The small business admin health check
Ten quick questions cover the five stages of a job. The stages are quoting, invoicing, getting paid, staying organized, and winning the next one. Answer honestly. You get a plan for your two weakest stages. It names the guide, template, and tool for each fix.
This tool runs entirely in your browser. We never receive the client names and amounts you type. We never store them. They are gone when you close the tab. Why we can say that →
The ten questions
Your results
Fix this first
Make the quote a document, not a guess
Use a written, itemised quote in the same format every time. Say what is included and what is not. It closes more jobs than a number texted from memory. It also gives you something to follow up on when you hear nothing back.
Let the invoice carry across, and send it fast
An invoice that you retype from scratch goes out late. Carry the quote’s details straight across. Bill on the day the work finishes. Do not wait until you have time for the paperwork. This is the biggest lever on how fast you get paid.
Agree the terms up front, then chase on a schedule
A late fee works only if the client agreed to it before the work started. Chasing works only if it happens on a schedule. Do not chase when you remember. Both take five minutes to set up. They pay for themselves on the first slow-paying client.
Track the job in one place, not five
A job spread across texts, a notebook, and memory is easy to lose. You lose track of it when you juggle more than a couple of jobs. Keep one place with a status you trust. A client’s question about last year then takes five seconds to answer. You do not guess.
Ask while the work is still fresh
A happy client is the cheapest lead you will get, but only if you ask. Ask for a review, a referral, or a check-in a few months on. A job that ends at “paid” leaves the easiest follow-up work on the table.
The five stages, and what good looks like
You may not finish the questions above. Here is the fix for each stage anyway. The questionnaire routes to this content. It is laid out in full.
Quoting the job
Make the quote a document, not a guess. Use a written, itemised quote in the same format every time. Say what is included and what is not. It closes more jobs than a number texted from memory. It also gives you something to follow up on when you hear nothing back.
- How to write a quote that wins the work
- Quote follow-up scripts
- Free quote generator
- Getting help on a job
- Bringing in help check
Invoicing the job
Let the invoice carry across, and send it fast. An invoice that you retype from scratch goes out late. Carry the quote’s details straight across. Bill on the day the work finishes. Do not wait until you have time for the paperwork. This is the biggest lever on how fast you get paid.
Getting paid
Agree the terms up front, then chase on a schedule. A late fee works only if the client agreed to it before the work started. Chasing works only if it happens on a schedule. Do not chase when you remember. Both take five minutes to set up. They pay for themselves on the first slow-paying client.
Staying organized
Track the job in one place, not five. A job spread across texts, a notebook, and memory is easy to lose. You lose track of it when you juggle more than a couple of jobs. Keep one place with a status you trust. A client’s question about last year then takes five seconds to answer. You do not guess.
- Keep track of jobs without a spreadsheet
- Running late and overruns
- The quiet season
- Quiet season check
- Taking time off
- Time off check
- Working hours and boundaries
- Working hours check
- Take the tour
Winning the next job
Ask while the work is still fresh. A happy client is the cheapest lead you will get, but only if you ask. Ask for a review, a referral, or a check-in a few months on. A job that ends at “paid” leaves the easiest follow-up work on the table.
Common questions
Is this actually free?
Yes. There is no signup, no email, and no account. Answer the ten questions. The plan appears on the page.
Do you keep my answers?
No. We do not store or receive which option you picked. Your answers live in the page and nowhere else. The scoring resets when you close the tab or reload. One thing does leave the page, and we want to say so. When you answer all ten questions, we log a single anonymous event. It carries your overall score, its band, and which one stage came out weakest. It has no answers and no identity. We use it to decide which guide to write next. What we collect, in full →
What if I disagree with a score?
The scoring is blunt on purpose. Each question has three options, worth 0, 1, or 2. It prompts you to think about a stage. It is not a verdict on your business. A question may not fit how you work. If so, skip to the stage’s fix and read it anyway. The guide and links under every stage are useful on their own.
Is this just a sales pitch for BizBinder?
No. The plan works with or without BizBinder. Every fix links to a free guide, a free template pack, or a free tool. We think BizBinder is the easiest way to run the fixes, so we mention it at the bottom. The check-up does not need it.
Want help with the fixes above?
BizBinder puts the fixes above in one place. It sends reminders on a fixed schedule after you send an invoice. It repeats invoices for regular work. It keeps each job and its invoices together. Its This Week list shows what needs your attention. This check-up is the diagnosis. BizBinder is the fix.
You are on the list.
A person reads every request. You will hear from us within one business day.
- 01 A person reads your note — not a queue.
- 02 You get an invite as spots open.
- 03 Your admin starts filing itself.
The free library is open while you wait. Nothing in it needs an account.
- guide 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.
- tool 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.
- tool 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.