Stage 1 of 6: Set up your account

Welcome to your first step with NextMinute. In this stage you'll set up your account and get all your basic details in, so you can start using NextMinute effectively. We'll go through it in the same order as the video.

1. Add your business details and branding

Add your business details and branding → Basic Setup

When you first log in, head to the Admin area, then click into Basics. This is where all your business, organisation and branding details live.

Start with the Organisation details section. Check your business name is correct, and add your address and business phone number.

Scroll down to Branding and upload your logo. This logo appears on things like your quotes and invoices, so your customers get a clean, streamlined experience with you.

Finally, scroll to your Email signature. Customise this to sound and look the way you want when you're emailing customers.

2. Clear out your dummy data

Clear out your dummy data → How to Delete Dummy Data

While you're still on the Basics page, scroll back up to the top to Trial configuration. This is where you delete the dummy data.

Any sample data we loaded into your account during the trial can be removed here. We always recommend deleting it so you start on a clean, fresh slate and don't get your real jobs mixed up with the examples.

3. Verify your (and your team's) email addresses

Verify your (and your team's) email addresses → Verifying your email address. Pair with How to invite Your Team & set up their Labour Rates

Now go to Users. Next to each team member you'll see a Verify button. Give it a click and NextMinute sends an email to that person with a link to verify their address. Once they've clicked it, the status changes to Verified.

Verifying means notifications and customer emails actually land where they should, and you'll be able to send emails through NextMinute much more effectively.

💡 Note: Only admins can send out these verification emails to the team.

4. Connect your accounting software

4. Connect your accounting software → How to connect your Accounting Software. Provider-specific deep dives: Integrate with Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB AccountRight Live. For the invoice-status and tax-rate bits in that section: How to change the status of an invoice when synced and Fixing Invalid Tax Rates.

Go to Accounting at the top, then scroll down to Accounting integration. If you don't see the options, the section is just folded up — click the dropdown to expand it.

You can connect to Xero, QuickBooks or MYOB. Click the Connect to button for the one you use. (The steps below use Xero as the example.)

It'll ask if you want to set up payroll integration. If you're not sure or don't need it yet, press No — you can always come back and add it later.

You'll be taken to your accounting provider (it may ask you to log in first), then asked to grant access to your organisation's data. Hit Allow access and you'll be brought back to NextMinute, where a few extra settings appear under Accounting integration:

Import contacts — tick this if you want your contacts refreshed from Xero when you save this screen.
Sales invoices — choose the default Xero account for sales items. Most people select Sales. These accounts are customisable in Xero if you want more options.
Sales invoice line item data — tick this to copy the NextMinute line item name across to your Xero item description. It just gives your Xero copy more detail.
Receiving payments — choose the account for tracking payments you receive. Usually the work/bank account you use for these transactions.
Invoice number generation — use either NextMinute's invoice numbers or Xero's. If you already use Xero, most people keep Xero's numbers. Just note: you'll need to sync with Xero before sending, otherwise it shows as a draft invoice (because we don't yet know the next number in your Xero sequence).
Timesheet for payroll — if you set up payroll you can configure this; otherwise leave it for later.
Purchases (supplier invoices) — choose the account for tracking purchases. This list tends to have more options; people often pick something like Materials or General expenses — whatever matches where your supplier invoices sit.
Supplier invoice line item data — tick this for that same extra detail.
Outgoing payments — choose the bank account for tracking payments going out of NextMinute, usually the same account as above.
New invoice status — set new invoices to Draft, Submitted or Authorised. We recommend Draft — it's the clearest way to know an invoice is sitting there until you sync with Xero and send it.
Sending invoices — tick Prompt me to sync with Xero when I send. It's a helpful reminder, and essential if you're using Xero's invoice numbers, because it grabs the next number before you send. You can also tick Automatically set invoice status to sent if you'd like.

When you're happy, press Save.

You'll then be asked to set your purchase default tax rate — press OK, then scroll to the Tax rates and defaults section. Select your tax rate for both the sales default and the purchase default (one each). In Australia that's 10%; in New Zealand it's 15%. Make sure you pick the one with the actual rate — not the 0% option — then hit Save.

Lastly, add your GST or ABN number up the top so it's on all your details.

That's your accounting, payments and details all set up.

5. Set your default rates and markup/margin

Set your default rates and markup/margin → How to set your Default Rates & Markup/Margin

Next, set your default rates so your pricing stays consistent across every job and quote. Go to Settings, and the first section is Subscription default rates / markup.

Here you can set a markup or margin for materials, disbursements, others, or labour rates. For example, you might set a 10% markup on all material items coming into NextMinute.

💡 Keep in mind: this applies the markup consistently across everything — including supplier invoices you bring in — and it overrides any individual markups. So if you upload a materials list with a $3 buy price and a $5 sell price, this setting will ignore that and apply your flat 10% instead. Only use it if you're happy with that consistent markup across the board.

Once you're happy, press Save.

6. Add your payment details to invoices

Add your payment details to invoices → Setup Payment Details to appear on your invoices

So customers always know how to pay you, add your payment details. Back in Settings, scroll down to the Invoices section.

Copy and paste your payment information (bank details, etc.) in here and press Save. All your future invoices will now show these details so customers know exactly who to pay.

7. Add or import your contacts

Add or import your contacts → How to Add or Import Your Contacts. For more detail: Adding & Importing contacts to your account - Desktop.

The last step is bringing in your customers and suppliers.

💡 Already connected Xero? Your contacts will have synced across automatically — so you may already be done. It's worth checking here before importing so you don't end up with duplicates.

If you still need to add contacts, go to Contacts → All contacts. You have two options:

Add manually — press Add and enter the contact's details (display name, first and last name, business name, email, phone), then save.
Import a list — if you've exported contacts from another platform, go to More → Import contacts. Download our template, fill it in (first name, last name, email and phone), then upload it. You can preview the contacts before importing them all in one go.

Once they're in, you can attach them to jobs.

✅ You're done when...

Your logo and business details look right, your dummy data is cleared, your accounting software is connected, your default rates and payment details are set, and your contacts are all in there.

Next step → Stage 2: Create your first Job