Quotes FAQ: allowances, layouts, sending and pricing

This article answers common questions about quotes in NextMinute. It covers tracking allowances, lump-sum quotes, changing accepted quotes, print options and layouts, sending and following up, and updating prices.

How do I track what I spend against an allowance in my quote?

Use tasks and back costing. NextMinute creates tasks from quote sections, not from individual line items, so each allowance needs its own section.

1. Put each allowance (for example, Surveyor $3,000) in its own quote section. See How to use sections in Quotes.
2. On the accepted quote, click More > Create Tasks from Quote and select the allowance section. A task is created for each section you select.
3. When a bill comes in, import the supplier invoice into the job's Charges and assign it to the matching task. You can also allocate labour and materials to the task as costs come in.
4. Use back costing to compare the quoted amount with actual costs. For example, a $2,000 bill against a $3,000 allowance leaves $1,000 remaining.

See Back Costing Feature.

How do I show a fixed-price lump sum on a quote?

You can keep your estimated costs behind the quote and show the customer one lump-sum figure.

1. Create the quote from a blank quote.
2. Add your scope and details into the quote header.
3. Add your labour and material costs using ex-GST amounts.
4. Set the sell prices so the quote total matches your fixed lump-sum amount. GST is then added at the bottom of the quote.
5. Hide the individual labour and material lines using Preview & Send > Print Options, so the customer sees the section name and the overall fixed-price amount.

Your estimated costs stay behind the quote for back costing. See How to format your Quotes & Invoices - Simple View.

If a quote total looks too low, check any items priced by a rate (for example, per m²). NextMinute needs the rate × quantity to calculate those totals, so add the correct quantities against those items.

How do I change a quote that has already been accepted?

When a quote is accepted, NextMinute locks it. You need to clear the acceptance first.

1. Open the quote, click More at the top right, then click Clear Acceptance. This unlocks the quote so you can edit the line items.
2. Make your changes. Keep in mind that NextMinute automatically adds GST to quote totals.
3. Once the totals are correct, accept the quote again to lock in the figures.

Why didn't my quote footer carry over to the invoice?

This is expected. When you create an invoice from a quote, NextMinute now uses your invoice template instead of pulling through the header and footer from the quote.

We made this change because most customers asked for it. Having the quote footer pass through meant they had to delete it and re-add the invoice template.

If you want standard text on your invoices, set it up as an invoice footer template in Admin > Templates. See How to add & edit Terms & Conditions Pages and How to create an Invoice from a Quote.

Can I mark a quote as sent if I emailed it from my own email?

No. You can't manually change a quote's status to Sent if it was emailed outside of NextMinute. The status only updates automatically when you send the quote through NextMinute.

Workaround: send a copy of the quote to your own email address from inside NextMinute. This updates the status to Sent in your quotes list.

How do I set print options for section headings and sub-sections?

1. Open the quote and go to Preview & Send > Print Options.
2. Click one of the main section headings to edit it.
3. Tick or untick the options you want to show.
4. Include sub-sections can appear greyed out. To get it ticked: tick Show totals for section, tick Include sub-sections, then untick Show totals for section.
5. Apply the settings to this section and all sections at the same level.

See Customising your Quotes & Invoices for the basics.

Can I add a large proposal with images as the cover page?

Not at the moment. You can't add images to the cover page in NextMinute.

Instead, send the proposal as a separate PDF along with the quote. See Sending files as attachments on Quotes, Invoices, Supplier Invoices or Orders.

Can I make my quote look like my own template?

NextMinute can't make a quote look exactly the same as a custom design. Once you're happy with a quote layout in NextMinute, you can reuse it:

1. Open the quote and click More > Save as Pre-built Template.
2. Use that template for future quotes.

You can also save headers and footers as templates if you reuse them across multiple quotes. See Pre-Built Sale Item Template.

Can I get the Accept/Decline link to use in my own follow-up emails?

The only way to get this link is from the quote email itself:

1. When you send the quote, also send it to your own email address.
2. In the email you receive, right-click the Accept/Decline button and choose Copy link address.
3. Use that link in your follow-up.

The link is unique to each quote, so you need to copy it for every quote you send. See Quote Acceptance.

Can NextMinute remind me to follow up quotes before they expire?

Not automatically. NextMinute can't create automatic reminders when a job reaches a certain status.

Workaround: create a message template and send it out to your team manually when you update a job status. See Message Templates. You can also filter your quotes list by expiry date. See Quote Grid Overview.

How do I send part of my quote to a subcontractor or supplier for pricing?

Create an order from the quote with just the items you need priced.

1. Open the quote and select the items you want to send.
2. Click More > Create Order from Quote.
3. Choose the Selected Items option.
4. Send the order to the supplier or subcontractor.

See Create an Order for a Supplier from a Quote.

Can I filter quotes by type of work, like plastering or cladding?

There isn't a quote type field. Workaround: use the job Pricing Type.

1. Create pricing types for your work types (for example, Plastering, Cladding) in Admin > Settings. See How to - Add different Job Pricing Types.
2. Apply the pricing type to the job linked to the quote.
3. On the quotes screen, filter by job pricing type.

This only works when the quote is linked to a job. It also means you can't use the pricing type to show whether a job is charge-up or fixed price.

How do I update a pre-built template to current prices?

1. Open the pre-built template.
2. Select all of the line items.
3. Click Selected Items.
4. Choose Reset from List Price.

The template now uses the current prices from your price list.

Why do I see a different screen when I try to print a quote?

You've probably opened Print Options. To print or save a copy of the quote:

1. Click Preview & Send > Preview.
2. Download the PDF or print it as normal.

See How to - Export your quote or invoice as a PDF file.

Can I increase all my sale prices at once?

Yes, by exporting and re-importing your price list.

1. Go to Sale Items and choose Labour, Materials or Disbursements.
2. Click More > Export to Excel.
3. Update the sell price column with your new prices.
4. Re-import the same price list.

See Export Sale Items.