enough, what’s the big idea then?!

We decided to build an online service network connecting customers (residential or businesses) and service providers.  As a customer, you can invite pros to your network, receive quotes/invoices, accept quotes and pay your bills.  As a pro, you can build a network of your customers. From that network you can send out quotes/invoices and give them online payment options. You can also grow your network by adding your company profile and receiving leads from customers outside of your network.  Everything comes together as one big network of pros and customers connecting.

The speed of interaction between contractors and customers is improved with an electronic quote system developed by Contract Spot.  Expediting the quote process ultimately leads to acquiring potential jobs quicker. Contractors simply fill out an online quote template, which is then emailed to the customer.

Landing jobs in the service industry can sometimes rely heavily on who gets their bid delivered in a more timely fashion. The traditional method of quote delivery is typically either phone, mail, or hand-delivered. Each of these mentioned systems have flaws. Phone quotes do not give the customer a written visual of all aspects involved with the quote. Mailed quotes rely on the speed of the postal system. Hand-delivered quotes require travel time and fuel.With this new electronic quote system, contractors will now be able to manage all quotes they have sent. Quotes can easily be sorted by open, won, and lost quotes. Adding a quote logo personalizes each quote. Printer-friendly quotes can also be printed out for hard-copy storage.

Contract Spot CEO, Steve Mandery, explains “As a former contractor in the service industry, keeping track of quotes between multiple customers could sometimes become burdensome. Electronically submitting and managing quotes would have saved me time, and more importantly- money.”

 Articles are a good way to keep customers up-to-date on how your company is performing. These articles are also a way to inform customers about industry-related products and services.

When contractors fill out their company information, this information is automatically populated into the website. The contractor merely needs to choose from the available website templates. After choosing the custom domain name (i.e. johnsonpainting.contractspot.com) all contractor information is displayed in the pre-populated web page. The contractor can also upload company photos. Photos give customers a chance to view the type of work your company performs. The photos can be viewed in an appealing filmstrip format once uploaded. 

For customers, reviews on contractors provide several benefits. First, when customers are looking for new contractors most research is done by word-of-mouth or through extensive online research. Many contractors are not online (have a website) for available research, unless individuals have written their feelings in blogs or message boards. With a quick look at the review system, people can see what other customers of a particular contractor have said and how they have evaluated them. For contractors, the review system is an added incentive to provide customers with quality work and service. This is a free form of advertising for them.

As with most rating systems, honesty is the key. We feel most people will be fair in their assessments, since others’ reviews will only help them in the future. Contract Spot is always willing to hear suggestions. Feel feel to contact us with any ideas: http://www.contractspot.com/2/cu/contactus.php

The Marketplace
News on openings, expansions and developments around the region

Web site helps owners find home contractors

Four Cincinnati friends have launched a Web site that connects consumers with home contractors.

The site, ContractSpot.com, allows homeowners to search for contractors or submit a home improvement project and let the Web site find a contractor for them.

Users can shop for contractors nationally that do offer everything from landscaping to plumbing to roofing, even baby-sitting.

Steve Mandery, 29, one of ContractSpot.com’s owners, said the service industry is behind others in fully utilizing technology.

Mandery, who also owns Nisus Lawn Care, says the need for technology support for his landscaping company also led to the start up of ContractSpot.com.

ContractSpot.com has a database of more than 500,000 contractors. The Web site will be free for users and contractors, and the owners hope to make money from online advertising.

The business will run by Ryan Whetsone, 29, Finneytown; Bryan Fleckenstein, 25, Cheviot; and Mandery, Monfort Heights.

Contact: 513-293-5848

Thanks to a new user-friendly website, Contract Spot is ready to take on contracting websites across the United States. A mere three months after startup, Contract Spot is ready to welcome it’s first members to the website. Contract Spot now offers a variety of new features including, but not limited to, member sign-up (customer and contractor), project posting for customers, and free leads for contractors.

Signing up at www.contractspot.com is fast, easy, and free. Customers and contractors can begin the process of interacting via the web. The customer has the ability to decide his/her own level of communication with contractors. Customers can divulge or withhold as much personal information as they deem necessary to potential contractors of their projects.

Customers digitally inclined have the ability to submit project photos to be viewed by contractors. By allowing photo uploads, contractors have the unique ability to view jobs without even driving to the job site. This saves time and money for customers and contractors.

Contract Spot now offers a variety
of new features including…free
leads for contractors.
Contract Spot gives contractors the ability to become a ‘Featured Company.’ This feature will place your company at the top of the list when customers search for contractors in your area. Companies can choose to be part of multiple categories, which will improve their chances of being seen more often in search results.