Reuben Shaw chose GeoOp to support his business over a decade ago. He loves practical and creative work, and from highschool days saw auto electronics as a good fit. Like with alot of business situations however he increasingly found the paperwork and admin to be a growing burden that was impacting his time and family life. With GeoOp, he managed to turn this situation around so that he can spend his time more effectively on the business with a much better balance between work and family life. Read on to find out more.
GeoOp: Tell us about your auto electrics business and why you got into this industry.
Reuben Shaw: I entered the auto electrics industry right after leaving school, a bit over 20 years ago. I’ve been running my own business for about 12 years now. I’m passionate about working with my hands and finding creative solutions for the problems clients present. It’s not just about replacing parts; there’s a sense of pride in being the best at what you do.
G:You’ve been using GeoOp since 2013. How has the program helped your business over the years?
R: One significant way GeoOp has helped my business over the years is the seamless integration with Xero. I recently took a course on profit and loss rates, and GeoOp’s ability to track all that data is fantastic. Seeing job profitability and staff hours at a glance is a game-changer. There’s still a lot of data I’m exploring, but it’s working really well.
G:How has GeoOp evolved to continue supporting your business?
R: GeoOp has evolved by providing more functionality. Now, I can process payments through the integration with Xero. We use ANZ Fastpay, but it’s all handled through Xero. This integration simplifies the invoicing process, allowing for quick approvals and email delivery to clients. Reconciling payments becomes much easier when everything is integrated.
G: Before using GeoOp, how did you manage your jobs and business admin?
R: We were completely paper-based. Each van had a manual job card book, and we would manually transfer that information to an MS Excel document and email it as an invoice. With GeoOp, the admin side of things became much easier. It even allowed my wife to step out of the process, as we no longer needed extra help.
G: Why did you decide to make the change to GeoOp?
R: At the time, GeoOp seemed like the most intuitive platform that aligned perfectly with our needs. I downloaded about 20 job card programs from the app store, and GeoOp stood out as straightforward and user-friendly. It had drop-down menus for parts and labour selection, making it easy to get started.
G: What value do you see in companies using job management software like GeoOp?
R: I wouldn’t run a business without it to be honest. I highly recommend anyone to get into it. The functionality is excellent, and you’re not getting stressed out managing the business worrying about losing paperwork or getting overwhelmed… I’ve got a lot more time these days to enjoy life with my family and focus on parts of the business I enjoy more.
G: What do you like most about the GeoOp platform?
R: One feature I appreciate is the calendar view, where I can see my schedule for the week or month ahead and review past jobs. It’s also handy when clients call and ask about specific jobs because I can find the information within seconds while still on the phone with them, instead of having to search through piles of paperwork in the office.
G: Has GeoOp helped you save time on admin and paperwork? How?
R: We’re easily saving 30 hours a week on admin. A full time job for administration is no longer required because of GeoOp!
Curious about job management software and want to see how it works for your business? Check out full list of features here, or sign up for a free 14 day trial with GeoOp and start saving time today.
