Builders, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, painters, tilers, roofers, concreters
Done by hand today- Quotes typed up at night from site notes, photos and measurements
- Each finished job typed again into Xero or MYOB as an invoice
- Chasing unpaid invoices by phone and text
- Receipts, timesheets and job cards collected on paper or by text
What a computer could do- Site photos and a voice note become a draft quote you check and send
- The invoice is made when the job is marked done
- Polite payment reminders go out by themselves
- Receipts photographed on a phone are matched to the right job
Sales agencies, property managers, strata managers, equipment hire
Done by hand today- Each listing typed into the CRM, the portals, the window card and the vendor email
- Inspection reports written up from photos and notes
- Maintenance requests passed between tenant, owner and tradie by phone and email
- Rent arrears reminders sent one by one
What a computer could do- Type a listing once and the other places are filled in for you to check
- Inspection photos and voice notes become a draft report
- Maintenance requests are logged, sorted and sent to the right tradie once the owner approves
- Arrears reminders go out on a schedule you set
Accountants, bookkeepers, lawyers, engineers, architects, surveyors, designers, marketing and IT consultants
Done by hand today- Client documents chased by email, then renamed and filed by hand
- The same client details typed into three or four systems
- Timesheets filled in at the end of the week from memory
- Meeting notes written up and actions sent by hand
What a computer could do- Missing documents are chased for you and filed in the right folder
- New client details are entered once and flow to the other systems
- Time is suggested from your calendar and email for you to approve
- Meeting notes and action lists are drafted after each call
Couriers, freight, removalists, rideshare and taxi drivers, warehousing
Done by hand today- Bookings taken by phone and email, then typed into the job system
- Delivery dockets and proof of delivery on paper, scanned later
- Month-end invoices built from a pile of dockets
- Vehicle checks and work diaries kept on paper
What a computer could do- Booking emails become jobs without retyping
- A photo at delivery is attached to the job and the invoice
- Invoices are made from completed jobs, ready to check
- Pre-start checks on a phone, with an alert if something is wrong
Physios, psychologists, dentists, GP clinics, NDIS providers, home care, childcare
Done by hand today- Intake forms typed again into the practice system
- Referral letters and reports written from scratch
- Reminder calls and rebooking cancelled appointments
- Shift notes and progress notes typed up after work
What a computer could do- Online intake forms go straight into Cliniko, Splose or Nookal
- Letters are drafted from your notes for the clinician to check
- Reminders go out and cancelled spots are offered to the waitlist
- A voice note on a phone becomes a filed progress note
Boutiques, gift shops, hardware, bike shops, online stores, pharmacies, car dealers
Done by hand today- Stock changes made on the website, the marketplace and Instagram, one by one
- Product descriptions written one at a time
- Supplier invoices and deliveries entered by hand
- Daily sales and the till reconciled in a spreadsheet
What a computer could do- Update stock once and every channel changes together
- Product descriptions drafted from photos and supplier sheets
- Supplier invoices read and entered for you to check
- A daily sales summary lands in your inbox
Cleaners, gardeners and landscapers, labour hire, security, travel agents, call centres
Done by hand today- Rosters and shift swaps sorted by text message
- Timesheets collected and checked against the roster
- Licences, police checks and inductions tracked in a spreadsheet
- Site checklists signed on paper
What a computer could do- Shift offers and swaps are confirmed into the roster
- Clock-ins are checked against the roster before payroll
- You are warned before a licence or check expires
- Checklists done on a phone, with photos sent to the client
Hairdressers, beauty and nail salons, mechanics, repairers, pet groomers
Done by hand today- Bookings come by phone, Instagram, Facebook and text
- Reminder messages and no-show follow-ups sent by hand
- Parts looked up and ordered by phone
- Service-due reminders tracked on paper or not at all
What a computer could do- Messages from every channel are answered and booked into one calendar
- Reminders go out and cancellations are filled from the waitlist
- Parts quotes drafted from the job and the vehicle details
- Customers get a reminder when their service is due
Mortgage and finance brokers, insurance brokers, financial planners
Done by hand today- Client details retyped from forms and calls into the CRM and lender systems
- Chasing payslips, bank statements and ID
- Writing file notes after every call
- Renewal and review dates tracked in a spreadsheet
What a computer could do- Fact-find details entered once and pre-filled everywhere else
- Missing documents spotted and chased for you
- File notes drafted from the call for you to check
- Review and renewal reminders sent on time
Cafes, restaurants, bakeries, pubs, caterers, motels and short stays
Done by hand today- Rosters written each week and penalty rates checked by hand
- Supplier orders worked out from a stock count
- Supplier invoices entered after closing time
- Function and group booking enquiries answered one by one
What a computer could do- A draft roster from your bookings and usual trade, with costs shown
- Regular supplier orders prepared for you to check and send
- Invoices read and entered into Xero
- Function enquiries answered with menus and dates
Metal fabrication, laser cutting, joinery, food and drink makers, wineries, printers, defence suppliers
Done by hand today- Quotes worked out in a spreadsheet from drawings and emails
- Orders typed from emails and PDFs into the job system
- Paper job cards, with hours typed again into payroll
- Material and stock counts done by hand
What a computer could do- Draft quotes from the drawing and your price rules, in minutes
- Emailed and PDF orders turned into jobs
- Hours entered once update job costing and payroll
- A warning when material is running low
Distributors, importers, food and beverage wholesalers, building supplies
Done by hand today- Customer orders retyped from emails, PDFs and phone calls
- Price list changes updated by hand in several places
- Stock questions answered by email
- Deliveries checked against purchase orders and invoices
What a computer could do- Emailed and PDF orders read, matched to your products and flagged if unsure
- One price change updates the website and the customer price lists
- Stock availability replies drafted from live stock
- Deliveries matched to the purchase order and the invoice
Vineyards, market gardens, orchards, nurseries, livestock, fishing
Done by hand today- Spray diaries and chemical records kept on paper
- Seasonal worker timesheets checked by hand
- Wine club and farm gate orders typed into the till, a spreadsheet and the accounts
- Harvest and vintage records copied into spreadsheets
What a computer could do- Records spoken into a phone become tidy compliance logs
- Seasonal timesheets checked before payroll
- Orders entered once go to the till, the spreadsheet and the accounts
- Harvest numbers summarised for you each day
Training providers (RTOs), tutors, music and driving schools, private colleges
Done by hand today- Enrolment forms typed into the student system
- Attendance and compliance reporting pulled together by hand
- Invoices for each family or student every term
- Certificates and results letters made one by one
What a computer could do- Online enrolments go straight into the student system
- Reports built from the records you already keep
- Term invoices and reminders go out by themselves
- Certificates generated from results
Gyms and studios, sports clubs, venues, galleries, event organisers
Done by hand today- Failed membership payments chased one by one
- Class waitlists managed by hand
- The same questions about tickets and timetables answered every day
- Volunteer and staff rosters sorted by email
What a computer could do- Failed payments followed up automatically
- Waitlist spots offered the moment one frees up
- Common questions answered with a drafted reply
- Roster reminders sent before each shift
Business counts: ABS, Counts of Australian Businesses, June 2025, greater Adelaide. Examples are typical repeat jobs, not results from past clients.