# Mobile Office?



## VanDamme (Feb 13, 2010)

Is anyone here set up with a mobile office?

I'm thinking tablet PC w/estimating software that will print the proposal to a bluetooth enabled printer that you then present to the customer while you're there?


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## y.painting (Jul 19, 2009)

Yup. Except no tablets and fancy wireless printers. 

Just a regular laptop + AC car inverter + regular small printer


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

Well, i have the tablet, i have a portable printer (battery and usb hookup, could get the bluetooth or wireless card for it if I want). Estimating is done through quickbooks, but i am much more comfortable crunching numbers in the office then sending out the estimate. It is a switch I would like to make, but just do not feel comfortable that leap yet, especially on exterior jobs that might run in the 6,000-16,000 range.


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## VanDamme (Feb 13, 2010)

Y, are you using estimating software?


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## y.painting (Jul 19, 2009)

No. Pen, paper, and calculator.

Then entered into the form that get's printed out and presented in a folder.


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## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

DeanV said:


> Well, i have the tablet, i have a portable printer (battery and usb hookup, could get the bluetooth or wireless card for it if I want). Estimating is done through quickbooks, but i am much more comfortable crunching numbers in the office then sending out the estimate. It is a switch I would like to make, but just do not feel comfortable that leap yet, especially on exterior jobs that might run in the 6,000-16,000 range.


I'm exactly the same Dean. Do my estimate in QB, but would rather do my "figuring" in the office. I tried it in the van for awhile, but just felt rushed for anything other than the smallest of jobs. Anything large and I'm concerned I might miss something, and I also don't want to keep the HO waiting to long.....


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

i do think this is one thing i would like to start doing in my estimating. i just need to bite the bullet and try it. it would give me a lot more options in the sales presentation.

btw, ignore all capitalization rules for my posts for a while. my 1 year old son ripped the shift key off my tablet, dell xt, today. time to replace the keyboard or go into tablet mode.


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## ProWallGuy (Apr 7, 2007)

y.painting said:


> Yup. Except no tablets and fancy wireless printers.
> 
> Just a regular laptop + AC car inverter + regular small printer


Ditto.


y.painting said:


> No. Pen, paper, and calculator.
> 
> Then entered into the form that get's printed out and presented in a folder.


Ditto.


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

DeanV said:


> . time to replace the keyboard or go into tablet mode.


I use a Saitek Eclipse with the lighted keys.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

Workaholic said:


> I use a Saitek Eclipse with the lighted keys.


Ooooooooooooooh.....workaholic...AKA "the 1 upper" :notworthy:


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## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

So a lot of you don't leave an estimate right when you are there??

Interesting.

I have often felt rushed putting together an estimate, but I can see how coming back with the proposal would give you more time to think clearly, and put together a much nicer package!


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## cardwizzard (Sep 13, 2010)

Honestly never even thought of giving an estimate on the spot like that. Always take it back to the office, make it up and mail it out. 

Nice idea, could be a good touch.


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## George Z (Apr 15, 2007)

Mobie office? 
Not for me, the office is at the office with office people in it.
Have a netbook with an internet stick, hardly used it.
We even use http://www.dropbox.com/ I could use on the road but didn't.
Iphone is the only office contact I have.


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## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

George Z said:


> Mobie office?
> Not for me, the office is at the office with office people in it.
> Have a netbook with an internet stick, hardly used it.
> We even use http://www.dropbox.com/ I could use on the road but didn't.
> Iphone is the only office contact I have.


That suprises me George! I pictured you "end all, be all" of mobile offices. Now I don't feel like such a slacker! :thumbsup:


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## George Z (Apr 15, 2007)

Gave it so much thought and then:
Never printed a proposal on a sales call.
I dictated a few or emailed the scope to the office 
and they sent within 15 minutes.
I dont like selling, I don't even want to visit sites, 
so what's the point of a mobile office.
For a company as small as ours there is way too much office,
why even add mobile to it?
Will drive to Tim Horton's and read the paper, (ok, the business section too)
If any fires need to be put out, I will send the designated firefighter, 
and go and hide in the office until it is all extinguished.
Too much overhead for our size, I know 
but leadership is collective.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

imo, the point of a mobile office is for those of us who the business owner is the estimator, salesman, paper shuffler, accountant, etc. it is an attempt to be more efficient and minimize the hours spent in the office on what should be our family time when things are busy.

i will say it again though, i give georgez props for being able to run a business his size and have good people in office positions as fixed overhead.


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## George Z (Apr 15, 2007)

Keep in mind most latest scientific studies of multitasking 
say it's not what we thought it would be.


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## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

I thought about buying a netbook and printer for doing estimates, but I like to do them from home as well, most of mine are from prints anyhow. 
If I do give a price onsite, I have a prefilled form I use and just have to add some details, I already have the HO info typed on it.


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## jack pauhl (Nov 10, 2008)

Yep set up. I have a MiFi card though -- so no need for a printer. Just 10" netbook, software, MiFi and an email address to send a .pdf file too because you dont want your bids made with word docs to have someone edit them and shop for a better price.


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## VanDamme (Feb 13, 2010)

Schmidt & Co. said:


> That suprises me George! I pictured you "end all, be all" of mobile offices. Now I don't feel like such a slacker! :thumbsup:


Me too.


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## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

So I have made all these forms, including estimating forms and quote forms.

I fill it out in the categories, price it out, and then submit the quote form (which has been printed) but filled in certain places by pen: price, scope of work, special considerations.

Is this unprofessional?

It would definitely be nice to take my info home and put together a real proposal, but lots of people seem to want a price on the spot. I never thought of doing it the other way around.


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## Dave Mac (May 4, 2007)

estimate on the spot for me all the way, our avg job is less then 3500, so theirs not a whole lot involved, I hate having something hanging over my head. Clients seem to really like it as well. If its a bigger est I may take it to the office and come back to go over it with them.


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## VanDamme (Feb 13, 2010)

Currently, I take off the job, extend it at home and type up the proposal which then gets emailed to the customer/contractor as a PDF file.

I've never had anyone that wanted a price on the spot, so the system I'm using is working fine, but I'd like to streamline it.

Ultimately, I'd like a tablet PC, estimating software that conforms to me and not the other way around, and a BT printer.

As I walk through and measure the job up (interior or exterior), I'd like to be able to use predefined unit prices or use an hourly rate depending on the surface/situation.

Once the walk through/measuring is complete, the software will have already extended everything out and I should be able to print a formal proposal laid out how I want it and not the software. I could also email a PDF of the estimate so the customer would have it on their computer also.

I like measuring jobs up, but I don't care for extending them out and writing the proposals......it's boring and monotonous to me.


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## VanDamme (Feb 13, 2010)

Dunbar Painting said:


> So I have made all these forms, including estimating forms and quote forms.
> 
> I fill it out in the categories, price it out, and then submit the quote form (which has been printed) but filled in certain places by pen: price, scope of work, special considerations.
> 
> ...


This is strictly a personal preference, but I like everything typed and printed. Proposals and invoices.


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## bikerboy (Sep 16, 2007)

Am slowly building mine. Have a netbook that is now linked through my Blackberry with tether. Last week, I purchased Carbonite online backup, which allows me access to all my files on the home computer while on the road. 

Tried doing estimates onsite, but like others, I feel rushed. The current setup works for when somebody calls and want to go over a document or anything that is on the home computer. They just need to give me a few minutes to pull up the info.

Also have a memory stick where current jobs and estimate info can be kept. Like Van Damme, I'd like to eventually have everything on a tablet. See that happening in a few years.


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## VanDamme (Feb 13, 2010)

I thank Apple and the iPad for kicking tablet development in the butt! I have been waiting for a decent tablet for 2 years now.


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## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)




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## bikerboy (Sep 16, 2007)

The Galaxy is interesting. Now that Apple has proven that there is a huge market, everybody is going to jump into the fray.


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## jack pauhl (Nov 10, 2008)

bikerboy said:


> Am slowly building mine. Have a netbook that is now linked through my Blackberry with tether. Last week, I purchased Carbonite online backup, which allows me access to all my files on the home computer while on the road.
> 
> Tried doing estimates onsite, but like others, I feel rushed. The current setup works for when somebody calls and want to go over a document or anything that is on the home computer. They just need to give me a few minutes to pull up the info.
> 
> Also have a memory stick where current jobs and estimate info can be kept. Like Van Damme, I'd like to eventually have everything on a tablet. See that happening in a few years.


You could have your customer info pre-filled out before you go to bid and add in the details you know beforehand. Then fill in the blanks. Sometimes I need to think a job through more and I'll tell them when to expect an estimate. 

I really like dropbox for realtime sync. One of my recent repaints landed me some PC work with same customer. Had to clean up their virus infected machine which I maintained that lengthy process while painting. It was totally random that they asked me if I knew anything about PC's and having dropbox allowed me to grab all the files I needed to get them fixed up.


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