Whether you work alone or run a small team, the aim is straightforward: know what you have promised, who is doing it and what needs attention next. You can build this routine in a spreadsheet or use a suitable job-management system. The important part is keeping the records current.
1. Give every enquiry one home
Record each enquiry as soon as you accept it for review. Capture a reference, the customer, a short description of the work, the date received and the next action. Avoid storing unnecessary personal information in a shared tracker.
A next action should be specific: “Call to arrange the site visit on Thursday” is more useful than “Follow up”. Give that action a date and an owner, even when the owner is you.
2. Separate quote value from confirmed work
A quote you have sent is not yet an awarded job. Keep quote status explicit—for example, drafting, sent, awaiting a decision, accepted or declined. Record the latest quote version and the follow-up date.
When a quote is accepted, create a job reference and link it back to the quote. Retain the accepted scope so that changes can be identified rather than quietly added to the original job.
3. Keep changes visible during the job
Maintain a record of the agreed job value, approved variations, estimated costs and next actions. Keep proposed changes distinct from approved changes, and retain the relevant written records in the job folder.
For each live job, ask three questions: What happens next? Who owns it? When is it due? A tracker is useful when it makes those answers easy to find without a chain of messages.
4. Track invoices independently
Keep an invoice reference, job reference, invoice date, due date, value, credits and receipts. Check the remaining balance against your accounting records before following up. A spreadsheet is a working control; it does not replace your accounting system or professional advice.
Record the date and outcome of a follow-up. If a customer promises to respond on Friday, make Friday the next review date rather than relying on memory.
5. Use a consistent document structure
Create a job folder using the same reference as the tracker. Within it, separate quotes and agreed scope, delivery records, changes, invoices and handover documents. Use meaningful filenames and make the current version obvious.
A document register can point to the file location and identify its owner and review date. It helps organise evidence; it does not establish technical compliance or confirm that a document is adequate for its purpose.
6. Run a short weekly review
Choose a regular time when you can update the records and allocate actions. Work through these questions in order:
- Which enquiries and quotes need a response?
- Which live jobs have a deadline, change or decision outstanding?
- Which invoices need checking or following up?
- Which documents or handover items are missing?
- Who will complete each action, and by when?
End the review with a short list of dated actions. Start the next review by checking that list. If a field is never used, simplify it; if an important decision keeps getting missed, make it visible.
A simple example
An enquiry becomes quote Q-024. Once accepted, it becomes job J-019, with Q-024 recorded against it. An invoice is linked to J-019, and the handover documents sit in the J-019 folder. The references connect the records without copying the whole job history into every sheet.
Start with your current work
You do not need to reconstruct every past job to begin. Set up current enquiries, live jobs and outstanding invoices first. Agree who updates each record and keep one authoritative version with appropriate access and backups.
Tredara Trades OS provides an Excel workbook, editable templates and a setup guide for this kind of routine. The £299 founding package includes business customisation informed by your brief.
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