We’ve been getting this as a steady feature request for years – the ability to create purchase orders the same way Estimates and Jobs can be created.
EstiMate 2011 Feature Of The Day: Quick Access To Templates
(click to enlarge)This is a very simple feature but one of my absolute favorites: your templates are now attached to the “add items” menu on the Job and Estimate screens!
EstiMate 2011 Feature Of The Day: Job Time Sheets
In EstiMate 2011 any logged in user can keep an actual time sheet for a job!
We’ve added a new Job Timer screen that brings up the list of active jobs in EstiMate and presents the opportunity to track actual time worked on the job. This time can then be checked against the expected times on the work order and allows you to see how well times are being estimated in your shop.
This is a long-awaited feature, and it’s now yours!
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EstiMate 2011 Pre-Release Sale Pricing – Save Up To 50%
Outstanding Pre-Release Pricing Available Until October 1, 2010.
Important Note: Please read the original announcement about EstiMate 2011 to learn about the EstiMate 2011 pricing plans.
Announcing EstiMate 2011!
I’ve got huge news today… on October 1st, we are releasing a new version of EstiMate that’s absolutely packed with new features.
Say Hello To EstiMate 2011!
We have come a long way towards fulfilling our original mission: providing rock solid pricing software and “light” shop management tools to sign and graphics companies. EstiMate has arguably established the standard for pricing sign work and helped literally thousands of sign shops find profits they never thought possible. We are grateful beyond measure for the customer and industry support we have experienced.
Now that we have reached this point, it’s time to push forward and evolve EstiMate with a tidal wave of capabilities and enhancements!
EstiMate 2011 ups the ante by deeply improving the “speed quoting” features of EstiMate 2 and bringing a more robust feature set to the shop management side of things. Such additions as business insight, customer metric measurement, purchase order generation and workflow management tools really round out the software.
Customer Profile: The Sign Shop, Mendocino, CA
Interview With: Rick Sacks, Owner
How did you get into the sign business?
First, I wanted to learn to letter. I wanted to know how to make beautiful signs. I had no idea about wanting to be in business; that came along much later. I got an apprentice position in a three man shop and went from sweeping floors and washing screens to cutting panels to coating and then to filling in letters. These were guys that came from a former world where paint wasn’t already mixed and they saw the advent of rollers. It was an honor to straddle that history.
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Customer Profile: Crawford Signs, Conway, AR
Interview With: Jeff Crawford, Owner
How did you get into the sign business?
I got into the sign business after losing a job. My brother is in the business and formerly my grandfather was in the business.
What types of work do you do?
We are a vinyl and print shop, selling banners, magnets, stickers, yard and storefront signs, storefront window lettering and tinting, business cards, envelopes, and vehicle lettering. We also do sign design and installations.
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Customer Profile: Decals & More Inc., Greencastle, PA
Interview With: Jay Sensenig, Owner
How did you get into the sign business?
I started out selling cartoon decals in 1996.
What types of work do you do?
We do trade show displays, vehicle wraps, magnetic signs, banners, artist canvas prints, posters, corporate logos, & much much more. We now have 3 Cutters and 1 Mimaki 54” Printer.
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Customer Profile: Creative Graphics Inc., Wilson, NC
Interview With: Glenn Taylor, Owner
How did you get into the sign business?
I was drafted. My father was the regional advertising manager for JC Pennys back in the 70′s. He would handletter showcards, trucks and small signs on the side for extra money. He would drag me around from one job to another as a helper. In 1978, he quit his job and moved the family to his hometown of Wilson, NC to follow his dream of having his own sign shop. I was 17 at the time. Dad would wake me up at 5am unannounced and have me help him letter a billboard or install a sign.
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Customer Profile: Drew’s Sign It, Queensland, Australia
Interview With: Shane Drew, Owner
How did you get into the sign business?
It’s a very long story, but I’ll give you the shortened version.
My background is in computer sales, and the late ‘80s I was getting restless. My sales specialty was graphic design software (anyone remember the Amiga 500/1000?) and I had won several sales awards but was getting bored. I worked in the family computer business and we were all pretty sick of the industry by the early ‘90s. Then, two of our largest clients both went broke owing us a small fortune, and we decided enough was enough. We sold out to a competitor.
One of our regular clients was a sign shop at the time and we were told they were going broke. Through no other reason than poor money management and very poor work ethic. They had some really good contracts.
As the sign business was fully computerised, and I had a good working knowledge of all the cutters and computers, my sister and father were familiar with their accounting systems, and we even knew some of the staff personally, we made an offer to take over the running of the business in a management role.
All went well for a few weeks until we found out the work ethic of some of the staff was so poor, they were actually stealing our stock to do work for themselves on the weekends. Even the previous owner was caught with his hand in the till.
So we sacked just about everyone and found ourselves in a very vulnerable position. A sign shop with some big contracts, and not a lot of experience.