Practical answers. No jargon.
VerbalIt has three main screens: Quotes, Jobs, and Invoices. Here's how they work together.
Quotes
This is where every job starts. You've got two options: use the voice or type it in features to enter the quote details into the quote generation tool, or (once available) use the enquiry tool (coming soon) to assess whether the job is worth quoting in the first place (see Why should I use the enquiry tool).
Once you're happy with the quote, send it to the client for approval via email - with the option to fire off an SMS to let them know it's landed. Quotes are then stored as "awaiting approval" in the Quotes screen until the client responds.
Jobs
When a client approves a quote, it becomes a job and moves into the Jobs screen. From there you can schedule it or start work straight away. You can send the client emails and SMS updates to keep them in the loop about upcoming work.
A job progresses through stages: Approved → In Progress (when work starts) → Ready to Invoice → Invoiced (or Cancelled if the job falls through). Along the way you can assign crew members, reschedule, create follow-up reminders, add variations, and attach photos. Once the job's done, create an invoice - all the job data carries across into the Review Invoice screen automatically.
Invoices
This is the easy part. When a client pays, tick the invoice off as paid. Invoice PDFs are saved alongside any job photos, keeping a tidy tax record of your business dealings.
That's the full loop: Quote → Approve → Job → Invoice → Paid.
Your inventory is your price list - materials, labour rates, and services. Setting it up means VerbalIt auto-fills prices when you voice a job instead of you typing them every time.
Tap Inventory from the main heading and add items. Each item needs a description, what VerbalIt listens for, unit (each, metre, hour, etc.), and a cost price. You can also add a sell price to materials by adjusting the markup.
📦 Inventory → ➕ Add Item
Types: Materials (physical stuff - pipe, tiles, screws), Labour (your hourly rates), and Services (pre-packaged offerings like hydro jetting or a hot water system replacement).
Your inventory can also be populated when voice matching extracts items from what you say.
Tip: Depending on the way you like to quote your jobs, start with your most common services or items. You can always add more later. When you voice a job and mention '2 metres of 15mm copper pipe', or 'hydro jetting to clear a blockage', VerbalIt matches it to your inventory and pulls the right price.
Inventory items can then be added to Service Offerings.
Go to Settings → Pricing → Deposits. Toggle deposits on, then set your default percentage or flat amount.
⚙️ Settings → Pricing → Deposits
When deposits are enabled, every quote you send includes a deposit line. Your client sees the deposit amount on the quote approval page and can approve with the deposit noted.
You can override the deposit on individual quotes if a job needs a different amount - the default just saves you setting it every time.
Deposits are applied to quotes from within the Deposits and Standard Charges card on the Quote Review screen after a voice capture has been performed.
Go to Settings and you'll find everything in one place:
⚙️ Settings
All of this flows through automatically - set it once and every document you send looks professional and consistent.
When you create or edit a job, add a scheduled start date (and optionally an end date). The job appears on your Schedule view.
The Schedule has three views: Daily (hour-by-hour), Weekly (5 or 7 day spread), and Monthly (calendar overview). Tap any date to see jobs scheduled for that day.
Crew: If you've added crew members, you can assign them to jobs. The schedule shows colour-coded bars per crew member so you can see who's where at a glance.
⚙️ Settings → 👷 Crew
Shared schedule: You can generate a read-only schedule link for each crew member to share with them - they don't need a VerbalIt account to view it. Tap the link icon next to a crew member's name to generate or view their schedule link.
🔗 Share Schedule
Go to Insights → Your Business Expenses (monthly). Add each regular business expense with a description, category, and monthly or yearly amount.
📊 Insights → 🧾 Your Business Expenses (monthly)
What counts as an expense: Anything you spend regularly to run the business. Here are the categories with some examples:
What doesn't go here: One-off purchases of tools or equipment over ~$300 go in Assets instead (so they depreciate over time). Materials you buy for specific jobs go in your Inventory.
Your expenses feed into the Profit & Loss statement and Cash Flow overview so you can see what your business actually costs to run.
Go to Insights → Business Assets. Add tools, vehicles, equipment - anything you own that has value and wears out over time.
📊 Insights → 🔧 Business Assets
Each asset needs: name, type (vehicle, tool, equipment), purchase cost, purchase date, and useful life in years.
Depreciation method: You'll choose either Prime Cost (same amount each year) or Diminishing Value (more at the start, less over time). Not sure which to pick? See Depreciation and tax write-offs explained.
VerbalIt calculates depreciation automatically and shows you what each asset is costing you month-to-month - useful for planning, setting aside money, and knowing when things need replacing.
Tip: Start with your most expensive assets (vehicles, major tools). They have the biggest impact on your numbers.
Go to Insights → Business Liabilities. Add any debts your business owes - vehicle loans, equipment finance, HP agreements, credit cards, personal loans used for business.
📊 Insights → 💳 Business Liabilities
Each liability needs a description and the current balance owing.
Your liabilities appear on the Balance Sheet (what you own minus what you owe = your equity). Keeping this updated gives you an honest picture of your business position, not just cash flow.
Here are some common examples for small operators:
Tip: Update the balances every month or so. It takes 30 seconds and keeps your numbers real.
Service offerings are pre-packaged quotes for jobs you do regularly. Instead of voicing the same bathroom renovation items every time, create a service offering once and reuse it.
Go to Inventory → Service Offerings → New Offering to create them. Each offering has a name, description, and a set of line items (Service, Material, & Labour) pulled from your inventory.
📦 Inventory → 🎯 Service Offerings → ➕ New Offering
When you create a new job, you can start from a service offering instead of starting from scratch. All the line items are pre-filled - adjust quantities or items as needed for the specific job.
Examples:
🌿 Lawn Care Service (Lawn care operator)
🧹 Tidy Up (Cleaning operator)
🛠️ Deck Build (Handyman)
Service Offerings also let you sell optional extras alongside your regular service. Your client receives an email where they can pick and choose the services they want - the quote adjusts automatically based on their selections. Once they approve, the quote is generated and ready to go.
Standard charges are common fees that appear on most of your quotes: call-out fees, transport, travel, waste removal, permit fees, after-hours rates, inspection fees, and minimum charges.
Go to Settings → Pricing to toggle each charge type on or off and set default amounts. When a charge is enabled, it appears automatically on the Quote Review screen for every new quote. You can adjust or remove it per-quote.
⚙️ Settings → 💰 Pricing
Km calculator: For transport and travel charges, there's a built-in calculator - enter the distance and your per-km rate, and it calculates the flat amount.
The idea is to save you adding the same items manually every time.
The Actions button in the header is your to-do list of things that need attention.
⚡️ Actions
VerbalIt automatically generates seven types:
Each action links directly to the relevant job so you can deal with it in one tap. Dismiss actions you've handled to keep the list clean.
Action reminders can be altered by selecting Actions → Reminder Settings.
⚡️ Actions → ⚙️ Reminder Settings
When you buy a tool, vehicle, or piece of equipment for your business, it loses value over time. Depreciation is how you claim that loss as a tax deduction. There are two systems: general depreciation rules (which VerbalIt uses for day-to-day planning) and simplified small business rules (which your accountant likely uses for tax).
The two general depreciation methods
Diminishing Value (DV) - bigger deductions early, smaller later. Use this for things that lose value fast:
Why DV? Because if you used straight-line depreciation, you'd be saying your 5-year-old iPhone is worth almost as much as a brand-new one. DV matches the real-world drop in value.
Prime Cost (PC) - same deduction every year. Use this for bigger, long-lasting assets that wear out at a steady rate:
Why PC? Consistent deductions make it easier to plan. And if you have low income now but expect to earn more in 3-4 years, PC gives you bigger tax benefits later when you're in a higher bracket.
Note: Once you pick a method for an asset with the ATO, you must stick with it for the whole time you own it.
How VerbalIt uses these methods
In your Insights screen, VerbalIt uses general depreciation rules (PC or DV) to show what each asset is actually costing you month-to-month. This is for business planning - setting aside money, understanding when things need replacing.
On your Balance Sheet and P&L, you can toggle between general rules and ATO simplified rules so the numbers match whatever your accountant uses for tax.
ATO instant asset write-off (2023-24 to 2025-26)
Most tradies' assets are under $20,000 - and the ATO lets small businesses (under $10M turnover) write off the full cost immediately instead of depreciating over years. This is called the instant asset write-off.
The threshold changes regularly - check the ATO website for the current limit.
What's the actual difference?
Say you buy a $5,000 drain camera with a 5-year useful life:
Same total deduction either way ($5,000). But simplified rules give you the cash back sooner - better cash flow, simpler bookkeeping, and a bigger refund in the year you actually spend the money.
If you're registered for GST (required when your turnover hits $75k), you lodge a Business Activity Statement quarterly:
| Quarter | Period | Due date |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | July - September | 28 October |
| Q2 | October - December | 28 February |
| Q3 | January - March | 28 April |
| Q4 | April - June | 28 July |
VerbalIt's BAS Estimator (Insights → BAS) tracks your GST collected and GST paid across each quarter so you can see roughly what you'll owe before the deadline hits.
Important: The estimator gives you a ballpark. Your actual BAS is lodged through the ATO portal or by your accountant/BAS agent. VerbalIt doesn't lodge for you - it just stops the number from being a nasty surprise.
Honestly? Maybe. It depends on where your business is at.
VerbalIt is built for: Sole operators and small crews (1-3 people) who want simple quoting, invoicing, and basic business tracking without paying $40+/month or spending a week learning a new system.
You might outgrow VerbalIt if you:
Alternatives worth looking at:
All three are good products. They cost more because they do more. If you need what they offer, they're worth it.
If you're a sole operator or small crew keeping it simple, we're built for you. If you've outgrown us, we're glad we helped you get there. No hard feelings - seriously. We'd rather you use the right tool than stick with us out of guilt.
Not every enquiry is worth quoting. The enquiry tool will help you figure that out before you spend time on a detailed quote. This feature is coming soon - here's what it'll do.
Some jobs aren't worth chasing - the customer's just price shopping, the scope is vague, or the budget's unrealistic. Quoting takes time, and if you're quoting everything that comes in, you're wasting hours on jobs you'll never win.
The enquiry tool lets you capture the basics (what they want, where, rough budget) and make a quick call on whether it's worth a full quote. Think of it as a filter - the good ones get quoted, the tyre-kickers get a polite 'thanks but no thanks.'
When to use it: Any time you're not sure a job is worth your time. Especially for enquiries that come in via phone or text where you haven't seen the site yet.