Mobile tech start-up, Powered Now, has announced a new release of its iPhone and iPad app for helping smaller field-based trade businesses, such as electricians, builders, plumbers and other trades, to administer their businesses while on the move.
Version 2 of the software adds an inbuilt diary, a refreshed and improved user interface, new and more comprehensive templates to make invoices and quotations look even better, along with support for more currencies and printer support.
The product now integrates full diary functionality with the existing estimating, quotation, invoicing, payment and note-taking features.
The diary automatically calculates the time and distance between appointments, allowing for more efficient scheduling. The time and distance can also be calculated from either the tradesman’s current location or between appointments. At any time, the user can ask for full driving directions from the current position to the next appointment. Customers can also be kept updated on progress or likely arrival times via text message or email.
Unlike a standard calendar app, appointments can be linked directly to customers. Appointments can also be recorded that are yet to be allocated an exact time or an exact date. This works just like the real world, where not everything can always be sorted out on the initial phone call.
The new feature is a hit with electrician Paul Eveling, based around Milton Keynes, who said:
“It’s fantastic to be able to link appointments with customers.”
An extended range of templates let’s tradesmen find a look that corresponds to their trade. This means that even the smallest sole trader can look like they have their own marketing budget.
The improved user interface has already been well received and the top thing that Powered Now users report they like about the product is ease of use.
Co-founder and CEO, Benjamin Dyer, said:
“Although plenty of invoicing systems for small businesses have been developed, very few are specifically designed for the trade. Our plan is to keep on providing more and more things that specifically help tradesmen and we will continue to enhance our platform over the coming year. This development work is funded from the company raising more than £500,000 on Crowdcube.”
The Powered Now app works on iPhones and iPads and provides an admin toolkit for every step, from preparing an estimate through to taking payment. It even works when there’s no wi-fi signal, and automatically backs up all information whenever there is a connection. Everything is designed to minimise the number of times that you need to enter information; once it’s entered, it never needs to be put in again. Data can also be exported for accountants and book-keepers.
Powered Now’s customers report in a survey that the top reasons that they enjoy the app is that they find it easy to use, like the ability to quickly and easily create quotations and invoices and love having everything in one place securely backed up. They also enjoy the time-savings that they receive as a result.
Availability
Powered Now Version 2 is available in the app store now at http://bit.ly/PoweredNow.
There is a 14-day trial and a free edition (all the features, but no email, texting or postcode lookup).
Subscriptions are £4.99/month or £49.99/year + VAT.