Description
Stop being your own bookkeeper. This is the problem solver: one spreadsheet that runs the entire admin side of your trade business, so you save hours of time every month.
SOUND FAMILIAR?
– Double-booked a job because it wasn’t written down anywhere central
– Forgotten to chase a balance until weeks after it was due
– No idea what you actually earned last month until you dig through your bank app
– Mileage and expenses scattered across random receipts
– Tax season arrives and you’re reconstructing a year from memory
None of that is a “you” problem, it’s a missing system problem. This template fixes it.
THE FIX: ALL IN ONE SHEET
The Trade Business Command Centre puts jobs, customers, invoicing, expenses, mileage and job-stage tracking into one spreadsheet that does the maths for you. No formulas to write, no accounting background needed, just fill in the coloured cells.
BONUS: SEE IT IN ACTION
Your download includes a second file too – a fully filled-in example with sample jobs, customers and an invoice already entered, so you can see exactly how everything looks and works before you add your own data.
WHAT’S INSIDE
Dashboard – revenue, expenses, net profit, outstanding invoices, upcoming jobs, mileage claimable and an estimated tax reserve, plus a 12-month revenue trend with a 3-month forecast.
Jobs – every enquiry and confirmed job in one list, with a Trade Type dropdown, balance due and payment status (Paid / Outstanding / Overdue) calculating themselves.
Job Stages – track every job from Enquiry through Quoted, Booked, In Progress, Materials, Snagging and Completed, with Ordered, Start and Completion dates all in one place.
Invoice – pick a job from the dropdown and a clean, printable invoice fills itself in automatically: customer details, job info, amount due, balance and due date, pulled straight from your Jobs and Customers tabs. Add your business name, address, email and phone once, and every invoice uses them.
Invoice Log – a permanent record of every invoice you’ve actually sent. Pick the same Job ID and type the date you sent it, and the invoice number, due date, customer and amounts fill themselves in, so you always know what’s invoiced, paid and outstanding.
Customers – a running customer list that fills itself in from your jobs, showing total jobs and lifetime revenue per customer.
Expenses – log spend, pick a category from a dropdown, link it to a Job ID so it totals up automatically in that job’s Total Expenses, and get an automatic category breakdown ready for your accountant.
Mileage – business trips linked to jobs, with claimable mileage calculated at your rate automatically.
Settings – set your business name, address, contact details, mileage rate and revenue target once and everything, including your invoices, updates to match.
WHY TRADESPEOPLE USE IT
– Never lose track of a job, deposit or balance again
– See your real profit, not a guess
– Get paid on time, overdue balances flag themselves
– Send a proper invoice in seconds, no separate invoicing app or template needed
– Keep a permanent invoice history, never wonder what you already billed
– Mileage and tax reserve done for you
– Know what’s coming next, jobs and deadlines always visible
– Looks and feels professional, with colour-coded cells and dropdowns
WORKS EVERYWHERE YOU DO
Built as a standard spreadsheet file so it opens cleanly in both Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. No plug-ins, no add-ons, no desktop-only surprises.
GETTING STARTED
1. Open the Settings tab and enter your business name, address, contact details, mileage rate and revenue target
2. Start adding jobs – customers, job stages and your dashboard fill themselves in from there
3. Generate an invoice for any job straight from the Invoice tab whenever you need one
4. Log it in Invoice Log so you have a permanent record of what’s been sent and what’s outstanding
5. Log expenses and mileage as you go
6. Check your Dashboard any time for the real picture of how business is going
A short step-by-step guide is included on the Start Here tab.
A COUPLE OF HONEST NOTES
This is a business-management template, not accounting or tax software. Please check current tax rules in your region, or ask a professional, for anything tax-specific. No spreadsheet experience needed beyond typing into cells and picking from dropdowns.
FAQ
Does this really work in Excel, not just Google Sheets? Yes, built and tested to work cleanly in both.
Does it actually generate invoices, or just track payments? Both. The Invoice tab creates a real, printable invoice from any job, pulling in the customer, job details, amount and due date automatically, using the business details you set once in Settings.
Can I keep a record of invoices I’ve sent? Yes, the Invoice Log tab keeps a running history: pick the job and the date you sent it, and everything else fills in automatically.
Do I need to know how to use spreadsheets? Not really, you type into highlighted cells and pick from dropdowns, the calculations and dashboard are already built for you.
Can I add my own expense categories or change the colours? Yes, it’s yours once downloaded.
Will it slow down if I add hundreds of jobs? No, pre-built with formulas ready for 500 rows on every tab.
Get organised. Get paid. Get your time back.
Instant digital download – .xlsx file, compatible with Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel.
