You have a business to run. The last thing you need is to spend a whole afternoon setting up yet another piece of software. That is exactly why we built WrkOrdr to get you from sign-up to your first invoice in about five minutes flat.
Whether you are a solo plumber, a freelance designer, a mobile detailer, or any other service professional, this guide will walk you through the entire setup process step by step. By the end, you will have a fully configured business profile, your first client on file, and an invoice ready to send.
Step 1: Create Your Account
Head to the WrkOrdr homepage and tap Create Account. You will need just three things: your name, email address, and a password. We also support Google sign-in if you prefer to skip the password step entirely.
Once you confirm your email, you are in. No credit card required, no trial countdown timer ticking away. With your 14-day free trial, you get full access to every feature so you can see exactly how WrkOrdr fits your workflow before you commit.
Step 2: Set Up Your Business Profile
This is where WrkOrdr starts saving you serious time. When you land on the onboarding screen, you will see a list of 76+ profession templates covering trades like plumbing, electrical, HVAC, landscaping, cleaning, auto detailing, photography, consulting, and many more.
Pick the template that matches your business, and WrkOrdr automatically configures your dashboard layout, suggested line items, default tax rates, and invoice terminology. A plumber, for example, gets fields for service call fees, hourly labor, and parts markup built right in. A photographer gets session fees, editing packages, and travel charges.
You can always customize these later, but starting from a template means you are not staring at a blank screen trying to figure out what fields you need.
Next, fill in your business basics:
- Business name and logo (optional but recommended)
- Address and phone number for your invoice header
- Tax ID or business number if applicable
- Default payment terms (Net 15, Net 30, or due on receipt)
That is your profile done. It takes about 90 seconds.
Step 3: Add Your First Client
Navigate to the Clients tab and tap the plus icon. Enter your client's name, email, phone, and address. If you already have a spreadsheet of clients, you can import them in bulk using our CSV import tool, but for now, one client is all you need to get rolling.
Every client gets their own profile where you can see their complete job history, outstanding invoices, notes, and communication log. Think of it as a mini-CRM built into your workflow.
Step 4: Create a Job or Work Order
Go to Jobs and tap New Job. Select the client you just added, give the job a title (something like "Kitchen faucet replacement" or "Website redesign phase 1"), and optionally set a scheduled date.
Inside the job, you can:
- Add detailed notes and photos
- Track time spent on the job
- Attach materials and costs
- Update the status as you work (Scheduled, In Progress, Completed)
This is where WrkOrdr really shines compared to generic invoicing apps. Your jobs and invoices are connected, so when you are ready to bill, all the details are already there.
Step 5: Send Your First Invoice
From the completed job, tap Generate Invoice. WrkOrdr pulls in the job details, line items, and client information automatically. Review the totals, adjust anything you need, and hit Send.
Your client receives a professional, branded invoice by email with a link to pay online. They can pay by credit card, debit card, or bank transfer. You get notified the moment payment comes through.
Pro tip: Enable automatic payment reminders in your settings so you never have to chase down overdue invoices manually. WrkOrdr will send gentle nudges at intervals you choose.
What Comes Next
You are set up. Five minutes, start to finish. But there is a lot more you can do once the basics are in place:
- Set up recurring invoices for subscription or retainer clients
- Enable push notifications so you never miss a payment or booking
- Create invoice templates for your most common job types
- Add team members if you have employees or subcontractors
- Connect your calendar for scheduling and dispatch
The beauty of WrkOrdr is that it grows with you. Start simple with just invoicing and client management. As your business scales, layer on scheduling, payroll tracking, and multi-business support without switching platforms.
Why It Matters
Every hour you spend wrestling with spreadsheets or juggling three different apps is an hour you are not spending on billable work. The faster you get your tools set up, the faster you get back to doing what you do best: serving your clients and growing your business.
WrkOrdr was built by people who run service businesses themselves. We know that setup friction kills adoption. That is why we obsessed over making the onboarding fast, intuitive, and genuinely useful from minute one.
Give it a try. Five minutes is all it takes.