Testing a New Web App for Tradesmen

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If you’re as sick of struggling with paperwork as I am, I could use your help. I’ve got together with some mates and we’ve built a web app. Designed by tradesmen for tradesmen, its main purpose is to take the pain out of paperwork.

It’s nearing launch and we need some help testing. Real testing – by real tradesmen who can stretch it to breaking point and tell us what they think. In return, we’ll offer all testers a full six months of free access once it goes live. (And it’s a web app, so there’s nothing to download or install on your PC.)

To avoid any accusations of spamming, I won’t go into any details here about the business or project. I just know that paperwork is a pain for many (if not all!) of us and I hope what we’re building will be incredibly useful.

If you are interested in helping or would like to learn more about the app, please PM (message) me to my forum inbox.

Many Thanks.

DT
 
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having tried so many all singing all dancing programmes it will need to be extrodinarily good to get my interest.

when it can do an estimate, turn that to a job, do the invoice, work out the vat input & output and do the Vat and Tax returns correctly, using the correct calculation formulas i:e 0,5,15 & 17.5% vat and be accurate to the penny
by correct formula i mean 17.5% = *7/47 etc.
also it needs to be able to cope with stage payments and split payments (bacs, cash, cheque &/or card)

when you think you have something like that i may look at it.
 
Thanks for the comment kevindgas,

This app was initially built to solve my own headaches with paperwork. Being a tradesman myself I know exactly what you mean by viewing so many different products only to be disappointed with the lack of understanding about what is needed. It was this exact reason that made me decide to have my own piece of kit made, not to sell to others but to help me. It was only the reaction I received from the other tradesmen I showed which prompted me to build the product further and advance its capabilities.

At present the app does everything you listed in your post except the accountancy side of things - but we have recently started working with a qualified accountant to address this part as we see it necessary to control your tax, VAT & CIS from within the app.

DT
 
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not a product out there at the moment that can do it all. i know as i've tried all the main ones.
so good luck with it.
 
Thanks again Kevin,

I personally did not like the idea of approaching people to test the app through forums but after exhausting our testing offline it was the only obvious route to putting it in front of a slightly bigger crowd.
Even input like your first post is useful for us as we can see what other tradesmen would expect within an app like ours without even using it.

Once again Thanks
DT
 
Ask yourself this:

Would you allow all your company's private details such as income, expenditure, taxation and pricing policies, to be kept on the Net (cloud) in an unencrypted format where any teenage hacker could easily access it?

Why not have a serious re-think and instead produce a program that will do all you are thinking of offering but on companies' own computers which would be a lot safer. Programs like Sage work on individual local networks, aim to produce your ideas in a similar way so that security is not such an issue as it will be on line unencrypted.

dave
 
not a product out there at the moment that can do it all. i know as i've tried all the main ones.
so good luck with it.
Have you tried Mamut - does even more than you list.

fortytwo: the accounting site of things - most apps now have online links with the VAT and Inland revenue, will yours have? Otherwise, try contacting Liberty Accounting online and see if they want to work together with you (their app is missing what you are offering).

Will pm you if you return the 'friend request'
 
Hi I am interested in evaluating your software, I have sent you a friend request.


Regards

Tim (skenk)
 
I've tested the program (must say it was a very limited test due to lack of time from my side) and it does look like it could fill a gap in the market for traders.
It is simple and straightforward to use, some tiny items could be improved but that's why 42 asked for testers (and a nice 'surprise' was that I received a reply very shortly after I reported my finding, something other software businesses forget too often.)
 
I've had a look the Mamut trial and it just seems a bit over-complicated for a tradesman-type (relatively simple) business. We are looking to expand and that is why I am looking for business software so one geared specifically towards our market is interesting.
 
I agree with dave.m. The security of confidential data is a major issue with the web applications. Unless you can persuade the potential users that all the sensitive data are heavily encrypted, etc. it would be their main concern. Another issue is what would happen if the connection to the server is disrupted for whatever reason (it happened with our servers after a heavy storm followed by flooding). Do you provide an option for the users to backup the data on their own computers?
 
Hi again,

Thanks Woody for you feedback - everything helps as it is quite hard to find the folk like you who are prepared to give 5 minutes.

VV2806, the concern that people have about the security of data is an issue that we are addressing at the moment. We do have some encryption in place on the database and passwords etc at present but we are looking into advancing this.
We don't have a facility for people to backup data to their own computers, but this is a possibility which we will no doubt look into in the future. We do daily backups to Amazon servers whilst in testing but this will be increased to hourly once we go live.

Thanks again for the questions
DT
 
Would you allow all your company's private details such as income, expenditure, taxation and pricing policies, to be kept on the Net (cloud) in an unencrypted format where any teenage hacker could easily access it?
Thousands of companies do. There's lots of full CRM / ERP web based services out there which (some very large multi-national) companies keep their full customer database, all transactions, phone records, accounting info etc etc on.
 
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