SoloBid vs Spreadsheets

Stop running your business out of Excel.

Spreadsheets are how most solo contractors start. They work — until they don't. Here's what it's actually costing you, and what it looks like when you stop.

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What spreadsheets actually cost you

Excel is free. The time you spend on it isn't.

15 minutes per quote

Copy last week's quote, update the numbers, re-save, export to PDF, email it. Every job. Every time.

Calculation errors cost real money

One typo in a formula and your tax is wrong. One wrong quantity and you undercharged by $200. Nobody catches it until your customer does.

Version chaos

Quote_v2_final_FINAL.xlsx. Which one did you send the customer? Which one has the right markup? You're guessing.

Chasing payment manually

You emailed the invoice. Did they open it? Did they pay? You check your bank account on your phone three times a day. There's no tracking.

Do the math on your own time

Average quote in Excel20 minutes

Quotes per week5

Time per week on quotes~1.5 hours

Your hourly rate$75

Quoting is costing you per month$450+

SoloBid is $19/month. The math writes itself.

Side by side

Create a quote

SoloBid

2 minutes from template

Spreadsheets

15–30 minutes from scratch

Send for signature

SoloBid

One tap — they sign on their phone

Spreadsheets

Print, scan, email, follow up

Send an invoice

SoloBid

Auto-generated from the quote

Spreadsheets

Rebuild the whole sheet as an invoice

Get paid online

SoloBid

Stripe link in every invoice

Spreadsheets

Not possible

Track payment status

SoloBid

Automatic — updates on its own

Spreadsheets

Manual — check your bank

Send overdue reminders

SoloBid

Automatic emails + SMS

Spreadsheets

You remember to follow up (or don't)

Recurring invoices

SoloBid

Set it once, send forever

Spreadsheets

Copy the file every month

Search past jobs

SoloBid

Type customer name

Spreadsheets

Scroll through folders

Tax calculations

SoloBid

Set your rate, done

Spreadsheets

Build every formula yourself

Branded PDFs

SoloBid

Your logo, automatic

Spreadsheets

Design it yourself

Mobile-ready

SoloBid

Quote from the job site

Spreadsheets

Laptop + internet required

Backup

SoloBid

Automatic, cloud-based

Spreadsheets

Hope your laptop doesn't die

Task	SoloBid	Excel / Google Sheets
Create a quote	2 minutes from template	15–30 minutes from scratch
Send for signature	One tap — they sign on their phone	Print, scan, email, follow up
Send an invoice	Auto-generated from the quote	Rebuild the whole sheet as an invoice
Get paid online	Stripe link in every invoice	Not possible
Track payment status	Automatic — updates on its own	Manual — check your bank
Send overdue reminders	Automatic emails + SMS	You remember to follow up (or don't)
Recurring invoices	Set it once, send forever	Copy the file every month
Search past jobs	Type customer name	Scroll through folders
Tax calculations	Set your rate, done	Build every formula yourself
Branded PDFs	Your logo, automatic	Design it yourself
Mobile-ready	Quote from the job site	Laptop + internet required
Backup	Automatic, cloud-based	Hope your laptop doesn't die

When spreadsheets are actually fine

We're not saying Excel is useless. It's a great tool for:

Tracking expenses and mileage for tax time
Comparing material prices across suppliers
One-off calculations or estimates
Your first 3 months as a contractor

But once you're quoting and invoicing every week? You need a tool built for the job.

Your time is worth more than $19/month.

Stop rebuilding the same spreadsheet every week. Quote it, send it, get paid — all in one place. Start your free trial.

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