Hey Folks,
New to the forum. GC in the Philadelphia metro area.
Trying to step up my game with my proposals. Right now I use my estimating software (estimator360) to generate the proposal. I think it may be better though to use that program just for generating the numbers and then transpose them into a template to be more visually appealing.
I’m looking for a builder to share with me one of their proposals. I’m mostly interested in the presentation; seeing how it’s formatted, how the branding is implemented, what is/is not included, how it’s structured and in general the overall feel of the document.
Further questions would be, is it a template you found online, paid someone to design or developed in house? Do you use different templates for different types of projects (rehab vs new build vs. renovation)?
Thanks in advance
-B
Replies
I too have struggled with this. QuickBooks is not great for estimating and invoicing but I get by with it. I like the looks and features of clearestimates but can’t justify the price and spending the time to move numbers from one program to another. I’ve looked at sage, and the free programs. Most stink unless you are selling widgets at fixed prices. I think nobody has really developed the ultimate program- they are either over complicated and expensive or overly simplistic. I’m interested to hear what others think about this.
Yeah before I settled on estimator 360 I auditioned probably about 10 programs over the course of a month. From an estimation standpoint that one just clicks for me…visually however I’m looking for something a little more client friendly and visually appealing. Probably create a word document template and just transpose the data into it if there’s no other options.
You might look at http://WWW.MarkupandProfit.com by Michael C. Stone
Fast Track Proposal Writer software and Fast Track Estimating software. I purchased their books, very helpful with my business in Arizona. Retired before the opportunity to use the software, but their site explores both. Not horribly expensive.
Love markup and profit! Constantly reaching for my copy. Will investigate the programs they offer. Never even knew that was a thing they offered. Thank you for the suggestion!