The Simple Way to Keep Contracting Business Organised
The Simple Way to Keep Your Jobs, Photos, Customers, and Invoices Organised
Most trades don’t struggle with the work.
They struggle with keeping everything tidy.
If you’re running jobs out of WhatsApp, storing photos in your camera roll, scribbling quotes on scrap paper, and trying to invoice people at 9pm… you’re not alone.
This is exactly how most sparkies, plumbers, handymen, landscapers, and roofers run their day — and it works until it doesn’t.
This post is a simple, practical guide to staying organised without changing the way you work.
No jargon.
No bullshit.
Just a clean way to keep your jobs, customers, photos, and invoices in order.
Why things get messy so quickly
Trades don’t work like office people.
You’re on the go all day.
You’re talking to customers while holding tools.
You’re jumping between jobs.
Your phone is buzzing constantly.
And this leads to:
- job details getting lost in chat apps
- photos buried in your personal camera roll
- prices guessed because the notes vanished
- invoices written late
- materials forgotten
- customers asking, “Any update on that job?”
Here’s the good news:
You don’t need a complicated system.
You just need a simple routine that fits the way you already work.
Let’s break it down.
1. Keep every job in one single list
Doesn’t matter if you use software, notes, or a whiteboard — you need one master list.
If a job isn’t in the list, it may as well not exist.
The moment someone messages, calls, or sends you a photo:
✔ Add it to your list
✔ Put the customer name
✔ Add basic notes (address, issue, what they need)
This alone stops 90% of missed work.
In Clearwork:
This is your Jobs page — fast, simple, one tap to add the job on the go.
2. Store job photos where they actually belong
Photos are the biggest cause of chaos.
They get mixed with:
- kids
- pets
- screenshots
- memes
- receipts
- random pictures of boilers you don’t remember
If your photos aren’t tied to a job, you’ll lose them or send the wrong one to a customer.
The easiest fix:
✔ Whenever you take a photo for a job, attach it straight to that job.
✔ Do NOT let it sit in your camera roll.
In Clearwork:
Open the job → Add Photo → Done.
Nothing gets lost.
3. Record labour and materials immediately
Not later.
Not this evening.
Not “I’ll remember it.”
Because you won’t — no one does.
Do it while it’s fresh:
- how long you were there
- what parts you used
- what the customer said
- what you actually did
This stops you from:
- undercharging
- overcharging
- forgetting parts
- losing money
In Clearwork:
Tap the job → Add Labour / Add Part → Saved.
5 seconds. Zero stress.
4. Keep customer details tidy from day one
Most trades store customer details across:
- Notes
- Paper scraps
- Job sheets
This makes repeat work harder and slows down quoting and invoicing.
The fix:
✔ Put every customer into one place
✔ Save their name, number, address
✔ Keep their job history together
Next time they ring, you know exactly who they are.
In Clearwork:
The Customers section keeps everything centralised — full job history included.
5. Invoice quickly and consistently
Invoices don’t get lost because they’re hard.
They get lost because:
- you forgot
- you were tired
- you were rushing to the next job
- the notes weren’t ready
- you couldn’t be bothered that evening
The best way to stay organised:
✔ Invoice as soon as you finish the job
or
✔ Invoice the same time every day (e.g. 6pm)
The longer you leave it, the more likely it disappears.
In Clearwork:
You can turn a job into an invoice in seconds — everything’s already filled in.
6. The simple daily routine that keeps your business tidy
This is the routine most organised trades follow:
Morning
- Check your job list
- Confirm today’s jobs
- Add any new job enquiries immediately
During jobs
- Add photos as you take them
- Log materials
- Log time
End of day
- Move jobs to “Completed”
- Invoice anything that’s finished
- Add notes for tomorrow
You don’t need fancy workflows.
You just need consistency.
7. How Clearwork makes this easier (without changing how you work)
Clearwork isn’t trying to reinvent your business.
It just gives you:
- one job list
- one customer list
- easy photo storage
- fast logging
- clean invoices
- simple team updates
- everything automatically organised
No more mixed messages.
No more lost photos.
No more “I’ll sort it tonight.”
No more panic.
Just a cleaner way to run your day.
Staying organised doesn’t need to be complicated
Trades run busy lives.
You’re juggling jobs, customers, tools, and time — all while trying to keep your business moving.
A simple system goes a long way.
If you’re ready to stop losing jobs, photos, notes, and invoices, Clearwork can help you keep everything tidy without changing how you work.
If you want to give it a go, great.
If not, this routine will still help you stay on top of the chaos.
Either way — you’ll feel a lot more organised.
– Brandon