The free library

Everything free, in the order a job happens.

Forty-six guides, thirty-five template packs, twenty-five tools, eight printables, and the glossary. They are filed under the six stages a job moves through. Jump to the stage that hurts this week, or read from top to bottom.

New to running your own work? Start with your first jobs.

First contact

A job starts with a message. It may be a form fill, a text from a neighbor, or a call while you are up a ladder. Whoever answers first with something useful usually gets to quote.

If you skip this A slow or generic first reply loses the job before you send a quote.

Start here Responding to a new inquiry

Everything else in this stage assumes this reply is right.

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Responding to a new inquiry — the reply that keeps you in the running

The job is often decided before a quote exists. It is decided by how fast you reply. It is also decided by whether you ask the right questions instead of guessing a number.

Charging for the visit — the quote, the call-out, and out of hours

A measure-up for a quote, a paid diagnosis and the fix that follows can look like one visit. They are not, and only one is normally free. Say the call-out fee and the out-of-hours premium before you go. Hold both when a client pushes back.

Where your next job comes from — count it before you spend on it

Most owners cannot say where their jobs come from. So they spend on the loudest channel. List your last 20 jobs and tag each by how it arrived. Count won jobs and money invoiced. Cost each source in money and hours. Then rank them by cost per won job.

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New-inquiry scripts, for the first reply and the questions that follow

Six messages to say to a new customer before a job exists. Give a same-hour reply, and ask the questions that decide if you can quote. Answer “what does this roughly cost” honestly. One script is a polite no. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Visit and call-out scripts, for the first visit before a job exists

Six messages for the first visit. Offer a free quote beside a charged diagnostic look, and say the call-out fee on the phone. Add an out-of-hours premium for an urgent caller. Answer “everyone else quotes for free”. Waive the fee on purpose, or turn down an out-of-hours job. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Getting found scripts, for people who have not hired you yet

Six messages for people who have not called you yet. Ask a new enquiry where they found you. Write an about paragraph for a listing. Set up a standing swap with a related trade. Make an offer to a local business or letting agent. Ask a client to show a finished job. Write to the neighbours of a job you are on this week. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

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Minimum job price & travel-time calculator

Count the drive, the setup, and the paperwork. The tool shows what a small job must bill to hit your rate. It also shows if your planned quote is above or below that.

Lead source check

Enter what each source of enquiries won, cost, and took. The tool shows the win rate, the revenue, and the cost per won job for each source. It ranks them from cheapest to most expensive.

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New inquiry sheet — the printable intake for when the phone rings

One page for the moment a job starts. It holds who called, the five questions that decide if the job is quotable, and a date to follow up.

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Lead Source

A lead source is where an enquiry came from. Examples are a listing, an ad, a referral, or a neighbour who saw your van. Record it on every enquiry to see which source is worth its cost.

Spend Per Job Won

Cost per job won is what a source of work costs you, divided by the jobs it won. Count money and hours. A source with many enquiries and few wins can cost more than a quiet one.

Word of Mouth

Word of mouth is a new enquiry that came from someone hearing about you unprompted. It costs nothing to run, but you should still count it. It is a lead source like any other.

Quoting

Once an inquiry turns into real work, the job needs a real number. Build it from your costs and your own labor. The quote that follows turns a maybe into a booked job.

If you skip this A guessed price loses the job or costs you money.

Start here How to price a job so the number holds up

The quote works only if its number works. Start with the price, then write it up.

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How to write a quote that wins the work (and becomes the invoice)

Put line items, deposits and terms up front. The quote a client signs then becomes the invoice you send, with nothing retyped.

Quoting a job you have not seen — photos, ranges, and the re-quote at the door

A client texts three photos and asks how much. A photo shows size and condition, but not what is behind it. This guide shows when a photo is enough and what to ask for. It shows how to write your assumptions into the price. It also covers a rough figure on the phone and a job that does not match.

When the client says yes — booking the job in after the quote

The days between the yes and day one are where jobs slip away. This guide shows how to confirm the yes in writing, give a start date, and ask for a deposit. It also covers when to order materials and what the client must decide first. It ends with what to do when a yes goes quiet.

How to price a job so the number holds up

A pricing method that holds up on a real job. It covers your costs, your time, and enough margin that a slow week does not sink the good ones.

How to raise your prices without losing clients

Undercharging costs you more than a lost client ever will. Here is how to raise your prices, tell the people who matter, and keep the work.

Holding your price — what to do when a client says it’s too much

A client who says your price is too much may have a real budget limit. Or they may be testing whether you will move. Ask which one it is before you touch the number. Then pick from four honest responses. One of them is not a same-scope discount.

Friends and family work — the price, the paperwork, and the friendship

A friend or family member asks you for a job. Pick full price, a named discount, or a free favour, and say it out loud. This guide also covers the quote, the invoice, a late payment, and work a friend is unhappy with. It ends with saying no without losing the friendship.

Tools and hired kit — what wears out, what you hire, and who pays

Your tools wear out, and some jobs need kit you hire. This guide shows how to put a replacement fund into your rate. It also covers buying or hiring, hired kit on a quote, and a tool that breaks mid-job. It ends with lending kit and leaving it on site.

Waste and disposal — the tip run, the fees, and who clears up

Every job leaves waste, and taking it away costs time, fuel and fees. This guide shows how to price a tip run in three parts. It also covers three ways to charge, what to say on the quote, and a client who says "leave it". It ends with clean-up and special waste.

Who buys the materials — and what changes when they do

You can supply the materials, the client can, or you can work from an allowance in the quote. Each choice moves the guarantee, the waiting, and your own cash in a different direction. Decide which one before the job starts. Do it before a delivery goes wrong.

Chasing a quote you sent — how long to wait, and when to let it go

A sent quote is not a job. It is a decision that sits in someone else’s inbox, and it has a shelf life. Put an expiry date on it. Chase on a schedule. Close it out when the date passes so your pipeline stays honest.

Getting help on a job — what to agree before you start

Hiring a helper for a day and passing a job to another trade are two different moves. Every later choice depends on one question: whose name is on the invoice the client pays? Agree the split first. Price the help properly. Then tell the client in one line.

How long will a job take — work out the parts, then correct the total

Most quotes get the rate right and the hours wrong. A job has parts that are not the work itself: travel, setup, materials, clean-up, and waiting. This guide breaks the job into those parts. Then it shows how to correct the total with your own overrun history, not a feeling.

How far is worth going — price the trip, then set the radius

A working radius is not a fixed number of miles. The same 30-mile drive is easy on a two-day job and costly on a two-hour job. This guide costs the journey in two parts: the van and the hour you cannot sell. Then it shows three ways to carry that cost. The radius then grows or shrinks with the job.

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Quote follow-up scripts, from “just sent it” to a decision

Six messages for the wait between sending a quote and hearing back. They include a delivery check and a nudge a week later. Other scripts cover outcomes nobody enjoys writing, such as losing the job or turning one down. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Quoting from photos scripts, for a job you have not seen

Six messages for a client who wants a price before you visit. Ask for the right photos. Reply with a range. Send a quote with written assumptions, or offer a visit. Confirm the price on arrival, or re-quote at the door before work starts. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Booking in scripts, for the days between the yes and day one

Six messages for after a client accepts your quote. Recap what you agreed, and confirm a yes you took by phone. Pencil a date, then confirm it. Tell a far-off client when you will fix the day, and list what you need from them. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Price increase scripts, worded so clients stay

Five messages for raising your rate. They cover an annual update for a good client, a recurring-contract version, a new-quote framing, and a reply to pushback. One script lets a client go. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Price-pushback scripts, for when a client says it’s too much

Seven messages for when a client pushes back on a quote. Hold the price and explain it. Offer a smaller job at their number, and ask what they had in mind. One script answers the cash-discount ask. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Friends and family scripts, for work that mixes money with a relationship

Six messages for work you do for a friend or family member. Agree the price up front, send the written quote anyway, and show the discount on the invoice. Chase a late payment gently, say no to a free favour, and answer a friend-of-a-friend who wants the same deal. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Tools and hired kit scripts, for the messages kit makes you send

Six messages about kit. Explain a hire line on a quote, and tell the client about extra hire days after a delay. Give a new date when a tool breaks, and say no when a client asks to borrow a tool. Agree where kit stays overnight, and report kit that is damaged or missing. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Waste and disposal scripts, for the messages the tip run makes you send

Six messages about job waste. Explain the disposal line on a quote, and ask a client if they want to keep old items. Ask before you act on extra waste found mid-job, and answer a client who wants to skip the charge. Sign off a clean site, and price special waste on its own. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Materials and parts scripts, for who buys what and when

Seven messages for the materials side of a job. Confirm who supplies what at quote stage, and ask for the money up front. Flag a supplier price change before you order. Set the lead time. Tell a client their own delivery arrived wrong. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Bringing in help scripts, for using a helper on the job

Six messages for bringing someone in on a job or passing it on. Cover the line in the quote. Agree terms with a helper before the job starts. Ask a helper for a price. Pass a job to another trade. Answer a client who wants to deal with the helper direct. Ask a helper to put their work right. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

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Free Quote & Estimate Generator

Fill in your business and client details. Add line items, mark any as optional, and set a deposit. A clean quote builds as you type. Turn it into an invoice with one click.

Quote & invoice terms builder

Tick the clauses that fit the job and fill in your numbers once. You get a plain-English terms block. Copy it, print it, or send it into the quote generator.

What should you charge?

Enter the pay you want, your overheads, and your billable hours. The tool turns them into an hourly rate and a day rate you can stand behind.

Markup & margin calculator

Turn a job’s cost into a selling price by margin % or markup %. The tool shows both numbers at once, so you know which one you quote.

Discount check

Enter your quote price, your costs, and the discount the client asks for. The tool shows the share of your profit it takes. It also shows the extra work to earn it back and the cost cut that holds your margin.

Quote pipeline check

Enter your quote validity window, your chase cadence, and up to six open quotes with amount and date sent. The tool shows each quote’s age and whether it is due a chase. It gives a chase order, oldest first, and your win rate. It also gives pipeline times win rate, the number to plan against.

Bringing in help check

Enter the price you quoted, what the helper charges, materials, and your own remaining hours. The tool shows what is left and the margin it leaves. It also shows what your freed-up time is worth against your target rate.

Job time calculator

Enter the bare work hours, your travel, setup, materials, and clean-up time, and your last three jobs. The tool shows the realistic hours a job needs. It also shows the hours a bare guess misses and what they are worth.

Van travel radius calculator

Enter a job’s price and on-site hours, your target rate, and what your van costs to run. The tool shows the maximum round-trip distance this job is worth. That distance changes with each job.

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Quote & estimate pad — the printable form for pricing a job on paper

This sheet has line items, a deposit box, and an accepted-by signature. It has the structure a good quote needs. Write on it before you are back at a screen.

Quote log — the printable queue for every quote you’re still waiting on

One row per quote sent and not yet decided. Each row has the client, the amount, the date the quote goes stale, and a chase column for each stage. A quiet quote shows on a list.

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Quote vs. Estimate

A quote is a fixed price you commit to. An estimate is your best guess, and it can move once you see the job. Say which one you are sending.

Scope of Work

The scope of work is the written list of what you will do on a job. It names the tasks, the materials, and the limits. Point to it when a client asks for one more small thing.

Change Order (Variation)

A change order is a written record that the job grew past the original quote, with the new price. Get the client to agree before you do the extra work. A signed form or a text is enough.

Markup vs. Margin

Markup is the percentage you add to your cost to get the selling price. Margin is the share of the selling price that is profit. The two give different percentages, so mixing them up underprices a job.

Overhead

Overhead is what it costs to be in business, even on a day you do no work. Examples are insurance, your vehicle, tools, software, and a phone line. Build it into your price.

Call-Out Fee

A call-out fee is a flat charge for showing up. It covers your travel time and the trip, separate from the work itself. It protects you from a small visit that eats a slot in your day for free.

Fixed Price vs. Time and Materials

A fixed price is one total for the whole job, agreed before work starts. Time and materials bills the actual hours and materials used. The wrong choice either eats your margin or gives the client an open-ended bill.

Quote Validity

Quote validity is the date after which a quoted price no longer applies. Put it in writing. Then you can refuse an old number after materials or your rates have moved on.

Client-Supplied Materials

Client-supplied materials are parts the client buys themselves, outside your quote. You are responsible for fitting them well. The price, the delivery, and the choice of part stay with the client.

Lead Time

Lead time is how long a material takes to arrive after you order it. Put a long one into the quote’s start date. Then you learn about it before the job is booked.

Provisional Sum

A provisional sum is a placeholder figure for materials you cannot price yet. Write it into the quote. Settle it when the real cost is known, up or down.

Free Estimate

A free estimate is a quote visit you give at no charge, because winning the job pays you back. Charge for the visit if it is a long drive, a diagnosis, or a caller who will never hire.

Diagnostic Visit

A diagnostic visit is a paid visit to find out what is wrong. The fee covers the search for the fault. It is due whether or not repair work follows.

Out-of-Hours Rate

An out-of-hours rate is a stated premium on jobs outside your normal hours. Examples are an evening, a weekend, or an emergency. The premium pays for the slot you gave up.

Pipeline

Your pipeline is the total value of every quote you sent that has no decision yet. It is a forecast of money. A quote becomes income only when a client accepts it.

Win Rate

Win rate is the share of the quotes you send that turn into jobs. A very high win rate often signals prices that are too low. It rarely proves you sell well.

Stale Quote

A stale quote has passed its validity date but is still open. Mark it won, lost, or re-quoted. Left open, it inflates your pipeline and makes your workload look bigger than it is.

Scope Creep

Scope creep is a job growing past the quote, one small request at a time, with no extra charge agreed. Each request looks minor. The total over a whole job is often large.

Subcontractor

A subcontractor is a trade you pay to do part of a job. You stay the one who quotes and invoices the client. A referral is different: you pass the whole job on and step out.

Labour Only

Labour only means you pay a subcontractor for their work alone. Someone else supplies the materials, usually you and sometimes the client. Supply-and-fit is different: the same trade also supplies what they install.

Pay When Paid

Pay when paid means you pay a subcontractor only after the client pays you for that work. Agree it before the job starts. Never let a helper assume it.

Spend Per Mile

Cost per mile is what your van costs to run in a year, divided by the miles it covers. Include fuel, tyres, servicing, insurance, tax, and depreciation. It is often two to three times the fuel figure.

Working Radius

A working radius is the distance worth traveling for a job. It changes with the size of the job. The same drive is small on a large job and costly on a small one.

Invoicing

A signed quote becomes an invoice, the document that asks to be paid. Three things shape how the money moves. They are its wording, how it is split across a bigger job, and whether it repeats.

If you skip this A vague invoice or a missing deposit is a common cause of late payment.

Start here What to put on an invoice so you actually get paid

Seven fields prevent most late payments before you send a reminder.

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Found a hidden problem mid-job — what to do before you carry on

You lift a floor and find rot. You open a wall and find old wiring. The quote did not cover it. This guide shows when to stop, what to tell the client, and how to price the extra work. It also covers a client who says no and a safety stop. It ends with how to quote so it hurts less next time.

What to put on an invoice so you actually get paid

The fields that matter, the ones people forget, and payment-terms wording that heads off a late payment.

Deposits and progress invoices for bigger jobs

How to split a bigger job into a deposit and progress invoices, so you’re never fronting weeks of unpaid work.

How to set up recurring invoices (and stop chasing)

For clients you bill the same way each month or job. Set up the template once and let it repeat every time.

Who is actually paying — when the client and the payer are not the same

A business sends you to the job but its accounts department pays. A landlord pays for work a tenant only agreed to. A main contractor books you as one trade of several, and their payment terms rule the job. Confirm the payer before you start, and the invoice practically writes itself once the work is done.

Fixing a sent invoice — correct the mistake without rewriting the record

BizBinder locks an invoice once you send it. You cannot edit the number and reissue it. The locked record keeps your invoice history honest. This guide sorts five kinds of mistake and shows the fix for each. They are a wrong detail, an overcharge, an undercharge, a duplicate sent twice, and a client who paid too much.

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Extra work and scope-change scripts, before it becomes a dispute

Five messages for a job that grows past the original quote. Flag extra work on site, mention a small add-on, and get a cost approved before you start. Handle a client-caused delay, and re-quote after the spec changes. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Hidden problem scripts, for a problem the quote did not cover

Six messages for a problem you find mid-job. Tell the client you have stopped, and show what you found with options. Price the extra work as its own line. Confirm what the client chose, or reply to a client who wants the old price. Stop safely when a specialist must look. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Agreeing who pays, before the invoice finds out the hard way

Seven messages for confirming the payer before you start. Cover a business’s accounts contact, a letting agent’s property reference, and a main contractor’s terms. One script asks the same question the other way when you hire another trade. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Invoice correction scripts, for fixing a mistake on a client invoice

Six messages for when a sent invoice needs fixing. Send a quick correction note, a credit note for an overcharge, and a second invoice for an undercharge. Tell a client which of two duplicates to pay. Ask what to do with an overpayment. Reply when a client flags the invoice as wrong. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

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Free Invoice Generator

Fill in your business and client details and add line items. A clean invoice builds as you type. Then download it as a PDF.

Materials up-front check

Enter your quote price, your materials and parts cost, and your planned deposit. Add the days between paying your supplier and getting paid. The tool shows your own cash in the job and whether the deposit covers it.

Print

Job sheet — the printable work order for on-site jobs

One blank page, ready to print. It has client and job details at the top. A table shows what you did and how long it took. A signature line closes the job before you leave site.

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Pro Forma Invoice

A pro forma invoice is a preview of what a client will owe, sent before the real invoice. It is not yet a bill. Use it to confirm a price before you start.

Invoice vs. Receipt

An invoice is a request for payment. A receipt is proof that payment happened. If a client asks for a receipt before they pay, they need an invoice.

Credit Note

A credit note reduces or cancels what a client owes on one invoice. Use it for an overcharge, a returned item, or work that never happened. It leaves the original invoice as it was.

Void Invoice

Voiding an invoice marks it cancelled while its number and record stay in place. Keep the record and never reuse the number. A void cancels the whole invoice. For one wrong amount, use a credit note.

Deposit vs. Retainer

A deposit is an upfront part-payment for one job. It counts toward that job’s final invoice. A retainer is money paid in advance to hold your availability over time. Mixing them up confuses ongoing clients.

Progress Invoice

A progress invoice bills part of a bigger job at a milestone, such as a finished phase. It keeps cash moving with the work. You stop paying for weeks of the job yourself.

Line Item

A line item is one row on a quote or invoice. It holds one piece of work or material, with its quantity, unit price, and total. Line items let a client check the bill against what they agreed.

Recurring Invoice

A recurring invoice is a template that creates and sends an invoice on a set schedule. Use it for work you bill the same way each time. Set it up once, then reuse it.

Purchase Order (PO Number)

A purchase order is a business’s own reference number for work it has approved. It is issued before you invoice. Put it on the invoice exactly as given, or their system may fail to match your payment.

Getting paid

Most invoices get paid on time. The late ones need a plan. Use a fixed reminder cadence for the ordinary late payer. Use a calm, slower escalation for the client who has gone quiet.

If you skip this Chasing only when you happen to notice makes it feel personal and awkward.

Start here How to get paid faster, without the awkward follow-up

The reminder cadence here stops most late invoices from becoming a collections problem.

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How to get paid faster, without the awkward follow-up

Set clear invoice terms, follow a reminder cadence that works, and send five copy-paste templates that get invoices paid.

What to do when a client won’t pay

A calm, step-by-step plan for a client who ignored every reminder. Learn what to say, when to involve a third party, and when to let it go.

Payment methods for clients — the fee, the wait, and the risk

Card, payment link, bank transfer, cash, or cheque: each method trades a fee against a wait. It also trades a wait against a risk. Pick with your eyes open. Put the method on the invoice so a client can act on it right away.

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Payment reminder scripts, for every stage of a late invoice

Six messages, from a friendly heads-up before an invoice is due to a firm final notice. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Payment details scripts, for how the money arrives

Six messages for how a client pays. Name the methods on a new quote, add the pay-on-the-day line, and ask a transfer client for the invoice number. Offer a payment link, and turn down a cheque. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

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Late payment fee & interest calculator

Enter an overdue balance, a rate, and the days late. You get the interest, the total now due, and a reminder line to copy and paste.

Payment method check

Enter your invoice amount, your card fee, your hourly rate, and how long a transfer takes. The tool compares card, bank transfer, and cash for this invoice. It shows the fee, your time, and when the money lands.

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Payment log — the printable sheet for who owes you what

One ruled table for every invoice you sent this month. It shows who, how much, when it is due, and if it is paid. You always know who still owes you money.

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Overpayment

An overpayment is money a client pays beyond the invoice, such as a mistyped transfer or a double payment. Ask if they want a refund or a credit. Write the answer against that invoice.

Net 30 (Payment Terms)

Net 30 means payment is due 30 days after the invoice date. Net 14 and Net 7 work the same way with shorter windows. Pick one standard and use it on every invoice.

Due on Receipt

Due on receipt means payment is expected when the client gets the invoice. It sounds firm, but it gives the client no date to meet. A real date usually gets you paid faster.

Late Payment Fee

A late payment fee is an extra charge added after an invoice passes its due date. It is usually a flat amount or a monthly percentage. State it on the quote and the invoice up front.

Part Payment

A part payment is any amount a client pays toward an invoice that is less than the full balance. The invoice stays open for the rest. Track it against that invoice.

Remittance Advice

Remittance advice is a short note from a client that says which invoice a payment covers. It matters most when several invoices are open. A bank transfer alone may leave it unclear which one was paid.

Bad Debt

Bad debt is money you are owed but have decided you will realistically never collect. The client may have vanished or gone under. Writing it off only clears it from your books.

Retention (Retainage)

Retention is part of a job’s price, often about five percent, that a client holds back. They release it after completion or a defects period. It is held as proof that the work holds up.

Merchant Fee

A merchant fee is what a card processor charges you to accept a card payment. It is usually a cut of the sale plus a small fixed amount. Your own processor sets the real number.

Card Surcharge

A card surcharge is an extra amount added when a client pays by card, to cover the merchant fee. Local rules and your card processor’s agreement decide whether you can add one.

Payment Link

A payment link is a web address on an invoice that lets a client pay by card on their own. The client picks when to pay. Your processor still charges its usual fee.

Cleared Funds

Cleared funds are money that has settled in your account and can no longer be reversed. A balance that shows as paid may still be pending. A cheque can still bounce after it appears.

Statement of Account

A statement of account is a summary you send a client that lists several jobs or invoices. It shows what is paid, what is owed, and the running total. It covers the whole client relationship.

Staying organized

Under every job is the admin that holds it together. You need to know each job’s stage, what your cancellation policy says, and who you are waiting on. A spreadsheet eventually stops covering all of it.

If you skip this Losing track of one job leaves a deposit uncollected or a client forgotten.

Start here How to keep track of jobs without a spreadsheet

The six-stage system here is the frame for the tools and sheets in this stage.

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Your first jobs — the admin to set up as you go

You have a few clients and no system yet. You do not need one on day one. You need a few habits, in the order a job happens. This guide walks your first jobs from price to payment. It links the free tool, template or sheet for each step. It also lists four mistakes new owners make.

How to keep track of jobs without a spreadsheet

A spreadsheet works until you juggle six jobs at once. Track each job in one place. Then you can see who you are waiting on.

Cancellations and no-shows — the policy that keeps the diary honest

A hole in the diary costs more than the job would have paid. It is the work you turned away to hold that slot. State one clear policy before anything goes wrong. Then a moved booking becomes a five-minute fix.

Double-booked — how to fix a diary clash, and stop the next one

Two clients expect you at once. That is a commitment problem. The cause is often an unwritten yes, a job that ran long, or a rush job in a full day. This guide shows what to do in the next ten minutes, and the one habit that stops it happening again.

Catch up on your invoicing — the weekly sweep that gets you paid

A finished job is not money until you invoice it. A pile of unbilled work is work you have already done for free. Every day it waits adds a day in front of your own payment terms. Invoice it while the job is fresh.

Running late and overruns — what to say, and how to stop the repeat

This site covers a client who moves your date. It says little about the day you run late, the job that overruns, or a postponement you must make yourself. Tell the client early. Name a new time in the same message. Then add one habit so it stops repeating.

The quiet season — plan for the year that is not flat

Every money page on this site prices one job, one client or one invoice. None of them plans a year. Your income has a shape, and the quiet quarter is not a surprise. Measure the dip and cover it from the busy months. Then fill the gap with work you can book in advance.

Taking time off — price it before you book it

You are not paid for 52 weeks a year. A week off is not a loss to make up later. It is a cost your rate must carry before you book it. Price the weeks off and pick the dates from your diary. Tell people once, and decide what happens to an emergency.

Working hours and boundaries — the hours you answer are the promise

A client cannot see your diary. They judge your hours by when you answer. Set the hours you work and the hours you answer as two windows. Say both in the three places a client looks. Price a real emergency in advance, and hold the line the first time it is inconvenient.

Working in a client’s home — keys, pets, and what to do if you break something

A client’s home has its own rules. There is a key to return, a dog to work around, and rooms you may not use. This guide covers the questions to ask before the first visit. It also covers keys and codes, a locked door, house rules, and a client who hovers. It ends with what to do when you break something.

Off sick — what to do when illness stops your work

One morning you cannot work. This guide covers the first hour: who to tell and what to say. It covers a job left half done, new enquiries, and money while you are off. It ends with what to set up now, before it happens.

Fully booked — what to say when your diary is full

A full diary is a good problem, until a late reply or a rushed job shows it. This guide covers what to say to a new client instead of "soon". It covers a short waiting list, who gets the next free slot, and pricing new work when demand is high. It ends with passing the overflow to someone you trust.

Keeping the client updated — what to say before, during, and while you wait

A client with no news assumes the worst. This guide shows what to send before a job, on the day, and during a long job. It also covers how to ask for a decision and what to do when a client goes quiet. It ends with how much contact is enough.

Say

Cancellation, reschedule, and no-show scripts, worded so the policy holds

Seven messages for a booked job that moves. Confirm the booking and state the policy up front, send a day-before nudge, and say yes to a reschedule. Name a fee without a lecture, and own it when you must move the job. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Invoicing catch-up scripts, for clearing a backlog

Six messages for a job that finished a while ago and was never invoiced. Send a plain late invoice or a statement that covers several jobs. Check extras before you bill them. Ask for a missing detail, and confirm sign-off. Tell a client the invoice is on its way when it is already late. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Delay and overrun scripts, for the day the hold-up is yours

Seven messages for the day you run late, run over, or get blocked. Cover running late today, an overrun into tomorrow, a postponement, weather, and a late part. Add another trade that is not finished. One script apologises after you miss a slot. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Quiet season scripts, for booking work before a quiet stretch arrives

Six messages for booking work into a quiet stretch before it arrives. Cover an annual service that is due, a standing maintenance plan, a free slot, and a postponed job. Confirm your next appointment early, and send a spare-capacity note to a fellow tradesperson. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Time off scripts, for telling clients before you go

Six messages for taking time off. Give early notice to a client with work booked either side. Write a note to a client mid-job. Send an away reply to a new enquiry. Offer the slot before or after the break. Ask another trade to cover, and re-open your diary. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Working hours scripts, for saying when you answer

Six messages that keep the hours you work apart from the hours you answer. Cover the quote or booking line, the voicemail message, and the next-morning reply to a late message. Add a note to a client who always calls late. Offer or refuse a priced emergency route. Reset the hours with a client you answer at all hours. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

In the client’s home scripts, for keys, pets, and the visit itself

Seven messages for work inside a client’s home. They cover access questions, a key handover, a locked door, pets, and a client who hovers. Two more tell a client that you broke something, and then how you will fix it. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script updates.

Off sick scripts, for the morning illness stops your work

Seven messages for the morning you cannot work. They cover today’s client, the rest of this week’s list, and a job left half done. Three more cover a new enquiry, asking someone to cover, and a partner messaging on your behalf. The last one offers a client the first slot back. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Fully booked scripts, with a waiting list for a full diary

Six messages for a full diary. Give a new enquiry a real date, add a client to a waiting list, and offer a free slot. Answer an existing client who asks to fit in. Pass on an urgent job with a referral. Tell a new client about your higher rate. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Keeping the client updated scripts, for the routine messages a job needs

Six messages for the middle of a job. Confirm the day before, and tell the client you are on your way. Send an end-of-day update, and ask for a decision by a date. Put a job on hold when the client goes quiet, and send the weekly update on a long job. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

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Small business admin health check

Answer ten quick questions on quoting, invoicing, getting paid, staying organized, and follow-up. You get a score and a plan for your two weakest stages.

Day plan check

Enter your start time, your target finish, and up to six jobs with their travel and on-site time. The tool shows if the day fits. It also shows the first job that misses its fixed start time.

Unbilled work check

Enter your usual payment terms and up to six finished jobs with amount and finish date. The tool shows the total unbilled and the age of the oldest job. It also gives a sweep order, oldest first.

Quiet season check

Enter twelve months of income, your fixed costs, what you must draw each month, and what you already set aside. The tool shows each month above or below the line and the annual total. It also shows the dip to cover and the extra invoiced work each quiet month needs.

Time off check

Enter what you must clear in a year and the weeks you want off. Add the weeks you already do not work and what you set aside. The tool shows your billable weeks and the line per billable week. It also shows the 52-week gap, what the time off costs, and what to set aside for it.

Working hours check

Enter the hours you intend to work, the hours you actually answer, and the admin hours outside both. The tool shows the gap between the week you meant to run and the week you run. It also shows what each one pays per hour.

Print

Client card — the printable record for one client, front to back

One card holds contact details, how the client likes to be billed, and a running job history. It is the paper version of a client file. File it as you like.

Week planner — the printable landscape sheet for what’s on this week

Six days run across the top, with a “waiting on / to chase” column at the end. Pin it up and write the week’s jobs in. You see what waits on someone else.

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Key-Holding

Key-holding is keeping a spare key or an access code for a client’s home between visits. Record who holds each key. Keep the code off the tag. Return the key when the work ends.

Cash Flow

Cash flow is the timing of money moving in and out of your business. It shows what is in the bank on a given day. A profitable month can still have poor cash flow if payments are late.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable is the total of every invoice you have sent that is still unpaid. It is the money owed to you across all clients. Knowing this one number helps you chase on a schedule.

Aged Receivables

Aged receivables sorts what you are owed by how overdue it is. Bands run from current to 90 days late and more. The list shows which invoices need a reminder today.

Profit vs. Revenue

Revenue is everything you billed, before any costs. Profit is what is left after materials, overhead, and every other cost. A busy year with high revenue can still leave thin profit if costs crept up.

Reconciliation

Reconciliation is checking your invoice records against your bank statement. It confirms that every payment you expect arrived and every payment that landed is accounted for. Do it every month.

Break-Even

Break-even is the point where your revenue exactly covers your costs, with no profit and no loss. Your break-even number, in jobs or dollars, is the minimum you need before earnings become profit.

Work in Progress (WIP)

Work in progress is a job you have finished or part finished that has no invoice yet. It is value you created. It becomes money only after you invoice it and the client pays.

Billing Cycle

A billing cycle is how often you send an invoice: per job, weekly, or monthly. Pick the one that matches how your work finishes. Then unbilled work cannot pile up quietly between invoices.

Force Majeure

Force majeure is a delay caused by something outside your control, such as weather or a late part. It changes how you explain the delay. You still owe the client a plan.

Goodwill Gesture

A goodwill gesture is something small you offer after your own delay. Examples are a discount, a free extra, or priority on the next job. It repairs the relationship and admits no debt.

Seasonality

Seasonality is the yearly shape of your demand, with busy and quiet months that repeat. A quiet quarter in a seasonal trade is the pattern arriving on schedule. Plan for it.

Cash Reserve

A cash reserve is money set aside to pay your fixed costs through a quiet stretch you expect. Cash flow is different: it is the everyday gap between money earned and money banked.

Maintenance Contract

A maintenance contract is a standing agreement to do planned work for a client at a set interval. Examples are an annual service or a monthly check. It is separate from a retainer and from a recurring invoice.

Billable Weeks

Billable weeks are the weeks in a year that you invoice. Subtract every week off, bank holiday, and lost week from 52. Pricing against 52 weeks hides the cost of the weeks you are away.

Annual Shutdown

An annual shutdown is a block of weeks with no bookings, such as a holiday or a family break. You choose it. Seasonality is different: a quiet stretch that arrives on its own.

Cover Arrangement

A cover arrangement is another trade agreeing to take an emergency call for you during a break. It is one honest answer to “what if something comes up?” The other is “not available.”

Response Time

Response time is the promise of how fast you reply to a call or message. State a window and keep to it. Lead time is different: it says when a job can start.

On-Call

On-call means you are reachable outside your stated working hours. Choose it on purpose for a priced emergency. Answering every message the moment it arrives makes it a habit by accident.

Non-Billable Time

Non-billable time is every hour that goes into the business but never reaches an invoice. Quoting, admin, and answering messages outside a job are examples. It lowers your effective hourly rate.

After the job

After a paid invoice, a repeat job or a referral usually depends on whether you follow up.

If you skip this Skip the follow-up and a good client drifts to whoever asks for the next job.

Start here What to do after the job — the follow-up that wins the next one

One routine covers the thank-you, the review ask, and the referral ask.

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What to do after the job — the follow-up that wins the next one

A paid invoice is not the end of the relationship. It is the moment when the next job, or the referral that brings one, gets decided.

What to do when a client complains

A complaint is one of the most stressful hours in a solo operator’s week. The client is unhappy, the payment is at risk, and no manager can take it over. How you spend the first hour decides whether it costs you a client or just an afternoon.

Did this job actually make money?

Every price on this site gets built before the work starts. This page looks the other way. It takes a job you already finished and works out what it paid you.

Going back to fix it — when a callback is free, and when it’s chargeable

A client calls about a job you already finished. Before you agree to anything, work out whose fault it is. Check if it is still inside your guarantee, and what the visit costs you. Then pick from four honest outcomes.

Handling a bad review — how to reply, and what to fix in private

A good complaint process and an honest guarantee still leave one question. What do you say once a bad review is live? Sort it into one of four kinds first. Reply where the review is, and fix the real problem somewhere else.

Is this client worth keeping? — measure before you decide

The price on an invoice is not what a client costs you. Count the hours you never bill, the extras you give away, and the wait for payment. The real rate can look very different from the number on the job. Measure it. Then reprice, restrict, re-scope, or release.

Close out the job — get the client to confirm before you invoice

A job is not finished when the work stops. It is finished when the client agrees, in writing, what was done. This guide walks the five-minute close-out and what to write down. It shows how to list a snag with a date on it. It also covers a client who will not confirm the work before you invoice.

Say

After-the-job scripts, for the work that follows

Six messages for after the invoice is paid. Send a same-day thank-you, a review ask with one nudge, a referral ask, a seasonal check-in, and a low-key win-back. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Complaint and refund scripts, for the job that didn’t go right

Seven messages for the most stressful hour in a solo operator’s week. Send a same-day first reply, and ask the questions that get the facts. Offer a return visit or part credit plainly. Decline a refund without a lecture, and close the loop once you fix the problem. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Callback and guarantee scripts, for the visit after the job is finished

Seven messages for the return visit. Book the look, confirm a free fix inside your guarantee, and price one that is not covered. Claim a failed part against its supplier, and name damage that your work did not cause. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Review reply scripts, for a review that is already live

Six replies for a review that is already posted. Cover a fair criticism, a review with wrong facts, a one-star with no text, and a private follow-up. Add a review from someone you never worked for, and a good review. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Turning work down — scripts for the job you should not take

Six messages for turning down work. Cover a new job with no reason given, a job outside your trade, and an out-of-hours call-out. Add more work from a client who already has all of your time. One script closes an arrangement with notice and no unpaid invoice left behind. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Finishing a job scripts, for closing out a job before you invoice

Six messages for the moment a job stops and the moment it is signed off. Send the all-done message. Confirm a snag list with a date against each item, and confirm a snag is cleared. Chase a sign-off that has not come. Tell a client the invoice waits for their confirmation. Hand over a job that someone else signs off. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

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Client follow-up planner

Enter the date a job finished. You get six follow-ups as real dates: thank-you, review ask, nudge, referral, check-in, and win-back. Copy them or add them to your calendar.

Job profit check

Enter the price you charged, your direct costs, and the hours the job took. Hours include site, travel, quoting, and admin. The tool shows the real hourly rate against your target.

Callback profit check

Enter what the original job charged and cost. Then enter what the return visit takes: travel, time on site, and parts. The tool shows the callback as a share of that job’s profit. It also shows its much smaller share of the price.

Client value check

Enter what a client paid over a period and the hours you did not bill. Add the costs you absorbed and how late they pay. The tool shows the real hourly rate that client pays against your target.

Print

Follow-up log — the printable queue for every job you’ve finished

One page for every finished job, sorted by when the next contact is due. It is a running queue for the thank-you, the review ask, and the referral ask. Each row holds its due date, so the page does the remembering.

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Repeat Rate

Repeat rate is the share of your clients who hire you again. A high repeat rate means you spend less on winning new clients, because past work keeps bringing itself back.

Client Lifetime Value

Client lifetime value is the total a client is likely to spend with you over the whole relationship. A smaller first job from a good client is often worth more than it looks.

Referral

A referral is a new client who came because an existing client recommended you. It is the cheapest new client you can get. It rarely happens until someone asks.

Workmanship Guarantee

A workmanship guarantee is a promise that your own labor will hold up for a set period after the job. It covers what you did. Materials and damage by someone else are separate.

Callback (Return Visit)

A callback is a second visit to a finished job, usually because the client reports a fault. Whose fault it turns out to be decides whether the visit is free or chargeable.

Snag List

A snag list is a written list of small defects found at the end of a job. Agree it with the client before you leave. Working through it closes the job.

Sign-Off

Sign-off is the client agreeing in writing that a finished job matches what was asked for. A signature is optional. A plain reply that confirms the work is done is enough.

Handover

Handover is the moment a finished job passes to the client at the end of the work. The job is agreed, confirmed, and closed off. On some jobs, someone else must also sign it off.

Practical Completion

Practical completion is the point where a job is finished enough to hand over and use. It starts sign-off, even while a few small items wait to be fixed.

Public Reply

A public reply is the reply you post directly under a review, for anyone who reads it later. It answers the review. It is really written for the next visitor deciding whether to call.

Review Gating

Review gating is contacting only the clients you expect to praise you and skipping the rest. It turns an honest set of reviews into a curated one. The major platforms ban it in their rules.

Fake Review

A fake review comes from someone who was never your client. A competitor is one example. A platform will remove this kind of bad review, and few others.

What It Takes to Serve a Client

Cost to serve is everything a client costs you beyond the job price. It includes unbilled hours, free extras, and absorbed costs. A client can look profitable on an invoice and still cost you money.

Effective Hourly Rate

Effective hourly rate is what you earned per hour once you count every hour, including unbilled ones. It is usually lower than your quoted rate, because unbilled time never shows in that number.

Looking for one specific thing rather than a stage? The binder index lists all of this alphabetically. Not sure which stage is actually costing you the most? The admin health check is a ten-question shortcut to your two weakest ones.

Have it all written down. Now keep it in one place.

Every guide, script, and tool above is free and stays free. It needs no signup, and we save nothing. BizBinder is the app for the business underneath it. It keeps quotes, jobs, invoices, and client history in one place.

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