When I started my company 12 years ago, I wanted to have every edge possible over the competition. One area I focused on was producing estimates as quickly as possible. In my vehicle, I kept a laptop and printer on which I would produce and print an estimate for most jobs at the very first visit. This proved to be a valuable tactic, as it allowed me to close most jobs immediately.

Flash forward to post-recession 2015—I do the same thing, except with an app on my phone in a paperless fashion. I’ve been using Invoice2go, the third app I tried, for a few years now. It allows me to instantly email estimates, invoices, and work orders. And I no longer need to lug around a laptop.

For common projects like bathrooms or painting, I simply use templates that I tweak as needed. It takes only minutes to produce and send an estimate. Estimates for less-common projects take a little longer, but generally no more than 15 minutes. My sales schedule allows for time to send an estimate on the same day as the initial visit, though occasionally I need another day to get feedback from vendors or subs.

When building an estimate with Invoice2go, you can seamlessly select contacts from your phone. After you’re finished entering items and costs, hit send, and your automatically addressed email opens up with the attached estimate and a predetermined, customized message for your client. I usually personalize it a bit, which takes seconds, not minutes. I always request a quick reply from clients confirming they received the estimate. This helps identify if it’s been filtered out as spam and starts the conversation.

Some of the features Invoice2go offers include:

  • Customizable forms and logo integration
  • Access from smartphone or computer
  • Ability to produce estimates, invoices, purchase orders, and credit memos
  • Reports including sales, payments, aging, expenses, profit and loss
  • PayPal option for faster payments
  • Cloud storage of company documents
  • Like most productivity apps, Invoice2go has a limited free plan for testing. Plans run from about $50 to $150 per year depending on the number of documents produced. Invoice2go has become another important tool in my app toolbox—that is, my smartphone.