Guides
Practical guides, one problem at a time
Each guide takes one problem that slows a service business down and works it through: why it happens, the fix, a worked example and a free template. No sign-up.
The guides
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No. 01
When job details are scattered across chats, inboxes and spreadsheets
For owners and office staff who keep getting asked where things are up to. One current record per job, a reference everyone uses, and a group chat that feeds the record.
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No. 02
When reports take an evening because site notes and photos lack context
For anyone who writes reports from visits or inspections. Capture each observation with its location and evidence, and keep AI to drafting from what was captured.
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No. 03
When finished jobs sit waiting for paperwork before they can be invoiced
For owners, office and accounts staff with work that’s done but not billed. Five stages between finished and paid, requirements by job type, and a weekly queue review.
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No. 04
When your team uses AI, but not in a way you can rely on
For owners and teams already using AI tools. Turn one task into a defined step, with set inputs, shared instructions, a named checker and a record of corrections.
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No. 05
When the same details get typed into three different tools
For owners and office staff who copy between a CRM, quotes, project tools and accounts. Choose where each detail is entered first, then link, connect or stop copying.
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No. 06
When know-how is stuck in one person’s head
For owners whose business waits when one person is away. Capture a task while it’s done, test it with someone else, and give the notes an owner.
Which one first?
- Start with 01 if people keep asking you where things are up to.
- Start with 02 if reports eat your evenings.
- Start with 03 if finished work waits to be billed.
- Start with 04 if your team uses AI, but everyone does it differently.
- Start with 05 if the same details get typed into several tools.
- Start with 06 if work waits whenever one person is away.
- Not sure? Start with 01. One current record makes the others easier.
Read as deep as you need
- Layer 1
The situation and why it happens
Plain language, for anyone who recognises the problem.
- Layer 2
The fix, an example and a template
For whoever runs the process.
- Layer 3
When to build more, and setup notes
For whoever builds it: someone on your team, or me.
The examples are invented and labelled. Three come from site-based work, where my own business is, and three from office work. For real systems, see the ones I run my own business on.
All the templates
Free to download and change. No email address needed. Each one includes an illustrative example, clearly marked.
- Job record starter.xlsx · 20 KB · from guide 01
- Site capture sheet and report checklist.docx · 9 KB · from guide 02
- Billing readiness tracker.xlsx · 22 KB · from guide 03
- AI task card.docx · 8 KB · from guide 04
- Data entry map.xlsx · 15 KB · from guide 05
- Process capture sheet.docx · 8 KB · from guide 06
Rather have it built?
The guides are complete on their own. If you’d like one built into your tools and the way your team works, that’s the paid work.