Guides you can put to work.
855 guides and decision workflows, with examples and links to the calculators they explain.
Learn the business essentials
Pricing & Profitability
Build a price from costs, distinguish margin from markup and test whether sales can cover overhead.
Cash Flow & Payments
Separate profit from cash, forecast payment timing and identify shortfalls before money is due.
Labour Cost & Capacity
Translate paid hours into delivery capacity and use realistic billable time when pricing work.
Materials & Inventory
Account for usable yield, pack sizes, lead times and the cash committed to stock.
Find guidance for your business.
HVAC service
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionPlumbing service
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionElectrical service
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionRoofing
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionSolar installation
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionPool maintenance
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionLandscaping
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionLawn care
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionTree service
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionFencing
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionDeck building
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionWindow installation
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionInsulation installation
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionFlooring installation
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionPainting contractor
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionRemodeling contractor
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionHandyman
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionCleaning service
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionCommercial janitorial
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionPressure washing
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionJunk removal
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionMoving service
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionAppliance repair
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionGarage door service
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionLocksmith
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionPest control
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionChimney service
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionSeptic service
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionWell service
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionSecurity installation
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionRestoration service
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionGutter cleaning
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionSnow removal
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionIrrigation service
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionConcrete contractor
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionMasonry contractor
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionAsphalt contractor
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionWelding shop
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionCarpentry shop
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Trades & constructionCabinet installation
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price.
Vehicle servicesAuto repair
Separate parts, technician time and bay availability for each repair order.
Vehicle servicesAuto detailing
Separate parts, technician time and bay availability for each repair order.
Vehicle servicesMobile mechanic
Separate parts, technician time and bay availability for each repair order.
Vehicle servicesTire shop
Separate parts, technician time and bay availability for each repair order.
Vehicle servicesBicycle repair
Separate parts, technician time and bay availability for each repair order.
Vehicle servicesBoat detailing
Separate parts, technician time and bay availability for each repair order.
Vehicle servicesFleet maintenance
Separate parts, technician time and bay availability for each repair order.
Transport & deliveryCourier service
Compare route time, vehicle cost, delivery density and collection timing.
Transport & deliveryLocal delivery
Compare route time, vehicle cost, delivery density and collection timing.
Transport & deliveryFreight brokerage
Compare route time, vehicle cost, delivery density and collection timing.
Rental & facilitiesStorage operator
Account for turnaround, maintenance and available inventory before accepting another booking.
Rental & facilitiesEquipment rental
Account for turnaround, maintenance and available inventory before accepting another booking.
Rental & facilitiesTool rental
Account for turnaround, maintenance and available inventory before accepting another booking.
Rental & facilitiesEvent rental
Account for turnaround, maintenance and available inventory before accepting another booking.
Professional servicesBookkeeping service
Account for delivery time, review work and when you expect to be paid for each engagement.
Professional servicesAccounting practice
Account for delivery time, review work and when you expect to be paid for each engagement.
Professional servicesLegal practice
Account for delivery time, review work and when you expect to be paid for each engagement.
Professional servicesInsurance agency
Account for delivery time, review work and when you expect to be paid for each engagement.
Professional servicesRecruitment agency
Account for delivery time, review work and when you expect to be paid for each engagement.
Professional servicesConsulting firm
Account for delivery time, review work and when you expect to be paid for each engagement.
Digital & technologyIT support
Include software licences, delivery time, revisions and ongoing support when costing a project.
Digital & technologyManaged IT service
Include software licences, delivery time, revisions and ongoing support when costing a project.
Digital & technologyCybersecurity consulting
Include software licences, delivery time, revisions and ongoing support when costing a project.
Digital & technologyWeb design
Include software licences, delivery time, revisions and ongoing support when costing a project.
Digital & technologySoftware agency
Include software licences, delivery time, revisions and ongoing support when costing a project.
Digital & technologySEO agency
Include software licences, delivery time, revisions and ongoing support when costing a project.
Digital & technologyPaid media agency
Include software licences, delivery time, revisions and ongoing support when costing a project.
Digital & technologyContent agency
Include software licences, delivery time, revisions and ongoing support when costing a project.
Digital & technologyTranslation service
Include software licences, delivery time, revisions and ongoing support when costing a project.
Digital & technologyGraphic design
Include software licences, delivery time, revisions and ongoing support when costing a project.
Creative & eventsVideo production
Include preparation, delivery and post-production rather than shoot or event time alone.
Creative & eventsPhotography
Include preparation, delivery and post-production rather than shoot or event time alone.
Creative & eventsWedding photography
Include preparation, delivery and post-production rather than shoot or event time alone.
Creative & eventsEvent planning
Include preparation, delivery and post-production rather than shoot or event time alone.
Food & hospitalityCatering
Track purchased quantities, usable yield, labour and waste before deciding on a selling price.
Food & hospitalityBakery
Track purchased quantities, usable yield, labour and waste before deciding on a selling price.
Food & hospitalityCoffee shop
Track purchased quantities, usable yield, labour and waste before deciding on a selling price.
Food & hospitalityFood truck
Track purchased quantities, usable yield, labour and waste before deciding on a selling price.
Food & hospitalityRestaurant
Track purchased quantities, usable yield, labour and waste before deciding on a selling price.
Food & hospitalityMeal preparation
Track purchased quantities, usable yield, labour and waste before deciding on a selling price.
Appointments & careSalon
Allow time for preparation, the service itself and cleaning up before the next appointment.
Appointments & careBarbershop
Allow time for preparation, the service itself and cleaning up before the next appointment.
Appointments & careNail salon
Allow time for preparation, the service itself and cleaning up before the next appointment.
Appointments & careSpa
Allow time for preparation, the service itself and cleaning up before the next appointment.
Appointments & careMassage practice
Allow time for preparation, the service itself and cleaning up before the next appointment.
Teaching & fitnessPersonal training
Connect teaching time, preparation, attendance and room capacity to each lesson or class.
Teaching & fitnessFitness studio
Connect teaching time, preparation, attendance and room capacity to each lesson or class.
Teaching & fitnessYoga studio
Connect teaching time, preparation, attendance and room capacity to each lesson or class.
Teaching & fitnessDance school
Connect teaching time, preparation, attendance and room capacity to each lesson or class.
Teaching & fitnessTutoring service
Connect teaching time, preparation, attendance and room capacity to each lesson or class.
Teaching & fitnessLanguage school
Connect teaching time, preparation, attendance and room capacity to each lesson or class.
Teaching & fitnessMusic teaching
Connect teaching time, preparation, attendance and room capacity to each lesson or class.
Teaching & fitnessDriving school
Connect teaching time, preparation, attendance and room capacity to each lesson or class.
Pet servicesPet grooming
Include travel, preparation, cleaning and staffed capacity for each booking.
Pet servicesDog walking
Include travel, preparation, cleaning and staffed capacity for each booking.
Pet servicesPet boarding
Include travel, preparation, cleaning and staffed capacity for each booking.
Appointments & careVeterinary practice
Allow time for preparation, the service itself and cleaning up before the next appointment.
Appointments & careDental practice
Allow time for preparation, the service itself and cleaning up before the next appointment.
Appointments & careOptometry practice
Allow time for preparation, the service itself and cleaning up before the next appointment.
Professional servicesReal estate agency
Account for delivery time, review work and when you expect to be paid for each engagement.
More subjects to explore
How to allocate overhead to service jobs without counting it twice
Choose an overhead cost pool and allocation base, calculate a recovery rate and test what happens when fewer hours are billed.
geometryArea Formulas with Worked Examples
Area measures a two-dimensional surface. The appropriate formula depends on the shape and the available measurements.
pricing-profitabilityHow AskToBot checks business calculations
Understand the scope of our business formulas, hypothetical examples, arithmetic checks, references and corrections process.
cash-flowHow to build a short-term cash flow forecast
Follow a four-week cash forecast, distinguish receipts from invoices and test the effect of a customer paying two weeks late.
chemistrySelecting units for solution concentration
One mole of dissolved substance in 0.5 kg of solvent has a molality of 2 mol/kg. Use the mass of solvent, not the mass of the entire solution, in the denom
home-measurementPlanning bagged concrete from mixed yield
If a bag yields 0.012 m³ of mixed concrete, 0.5 m³ with a 10% allowance requires ceiling(0.5 × 1.10 / 0.012), or 46 bags. The yield must come from the prod
statisticsChoosing between combinations and permutations
There are 120 ways to choose an unordered group of three people from ten. There are 720 ways to assign three distinct roles from ten people. The difference
cash-flowHow to plan deposits and milestone payments around job costs
Map project payments by date, calculate the deepest cash gap and test whether a deposit or milestone arrives in time.
percentageCombining discounts correctly
Two discounts apply to different bases. Start with a price of 100. A 20% discount leaves 80; a second 20% discount removes 16 and leaves 64. The total redu
everyday-scienceUnderstanding Appliance Power and Energy
Power describes how quickly a device uses energy. Energy accumulates as a device operates. A watt rating alone does not give total daily use.
labour-capacityHow to review estimated versus actual job costs
Separate hours, rate and material variances, reconcile the change in profit and use the findings to improve your next estimate.
materialsCalculating heat for a temperature change
Using a constant specific heat of 4,184 J/(kg·K), heating 2 kg of water by 10 K requires 83,680 J, or 83.68 kJ. This estimates heat absorbed by the water,
pricing-profitabilityHVAC installation pricing: a worked quote and overrun example
Build a hypothetical installation quote from equipment, crew hours, consumables and overhead, then test extra labour and the deposit gap.
unitsUS and Imperial Measurements Explained
US customary and British Imperial systems share some familiar names, but certain units represent different quantities.
materials-inventoryInventory reorder point vs order quantity: a worked planning example
Calculate a reorder trigger from lead-time demand and a buffer, distinguish it from order size and test a supplier delay.
materials-inventoryHow to test a reorder point against supplier delays
Check demand during lead time, distinguish inventory position from stock on hand and test delay scenarios without inventing a service level.
labour-capacityLabour cost per hour: paid hours vs billable hours
Calculate labour cost using paid hours and billable hours, then separate employer costs from overhead to avoid underpricing or double counting.
cash-flowHow to stress-test cash flow for a late customer payment
Move an expected receipt to a later date, reconcile the lowest balance and measure the shortfall without confusing delay with bad debt.
materials-inventoryMaterial yield, waste and pack sizes: calculate what you must buy
Calculate usable material cost and whole-pack orders, and distinguish yield loss from a percentage added to the required quantity.
home-measurementMeasuring a Concrete Slab
A quantity estimate starts with measured length, width, and planned thickness. Convert thickness to the same unit before multiplying.
unitsThe Metric System Explained
Metric prefixes make measurement scales easier to compare. Kilo means a thousand; centi means one hundredth; milli means one thousandth.
pricing-profitabilityHow to calculate break-even when you sell several services
Use weighted contribution to calculate break-even across a service mix, then test a shift in demand and available capacity.
labour-capacityOvertime or another employee: compare cost and usable capacity
Compare overtime with hiring at the hours you can actually use, including onboarding, skills and the duration of demand.
home-measurementPlan Paint Quantities for a Room
Paint quantity depends on net surface area, number of coats, and product coverage. Measure walls separately from floors and ceilings.
percentageUnderstanding Percentage Change
Percentage change compares a difference with its original value. The starting value is the reference point.
percentageHow Percentages Work
A percentage describes a quantity per hundred. It lets you compare shares even when the underlying totals differ.
pricing-profitabilityPlumbing callout pricing: account for travel, diagnosis and repair time
Work through the cost of a short plumbing visit and see why billing only hands-on repair time can understate the cost of the booking.
home-measurementEstimating a pool filling time
Thirty cubic metres is 30,000 litres. At a steady 20 litres per minute, filling takes 1,500 minutes, or 25 hours. Subtract existing water volume if the poo
pricing-profitabilityHow to price a scope change without losing the original margin
Cost extra work, check its effect on the original quote and account for delays, revisions and approval before starting.
percentageFinding an original value after a percentage change
If a price after a 20% increase is 120, the original price was 100: divide 120 by 1.20. Subtracting 20% of 120 produces 96 because it uses the new price as
interestEstimating savings with monthly deposits
With 1,000 initially saved and twelve monthly deposits of 100 at zero interest, the balance is 2,200. This boundary case is a useful check before adding a
labour-capacityService capacity planning: turn available hours into deliverable jobs
Estimate practical team capacity, allow for non-delivery time and test longer jobs before committing to a weekly workload.
pricing-profitabilityHow to price a service job: costs, margin and cash timing
Build a service quote from delivery costs and overhead, calculate a target margin, and test an overrun before checking payment timing.
pricing-profitabilitySoftware agency retainers: price delivery, support and scope changes
Calculate a monthly retainer from delivery time, support, licences and overhead, then test extra requests and a client-specific software fee.
everyday-scienceSpeed, Distance, and Time
Speed, distance, and time are linked by distance = average speed × time. Rearrange the equation to solve for another quantity.
materials-inventoryHow to compare supplier quotes using usable landed cost
Compare purchase price, freight, usable yield and pack sizes before deciding which supplier offer costs less.
geometryVolume Formulas and Measurement
Volume measures three-dimensional space. Cubic units express how many unit-sized cubes occupy a solid or container.
