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General
Apr-24
4 min
Tax is probably not why you started a trade business.
But understanding how your business is structured, what you can claim and how you pay yourself can make a difference to what you keep.
Last week, hosted
ServCraft Mastery
13 Tax Levers for Trades: Keep More of What You Make
, a free online session for South African trade business owners.Dustin Butler of covered practical tax topics, including business structure, paying yourself, tools and equipment, your bakkie and the questions you should be asking your accountant.
Sprigg Abbott Incorporated
The takeaway
You need to know what is happening in your business and have the records to back it up.
Listen to the short clip from last week's ServCraft Mastery
One of the tax levers discussed at last week's 13 Tax Levers for Trades: Keep More of What You Make session.
Why do good business records matter for tax planning?
Good business records help you and your accountant understand your business finances and support the information used when preparing your accounts and tax returns.
For a trade business, those records can include:
- Quotes
- Job cards
- Invoices
- Purchase records
- Photos
- Forms and checklists
- Customer sign-offs
- Documents
- Records of materials and stock
The challenge is that these records are often created in different places.
And when your accountant asks for something,
finding the information can become a job in itself.
When your accountant asks for the information, can you find it?
Running a trade business creates a lot of paperwork and documentation.
One job can generate a customer enquiry, quote, job card, photos, materials, forms, sign-offs and an invoice.
If those records are spread across WhatsApp, email, paper files, spreadsheets and different devices, it can be difficult to find the complete history of a job later.
And when your accountant asks a question, you don't want the answer to be:
"I'll have to look for that."
Good records help well beyond tax time.
They show you what happened on a job, what was charged, what was used and what still needs to be done.
Keep your business documentation with the job
ServCraft keeps your complete business history
searchable and accessible
, including job cards, photos and documents.Instead of storing information across different places, you can keep the documentation connected to the work it belongs to.
For example:
Customer → Job → Job card → Photos & documents → Quote → Invoice
That means when you need to look back at a job, the information is easier to find.
Keep job cards, photos and documents connected to the work they belong to.
From scattered records to one business history
Without ServCraft for your job management:
Customer
↓
WhatsApp
↓
Photo
↓
Email
↓
Paper file
↓
Spreadsheet
With ServCraft as your job management system:
Customer
↓
Job
↓
Job card
↓
Documents
↓
Quote
↓
Invoice
The goal is to make the information you already create easier to manage and find, without adding admin.
What records should a trade business keep?
There is no single list that applies to every trade business, but keeping an organised record of your work can include:
- Customer information
- Quotes and accepted quotes
- Job cards
- Invoices
- Purchase orders
- Materials and stock
- Photos of completed work
- Customer signatures and sign-offs
- Forms and checklists
- Job-related documents
- Payment information
The more your business grows, the harder it becomes to rely on memory, paper files and scattered messages.
A central digital record gives you a clearer history of your business.
How does ServCraft help trade businesses keep records organised?
ServCraft is
job management software
built for South African field-service businesses, including plumbing, electrical, security, HVAC and solar businesses
.It brings the different stages of your work together, from customer enquiry and quoting through to job completion, invoicing and payment.
You can manage:
- Jobs
- Job cards
- Quotes
- Invoices
- Purchase orders
- Inventory
- Customer information
- Photos
- Documents
- Team activity
ServCraft also connects with
Sage, Xero and QuickBooks
, so your job management and accounting systems stay in step.ServCraft doesn't replace your accountant.
It gives them better information to work with.
What this looks like for a trade business
For a trade business, a single installation can involve quotes, equipment, installation details, photos, test forms, customer sign-off and ongoing service information.
ServCraft lets trade businesses keep installation documentation, photos and customer signatures with the job.
That gives the business a record it can refer back to when a customer calls months later or another technician needs the history.
The principle applies across security, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, solar and other trades.
Over 1000 businesses use ServCraft
Your records should work as hard as you do
Getting organised helps with more than tax.
It means you can answer everyday questions:
What jobs are open?
What has been completed?
What has been invoiced?
What still needs to be paid?
Where are the documents?
What happened on that job six months ago?
ServCraft gives you one system for managing your jobs, customers, teams and payments.
And as your business grows, that history matters more.
Frequently asked questions
What is job management software?
Job management software helps trade businesses manage work from customer enquiry through to job completion, invoicing and payment. ServCraft brings these stages together in one system for South African trade businesses.
How can trade businesses keep job documents organised?
A digital job management system can keep documents, photos, forms and job information connected to the relevant customer and job instead of storing them across separate systems.
Can ServCraft store job documents?
Yes, ServCraft keeps your complete business history searchable and accessible, including job cards, photos and documents. You currently get 1 GB of data storage, with more available as your records grow.
Does ServCraft integrate with accounting software?
Yes. ServCraft connects with
Sage, Xero and QuickBooks
, so invoice information can update your accounting software without manual capture.Is ServCraft suitable for South African trade businesses?
Yes. ServCraft is built for South African field-service businesses, including electrical, plumbing, security, HVAC, solar and other trades.
Can I try ServCraft before subscribing?
Yes. ServCraft offers a
14-day free trial with no credit card required
.See what ServCraft can do for your business
You don't need to take our word for it.
Try ServCraft free for 14 days
Get full access and see how ServCraft fits into the way you already run your business.
Prefer to talk it through first?
Book a free consultation with the ServCraft team.
We'll look at how you currently run your jobs and show you where ServCraft can help.
Keep your jobs organised and your records accessible.
ServCraft Mastery gives South African trade business owners practical education, tools and advice to help them run and grow their businesses.