Perfect Tool for Tradesmen

Sorry this is a bit long guys!

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The biggest headache for many tradesmen is the need to produce estimates and invoices at the end of a long day on site. New on-line tool YourTradeBase.com ? built by tradesmen for tradesmen ? takes the pain out of paperwork. With no software to download or install, users produce professional looking estimates and invoices in minutes, schedule jobs, and
track outstanding customer responses and overdue payments. This means less time on paperwork and more time for family, friends, and leisure.
LONDON, November 18th 2009. One of the jobs most feared and despised by tradesmen has suddenly become easier. The launch of on-line tool YourTradebase.com signals the end of struggling with word processors, fonts, and formatting. Users also get email reminders when estimates don?t get a response or invoices are overdue.

Created by tradesmen for tradesmen, the emphasis is on freeing up time, while helping tradesmen run their business more professionally. Dean Taylor, CEO of FortyTwo Ltd ? the company behind YourTradeBase.com ? says, ?I?ve worked as a tradesman for 15 years and I love the work. I?ll happily face all kinds of weather, all kinds of client, and all kinds of site. But one part of the job really sucks. Big time. And that?s paperwork.?

Talking with other tradesmen, Taylor knew he wasn?t alone. They all shared a hatred of paperwork and the time it took to produce. They also knew that the paperwork they delivered after painful struggles was often a poor reflection of their trade skills. Jobs were lost on the back of scrappy pieces of paper and estimates with no proper headings and insufficient information.

Taylor tried a number of software packages but found the results disappointing. ?Packages tended to be expensive and they all required installation on my PC,? he says. ?When I changed to a new computer, I had to go through the whole process again, as well as moving files across. And, after all that, the software itself was hard to use and not focused on tradesmen.?

Taylor got together with FortyTwo Ltd CTO Adam Austin to create a simple on-line application that met Taylor?s exacting standards. Austin says, ?I was given a list of requirements that had to be met before Dean would even think of agreeing to launch. The emphasis is on ease of use and speed but the results look professional, too. Users can define colours and upload a logo to make their paperwork distinctive but it takes seconds and no software skills.?

Early users are enthusiastic, especially about how quickly they can get started and create their first pieces of paperwork. UK tradesman rating site ProblemSolved.co.uk has already negotiated a deal to bring its members an extended trial of the application and its Senior Marketing Executive, James Mace, says of YourTradeBase.com, ?Issues with paperwork can often scuttle the relationship between tradesman and customer. Anything that can
improve that situation is a good thing. At just ?8 a month, the YourTradeBase app represents real value for money.?

The YourTradeBase.com site also contains tool reviews, a forum where users can request new features, and a blog, making it a perfect port of call for all tradesmen. The application also handles multiple currencies and local sales taxes, so can be used almost anywhere in the world.