23 October 2025

Choosing the right app for your trades business

Running a trades business is more than just getting the job done on-site. Behind the scenes, there’s quoting, invoicing, scheduling, cashflow management, and keeping the team on the same page. For many tradies, these admin challenges can cause lost revenue, poor visibility over cashflow, and constant communication headaches.

We frequently see business owners overwhelmed by admin, cash flow issues, or missed opportunities for efficiency. The good news? The right apps can help solve many of these common challenges.

Common admin challenges for Tradies

Quoting, invoicing, and job tracking: Without the right system, it’s easy to lose track of jobs, quotes, or unpaid invoices.
Cashflow forecasting: Fluctuating revenue cycles and poor visibility over receivables/payables make it hard to plan ahead.
Team communication and scheduling: Miscommunication can lead to double bookings, missed deadlines, lost time, or costly mistakes.

Job management apps

Job management apps help with scheduling, job tracking, and client communication. You can assign jobs to staff, track progress, and even upload photos or notes from the field – all from your phone. To assist with these issues, many tradies are using:

Tradify

Tradify is a popular choice for small to medium-sized trades businesses that want simplicity and ease of use.

Key features:

Job management and scheduling
Quoting and invoicing (with email tracking)
Calendar syncing
Pricing and markups
Syncs with Xero & MYOB

Best for: Smaller teams looking for straight forward job management with minimal training required.

Fergus

Fergus was designed by tradies, for tradies, with a strong focus on cashflow and project oversight.

Key Features:

Job management
Communication tools
Cashflow insights
Health & Safety compliance
Reporting
Syncs with Xero & MYOB

Best for: Trades businesses that want more control over cashflow and compliance while still keeping the system user-friendly.

Simpro

Simpro is a more advanced system designed for larger or more complex trades businesses.

Key Features:

Advanced job management and industry-specific add-ons
Maintenance planner
Fleet tracking
Data feed takeoffs
Digital forms

Best for: Medium to large businesses needing advanced functionality, fleet management, or industry-specific workflows.

Which App is right for you?

Selecting the right job management app can transform how your trades business operates. The right system will save you time, improve cashflow visibility, and reduce admin headaches -leaving you more time to focus on the tools, not the paperwork.

Talk to our Experts

We help tradies align their digital tools with their accounting systems to get real financial clarity. If you’d like to discuss which solution fits your business best, get in touch with our team.

About Nexia New Zealand

Nexia New Zealand is one of New Zealand’s leading full-service chartered accounting and business advisory consultancy firms, offering the full range of chartered accounting, business advisory, corporate advisory, tax, audit, insolvency and liquidation services.

Nexia New Zealand has four offices throughout New Zealand: Victoria Street in Christchurch, Albany on Auckland’s North Shore, Newmarket in the Auckland CBD and Hastings in Hawke’s Bay.