AI Masterclass 1.10
AI for tradies: 3 time-saving admin prompts
Help & support
- AI can help trade businesses to save time on tasks, from invoicing to drafting an email template for client communication.
- Repeatable admin tasks take up hours of off-the-clock work for tradies but training AI to help can cut this down.
- All AI-generated responses need triple checking. Compliance and regulation considerations rest with business owners.
Q: How can I use AI as a trade business owner?
A: Using generative AI tools like ChatGPT isn’t about replacing hands-on trade skills, it’s about introducing a virtual assistant to handle a portion of the paperwork for trade business owners. By delegating your repeatable writing, scheduling and formatting tasks to AI, you can streamline your daily operations, protect your off-the-clock time and focus on the work that actually generates revenue.
Running a trade business is evolving, and AI is becoming part of the toolkit. “Business owners want to focus on what they actually love doing and admin is rarely on that list,” says OpenAI expert Joel Solomons. “ChatGPT can take care of that heavy administrative load, whether that’s replying to customer emails, drafting invoices or ensuring you’re getting paid for your work. It handles data entry and paperwork easily, which can save an immense amount of time.”
3 time-saving admin prompts to try
“People tend to think they need to write the ‘perfect’ prompt,” says Solomons. “You don't. My number one tip is to treat it like a conversation and ask AI questions.
“Instead of trying to get it perfect on the first try, say: ‘This is what I need to accomplish today. What extra information do you need from me to do this well?’ The AI will become interactive and ask you for the specific data it needs to give you the best response. Just like you would give context to a human assistant, you can do the same here.”
Below are a handful of prompt templates to try today – all you need to do is copy and paste the request into ChatGPT and fill in your specific details.
Prompt 1: Write up my job notes
“You’re helping a [insert trade] write up a formal job scope document after a site visit. Convert these rough site notes into a clear scope of work for review.
“Step out line items, including labour and materials. Note, any work that requires licensed trades and flag where I need to liaise with other trades. Also refer to attached site photos.”
Hint: ChatGPT can analyse photos you upload and include details in the scope of work.
Prompt 2: Create ChatGPT invoices
“Turn this scope of work into a progress invoice with line items and costs, using provided pricing or placeholders where needed.”
Hint: Customise your ChatGPT in settings with your business details, such as branding, contract T&Cs, pricing and business details like your ABN and trade licence number. This allows ChatGPT to generate professional business and sole-trader invoices for you to review.
Prompt 3: Manage client communications
“Based on the scope of work and the progressive invoice, draft an email to the client with an update of the [insert project details]. Use a warm, professional tone. Clear next steps to [insert action you need, such as for the client to pay the invoice or approve the quote].”
Hint: Ask ChatGPT to ask you any clarifying questions needed to deliver an even sharper response. Treat this as an email template and never send anything out without checking it first. As a licensed tradie, you’re responsible for meeting all regulations and ensuring the pricing is correct.
Top tip: How to ensure data security
Many users have concerns about providing AI with too much information – and you’re right to have a healthy level of scepticism. Never upload confidential customer information or banking details and take the time to check the data settings in ChatGPT.
“You have control over that as a user,” says Solomons. “There are settings in the platform where you can flip a switch to ensure the AI doesn’t train on your data.”