Using an iPhone/iPad on-site

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Brady_55

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I recently purchased an apple iPad, and I'd like to use it in my contracting business. Particularly, to create and send invoices and estimates would be great (I can save mounds of paper).

But i've yet to find anything that really fits my needs. Are there any recommendations/reviews on a program that can create and send estimates and invoices on an iPad? Or even an iPhone?

Brady
 
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aquadood

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I recently purchased an apple iPad, and I'd like to use it in my contracting business, as it's very portable. Particularly, to create and send invoices and estimates would be great (I can save mounds of paper).

But i've yet to find anything that really fits my needs. Are there any recommendations/reviews on a program that can create and send estimates and invoices on an iPad? Or even an iPhone?

Brady

What are you using right now to keep track of your invoices and estimates? Depending on the software you already use, you want to find something that integrates with that.
 

Brady_55

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I've just been using an excel sheet that I created to help me calculate my estimates. I then place that info a word invoice template and send to the customer as a .pdf. For invoices I sometimes use the same word template, or I write out through an invoice book that I always have with me. I keep track of all jobs/customers in excel right now. Nothing fancy... but it gets the job done. It's just takes me a lot of time
 

DonL

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I've just been using an excel sheet that I created to help me calculate my estimates. I then place that info a word invoice template and send to the customer as a .pdf. For invoices I sometimes use the same word template, or I write out through an invoice book that I always have with me. I keep track of all jobs/customers in excel right now. Nothing fancy... but it gets the job done. It's just takes me a lot of time

You may be wanting to over Complicate things.

What you are doing now is keeping your data more secure than if you use a Iphone or Ipad.

I would think that Customers info should be secure, whatever you decide to use.

Quality work takes time...
 

aquadood

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I've just been using an excel sheet that I created to help me calculate my estimates. I then place that info a word invoice template and send to the customer as a .pdf. For invoices I sometimes use the same word template, or I write out through an invoice book that I always have with me. I keep track of all jobs/customers in excel right now. Nothing fancy... but it gets the job done. It's just takes me a lot of time

I actually dont think youll be able to do that on an IPad, thats using 3 different PC programs. Pretty much for the word and excel, I know that quickoffice for ipad works. - http://www.quickoffice.com/

For more security you may want to look into a dedicated invoice management system that works on mobile and web platforms.
 

Hackneyplumbing

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I use an Iphone to scan hand written invoices and email them from the job if I need to. Works well and only takes a minute. You snap three pics of the invoice and the program converts that to a PDF document and attaches it to an email for you.
 

DonL

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I use an Iphone to scan hand written invoices and email them from the job if I need to. Works well and only takes a minute. You snap three pics of the invoice and the program converts that to a PDF document and attaches it to an email for you.

What software are you using ?

I am not sure if I would trust OCR using a camera, It must be some good software if it works %100.
 

BobL43

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What software are you using ?

I am not sure if I would trust OCR using a camera, It must be some good software if it works %100.
Don, are you trying to say that not all software is good?:p Is ANY software good? that is my question.
 

DonL

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Don, are you trying to say that not all software is good?:p Is ANY software good? that is my question.

From the OCR software that I have tested, I am barely impressed.

Some of the OCR software works with scanners, but a Iphone camera can be a different story.

If all you need is a picture then a camera is fine.

Cameras are good for QR codes.

Secret_Message.jpg
 

BobL43

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From the OCR software that I have tested, I am barely impressed.

Some of the OCR software works with scanners, but a Iphone camera can be a different story.

If all you need is a picture then a camera is fine.

Cameras are good for QR codes.

View attachment 16950
Don, I removed my redlaser app from my IPod Touch, so I can't see where that code would take me. You can pm me to tell me; Knowing you, it must be something funny.

Never mind, I reinstalled the app. your code is a fake "test" All other codes I scanned work fine.:p
 
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DonL

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Don, I removed my redlaser app from my IPod Touch, so I can't see where that code would take me. You can pm me to tell me; Knowing you, it must be something funny.

Never mind, I reinstalled the app. your code is a fake "test" All other codes I scanned work fine.:p

I should have known you would scan it. Nice Job. You must have a smart phone.

It was not fake but it was a test. I was just playing with a App that I put together.

I guess the test worked.

Have a Great Day.
 

Brady_55

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I actually dont think youll be able to do that on an IPad, thats using 3 different PC programs. Pretty much for the word and excel, I know that quickoffice for ipad works. - http://www.quickoffice.com/

For more security you may want to look into a dedicated invoice management system that works on mobile and web platforms.

Definitely. Some sort of program that could do everything mentioned above in one program would be great. That's based on iPad = even better.
 

BobL43

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I should have known you would scan it. Nice Job. You must have a smart phone.

It was not fake but it was a test. I was just playing with a App that I put together.

I guess the test worked.

Have a Great Day.
Don, no I don't have a smart phone. I have an Ipod touch 8GB that my cable company gave me for free for coming back to them from Verizon FIOS. My cell phone is only a Nokia C3 from the AARP cell phone vendor. The C3 is good, but has no "smarts" but it comes in handy when I'm at Home depot and the wife asks me if a plant is an annual or perennial. I can Google it with the C3. The Ipod is WiFi Only. If I can get on a good WiFi hotspot, I can use the Safari browser it has and Google too. I'm a connected senior citizen.:eek:.

Wifi is so secure, its like walking down the street nekid. Shields up, location tracking turned off.


lookit that old nekid geezer listnin to Lady Gaga on his Ipod

I used this site to check my redlaser app, by the way: http://www.printbusinesscards.com/marketing/qrcode/QR-Code-Quality-Standards-Test.php

:p:p
 
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Hackneyplumbing

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What software are you using ?

I am not sure if I would trust OCR using a camera, It must be some good software if it works %100.

Yeah you take 3 pics of the document and then you crop the pic and then the app resizes it and packages it in a PDF or Jpeg and hooks it to email for you. real simple and has worked everytime for me. my biggest problem is people dont know their email address.......so I have them email me and then reply to it with their invoice. i compare the emails and they dont match ......LOL

The app cost .99 cents in the apple app store. Its the best .99 cents I've ever spent.
 
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DonL

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Yeah you take 3 pics of the document and then you crop the pic and then the app resizes it and packages it in a PDF or Jpeg and hooks it to email for you. real simple and has worked everytime for me. my biggest problem is people dont know their email address.......so I have them email me and then reply to it with their invoice. i compare the emails and they dont match ......LOL

The app cost .99 cents in the apple app store. Its the best .99 cents I've ever spent.


Did I miss the Name of it ??? The App.

I guess it just imports the Picture.
 

Ogre

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quickoffice is a good tip for this kind of out-of-office/on-site stuff.
some other suggestions i would have that are a little bit more recent than 2012 would be onenote and evernote.

those should all work without 'data' or internet access...
for those with internet access and/or data one could suggest 'google cloud print'
and other various cloud services.

*some software on that list may be android-only.

i've been meaning to investigate various web-managed billing and invoice software, but haven't had time to play with some of the competitors in that market yet.

as a side note,
a cloud service is a service or program that's like a good neighbor, you can call him and ask him to check on your house - water your dogs - make copies of your documents...
but it is a service provided not by yourself, but through communication and trust.
 
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