Business Genie Help Center
How-to guides, by the problem they fix
The Business Genie Help Center is written for contractors. Its twelve guides are listed by what’s going wrong — calls missed, customers not home, invoices paid late. Choose a problem to see the guide’s steps and where Business Genie comes in.
How to recover missed calls
Text back, let after-hours callers book, and call back fast.
- 1Work out what missed calls cost you
- 2Text back when you can’t pick up
- 3Let after-hours callers book themselves
- 4Call back quickly
- 5Decide whether you need an answering service
In Business Genie: Online booking lets a caller book a time without reaching you.
How to reduce no-shows
Confirmations, reminders, deposits and a clear policy.
- 1Let customers choose their own time
- 2Take a deposit on larger jobs
- 3Confirm, then remind
- 4Publish a clear no-show policy
In Business Genie: Estimates with deposits for the larger jobs, and online booking so customers choose their own time.
How to price plumbing jobs
An hourly rate from your own costs, parts markup and a flat-rate price book.
- 1Work out your hourly rate
- 2Mark up parts on purpose
- 3Build a flat-rate price book
In Business Genie: Job costing checks a price against the labor and parts the job actually took.
Integrating estimates and invoicing
Carry the approved price and the deposit through to the final bill.
- 1Write estimates in the lines you’ll invoice
- 2Get approval and the deposit in one step
- 3Record changes when they happen
- 4Turn the finished job into the invoice
- 5Close the loop
In Business Genie: Estimates and proposals with deposits, and invoicing from the job.
Online invoicing for contractors
What an invoice must show, when to send it, and how customers pay it.
- 1What every invoice should show
- 2Send it before you leave the job
- 3Let customers pay the way they already pay
- 4Follow up on a rule, not from memory
- 5Keep the books in one place
In Business Genie: Invoicing from the phone, and QuickBooks Online sync for the books.
How to collect payments faster as a contractor
Invoice at the job, take more ways to pay, and follow up on a schedule.
- 1Invoice at the job, not later
- 2Accept more ways to pay
- 3Send reminders on a schedule
- 4Take deposits on larger jobs
In Business Genie: Customers pay by card, Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo or Cash App. See payments.
Maximizing cash flow
Where cash waits in a contracting business, and how to bring it in sooner.
- 1Take a deposit before you buy materials
- 2Invoice on the day of the job
- 3Accept the payment methods customers use
- 4Follow up on every unpaid invoice
- 5Look at two numbers every week
- 6Plan for the slow months
In Business Genie: Deposits on estimates, and payments by card, Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo or Cash App.
How to get more Google reviews
When to ask, what to say, and what Google doesn’t allow.
- 1Ask at the right moment
- 2What to say
- 3Send a direct review link
- 4What Google doesn’t allow
- 5Answering negative reviews
In Business Genie: Automated follow-ups and review requests go out after the job.
How to build a recurring maintenance plan
What to include, how to price it, and how to keep the visits booked.
- 1Keep the structure simple
- 2Price it from your costs
- 3Offer it right after a repair
- 4Run the plan without a spreadsheet
In Business Genie: Scheduling to book every plan visit ahead, and route optimization to order each day’s visits.
Better decisions with automated reporting
The few numbers to check each week and month, and what each one decides.
- 1Start from decisions, not reports
- 2The numbers to check every week
- 3The numbers to check every month
- 4Make the data trustworthy
- 5Review on a fixed day
In Business Genie: Job costing and GPS time tracking, from the jobs and hours already recorded.
How to move from paper scheduling to software
The switch in five steps, without losing a job on the way.
- 1Choose the software and start a trial
- 2Move your customer list
- 3Enter the jobs already booked
- 4Run both for one week, then stop
- 5Train techs on a real job
In Business Genie: Setup is free: the team moves your customer list in. The trial is a month, with no credit card. See pricing.
How to choose field service management software
Must-have features, the real price, and a test on real jobs.
- 1Start with the size of your team
- 2Write down your must-have features
- 3Compare the real price, not the starting price
- 4Test it in the field
In Business Genie: Plans start at $50 a month, with route optimization on every plan, and a one-month free trial.
If the problem isn’t on the chart, read the common questions or write to the team.
Walkthroughs by trade
Four walkthroughs show how a small business in one trade can run its work in Business Genie, from the first call to getting paid. Each one uses a different set of the software’s parts, because each trade’s week is different.
Small plumbing company
Bookings, routing, quotes with deposits and payment on site.
Uses: Online booking, Scheduling and dispatch, Route optimization, Estimates with deposits, Job costing, Invoicing and payments, Automated follow-ups, CRM.
Small electrical contractor
Service calls and installs on one schedule, hours and invoicing.
Uses: Scheduling and dispatch, Route optimization, Estimates with deposits, GPS time tracking, Job costing, Invoicing and payments, Automated follow-ups.
Small HVAC service team
Routing a busy season’s calls, maintenance visits and replacements.
Uses: Scheduling and dispatch, Route optimization, Estimates with deposits, GPS time tracking, Invoicing and payments, Automated follow-ups.
Landscapers and landscape design firms
Proposals with deposits, install crews and maintenance routes.
Uses: Scheduling and dispatch, Route optimization, Estimates with deposits, GPS time tracking, Job costing, Invoicing and payments, CRM.
Every walkthrough starts here
A one-month free trial with no credit card, free setup with your customer list moved in by the Business Genie team, the iOS or Android app on each phone, and QuickBooks Online connected if your books are kept there.
Common questions
Short answers about Business Genie: what it is, the free trial, setup, what it costs, how customers pay, QuickBooks Online and the phone app.
What is Business Genie?
- Business Genie is field service management software for contractors, built around route optimization — schedule and route your crews, then invoice and get paid, on the web and in the iOS and Android app. It was founded in 2019 and is based in Mesa, Arizona.
How long is the free trial, and do I need a credit card?
- The free trial lasts one month, and you don’t need a credit card to start.
Will someone help me set it up?
- Yes. Setup is free: the Business Genie team sets up your account and moves your existing data in for you.
How much does Business Genie cost?
- Plans start at $50 a month, and route optimization is included on every plan. The pricing page lists what each plan includes.
How can my customers pay?
- Invoices can be paid by card, Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo or Cash App.
Does it work with QuickBooks?
- Yes. Business Genie syncs with QuickBooks Online.
Does it work on phones?
- Yes. Business Genie runs on the web and in the iOS and Android app.
Contact the team
For anything the guides and answers here don’t cover, email the Business Genie team.
info@businessgenieapp.comOr try it on your own jobs: free for a month, no credit card to start, and the team sets up your account.
Start free trial