You might have heard the phrase, ‘There’s an app for that.’ Well, it’s true. Sure, some apps might not work or be outright liars (looking at you, ‘kitchen scale app’), but plenty of our hobbies, pastimes and even professional skills have grown thanks to the ease of downloading and using apps on our devices.
Professional skills can be vastly improved by app technology simply because the accessibility of apps makes it easier to learn, develop or innovate on your skills and how you operate as a tradesperson or trade business owner.
In this article, we’ll focus on one trade in particular: Electrical. There are some amazing apps out there for electricians that help tradies work smarter, better and more efficiently. Let’s dive right in and discuss which apps you should be using and why!
The Best Apps for Electricians and Why Your Business Should Use Them
Apps mean paperwork can be streamlined, saving time, money and resources. Apps for electricians mean more leads, more jobs and better job management. They mean better communication between teams, safer worksites and easier payments.
Companies old and new are taking advantage of these digital benefits, and so can your business!
Types of Apps for Electricians
So, you’ve seen some of the benefits of apps for electricians, and many are just a download away. Where to start?
You first need to identify what it is you’d like to address in your business and what kind of apps you might need.
As you go through the list, keep track of anything that pops out to you as an issue. Is your business growing, and the paperwork is stressing you out? Or are you finding it more difficult to collaborate with suppliers and tradies for new jobs? Is your cash flow confusing enough that you need more help?
Always remember that whatever you need, there’s an app for that. That’s why it’s good to identify your biggest stressors first and work from there.
Inventory Management Apps
As any small-to-large electrical business knows, properly managed inventory can make or break a budget. Finding out too late that you don’t have the right stuff for the job can cost time and money, not to mention damage to your rep. Overspending on inventory or messing up an electrician estimate can also hurt your bottom line.
Balancing inventory is tough and can take time for any tradesperson to adapt to. Luckily, these inventory apps for electricians can help ease some of the stress and help you and your business track what you use, need, and have.
NetSuite
NetSuite offers a range of inventory management tools that ensure you have a quick turnaround on leads and can effectively convert them into jobs. Netsuite keeps track of what you have and what you require for new jobs, then provides overviews of your inventory in one place.
MYOB
Keep track of your inventory and orders in one place with MYOB! This service shows your inventory, real-time purchasing details and insights about your inventory management.
This vital app for electricians means you can see the inflow and outflow of inventory in one convenient place. MYOB Accounting can also integrate with our job management software AroFlo for added convenience.
Accounting and Expense Apps
This can be a source of headaches for business owners: you want to get on top of your cash flow for your growing business, and you need to have all the numbers handy. Alternate forms of payment can also end up in a headache because you want to make sure you can get paid on time and keep track of money flows in and out.
QuickBooks
QuickBooks is a popular name in accounting, and for good reason. It has a robust and well-worn suite of tools for any business. As an app for electricians, QuickBooks can handle the needs of a growing business to keep all your numbers in one place.
AroFlo smoothly integrates with QuickBooks, so there’s no need to use multiple software programs and gum up the works.
Stripe
Stripe’s popularity as an online payment app has steadily grown, and is now a top pick for all businesses, large and small. For use as an app for electricians, Stripe can provide your business with payment options on the go, settling invoices and providing same-day payment options.
Portable card payment is necessary for businesses that move around, and Stripe integrates with job management software such as AroFlo’s platform.
Square
Square is another portable payment system that integrates with AroFlo’s job management software.
It can manage contactless payments, PayPal, remote invoicing and more, so your customers can pay all in one place. Wherever the job takes you, Square will follow.
Communication and Collaborative Apps
These are apps that can link you up with other tradies and suppliers. If you feel like there are too many cooks in the kitchen when organising with other businesses, having an app for all-in-one communication/collaboration can cut down on crossed wires and missed memos.
How often have you arrived at a worksite to do your bit, and the previous guys haven’t finished yet? These apps for electricians might not fix other tradies’ work schedules, but they can keep you in the loop.
Monday.com
A trusted international brand, Monday.com is a robust collaboration and management tool that puts everything you need in one place. It is free to use and integrates with AroFlo’s software platform.
Microsoft Teams
Teams is a communication platform that allows anyone to create their own channels and teams for their business and collaborations.
With Teams, your business can set up a collaboration point to keep in contact with anyone as long as they have a Microsoft account. With Teams, you can schedule meetings, post updates and real-time chat to organise your projects and keep everyone in the loop.
Slack
Another great service for keeping connected! Slack is a job collaboration and communication app that smooths out communication in your business and makes it easier to connect to and stay in touch with others.
Job Management Apps
Trello
Trello is a job management app that uses a system of boards, cards and lists to keep track of everything going on with your projects and team. It might take some getting used to, but the at-a-glance system means you can see what needs doing, what needs updating and where your team is at with a project.
Trello also offers meetings, scheduling and onboarding tools to help with all things staff.
AroFlo
Our job management software is an all-in-one package that integrates many services under one banner. AroFlo syncs with many of the above apps for electricians and streamlines all the working parts behind your business. If you’re already using some of the mentioned apps or have tried others but need something to fill in the gaps, we’ve got you covered. Need further employee management? Check out our employee tracker guide for more info on time and GPS tracking of off-site employees.
From invoicing to supplier catalogue integrations with some of Australia’s biggest wholesalers, AroFlo does it.
Reference Apps
This can be especially true if you’ve been on the job a long time and have your niche: maybe the job has something you haven’t seen in years, and you need a refresher. It happens to everyone, and now we have the ability to check this information at any time.
These apps are specifically designed to be reference apps for electricians, so there’s no need to trawl online for the right site or specific thing you’re looking for; they have it all available at your fingertips. Some examples are:
The Electrician’s Bible
This is an all-in-one reference guide and an excellent app for electricians, especially those just starting their training. It’s a one-time payment and includes such resources as templates, tables and electrical formulas. Perfect to have in your pocket in case you need it.
Electrical Calculations
Resonant frequency, reactive power, and voltage drop. These are some of the calculations that sparkies will recognise instantly. These and many more calculations and power tables are available on this app for electricians.
This comes in both a free and paid version: Pro. Free means you can see how you like it, and you only need to pay if you want the Pro version.
Considering the best electrician apps for your needs.
As you can see, there are plenty of apps for electricians and other tradies, and each one offers its strengths. This list might have made you aware of other needs of your growing business. Where to start? Which apps to pick? Paid or free?
If you’re looking to try before you buy or want a taste of software with everything in one place, book a demo and see how AroFlo’s all-in-one software solution can help. After all, it’s your success on the line, and a successful tradesperson is one with quality tools by their side.
If your business is growing and you’re ready to take the next step, be proactive and remain competitive by equipping yourself with the right electrician apps for the job!
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