Estimates

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Introduction

Estimates in Blinksale allow you to present proposed costs to clients before committing to an invoice. They serve as a crucial step in your sales process, enabling you to outline project scope, pricing, and terms for client approval. This guide explores everything you need to know about creating and managing estimates effectively.

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Estimate Lifecycle

Blinksale estimates follow a clear lifecycle that helps you track their progress:

1. Draft - Initial creation and editing phase
2. Sent - Estimate has been delivered to the client
3. Approved - Client has accepted the estimate
4. Declined - Client has rejected the estimate
5. Converted - Estimate has been transformed into an invoice

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Estimate Dashboard

The estimates dashboard provides a comprehensive view of all your estimates and their current status. From this central hub, you can:

• View all estimates in a sortable, searchable list
• Filter estimates by status (Draft, Sent, Approved, etc.)
• Filter estimates by client
• Access estimate details
• Create new estimates

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Creating a New Estimate

To create a new estimate for a client:

1. Navigate to the Estimates section from the main sidebar
2. Click the “New Estimate” button in the top right corner
3. Complete the estimate form with the necessary information

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Essential Estimate Information

When creating an estimate, you’ll need to provide:

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Client Information

• Client - Select the client from your existing clients
• Currency - Choose the currency for this estimate (defaults to the client’s preferred currency if set)

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Line Items

Each estimate requires at least one line item. For each line item, you’ll specify:

• Name - The name or title of the product or service
• Description - Additional details about the item (optional)
• Quantity - The number of units
• Price - The unit price
• Unit of Measurement - The unit type (e.g., hours, items, pieces) if applicable
• Tax - Item-specific tax information (if using per-item taxation)
• Discount - Item-specific discount (if using per-item discounts)

You can add as many line items as needed using the “Add Item” button. You can also add saved items from your item library using the “Add Saved Item” button.

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Estimate Settings

The settings panel allows you to configure:

• Tax Settings
  • Tax distribution (no tax, per item, or per document)
  • Tax selection (when applicable)
• Discount Settings
  • Discount distribution (no discount, per item, or per document)
  • Discount type (percentage or fixed amount)
  • Discount value
• Additional Settings
  • Shipping costs (if applicable)
  • Notes to display on the estimate (optional)
  • PDF attachment preference
  • Payment method options

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Viewing Estimate Details

To access detailed information about an estimate, click on its number in the estimates list. The estimate detail page provides:

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Estimate Overview

The top section displays key estimate information:

• Estimate number and status
• Client details
• Created date and last updated date
• Financial summary (subtotal, discount, tax, and total)
• Available actions based on the current status

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Line Items Section

This section lists all products or services included in the estimate, displaying:

• Item name and description
• Quantity and unit of measurement
• Unit price
• Line item total
• Tax and discount information (when applicable)

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Notes and Payment Information

This section includes:

• Any notes added to the estimate
• Payment method options (if enabled)

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Estimate Actions

Depending on the current status of an estimate, you can perform various actions:

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Send Estimate

When you’re ready to share an estimate with your client:

1. Navigate to the estimate’s detail page
2. Click the “Send” button
3. Specify the recipient contacts from the client’s contacts list
4. Customize the email subject and message if desired
5. Choose whether to attach the estimate as a PDF
6. Click “Send Estimate”

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Download PDF

To generate and download a PDF version of the estimate:

1. Navigate to the estimate’s detail page
2. Click the “Download PDF” button
3. The PDF will be generated and downloaded to your device

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Update Status

You can manually update an estimate’s status to reflect client decisions:

• Mark as Approved - When a client accepts the estimate
• Mark as Declined - When a client rejects the estimate

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Convert to Invoice

Once an estimate is approved, you can convert it to an invoice:

1. Navigate to the estimate’s detail page
2. Click the “Convert to Invoice” button
3. Review the invoice details (all estimate information will be carried over)
4. Make any necessary adjustments
5. Save the new invoice

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Editing Estimates

To modify an existing estimate:

1. Navigate to the estimate’s detail page
2. Click the “Edit” button
3. Make your desired changes
4. Click “Save Estimate” to apply your updates

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Deleting Estimates

If you need to remove an estimate:

1. Navigate to the estimate’s detail page
2. Click the “Delete” button
3. Confirm the deletion in the dialog that appears

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Estimate Settings and Customization

Blinksale offers several ways to customize your estimates:

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Default Values

Client-specific defaults can be set for new estimates, including:

• Currency
• Tax settings
• Discount settings
• Payment methods

These defaults are applied automatically when you select a client while creating a new estimate.

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Document Appearance

The appearance of estimate PDFs is controlled through your branding settings, where you can customize:

• Company logo and colors
• Typography and fonts
• Email templates
• PDF layout and styling

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Best Practices

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Estimate Creation

• Include clear, detailed descriptions for each line item
• Use consistent naming conventions for products and services
• Add notes to provide context or terms and conditions
• Review all calculations for accuracy before sending

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Estimate Management

• Follow up with clients on sent estimates that haven’t received responses
• Consider setting expiration dates in your estimate notes
• Convert approved estimates to invoices promptly
• Keep a clear audit trail of estimate changes and communications

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Client Communication

• Be responsive to client questions about estimate details
• Provide additional documentation or explanations when needed
• Consider sending estimate reminders for estimates that haven’t received a response
• Thank clients when they approve estimates

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Troubleshooting

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Common Issues

Cannot create an estimate:

• Verify that you have at least one active client in your account
• Check if you have the necessary permissions to create estimates

Client cannot view the estimate:

• Verify the email address is correct
• Check if the estimate PDF was successfully generated
• Ensure your domain has proper email authentication set up

Cannot convert estimate to invoice:

• Ensure the estimate is in “Approved” status
• Verify that you have permission to create invoices

By effectively managing your estimates in Blinksale, you’ll provide clients with clear, professional proposals that can be easily converted to invoices when approved.