Click the Add Line Item Button to display the item catalog window. Double-click any of the items in the catalog window to add them to your estimate.
The sort order of the line items in based on the order that they are added.
To modify or delete a line item, simply click on the line item.
To add a note to any of your line items, including the categories, press and hold the shift key, click on the line item once, and a new window ill present itself. This will allow you to keep specific notes about a line item. Also, if you enter a person's name, preceded with the @ symbol, it will allow you to look them up in the address book later by clicking on the Lookup Button.
Sorting Line Items
Blinkbid can sort categories and line items after they've been entered. Hold down the option key and click a line item or category once to move them down. Hold the shift and option key, and click on a line item or category once to move them up.
Templates
If you have created a materpiece of an estimate and you would like to use that estimate as a starting point for future jobs, click templates button and save it. All the aspects of the estimate including the sort order will be saved for future use. You can do the same in the invoice window as well. However Blinkibid will not save payment line items as a part of the template.
To import a previously saved template in the estimate or invoice window, click the Templates button and choose the import option. Templates can be renamed or deleted under the Templates tab of the list manager.
Blinkbid does not allow editing of templates.
In the same vein of templates Blinkbid also offers a Duplicate Job function which will duplicate an entire job if you choose.
Estimate Revisions
Estimate Revision
Each job can have an unlimited number of estimate revisions. A revision is a copy of you original estimate. Once created you can add, delete or alter line items. You can always go back in time to your previous revisions if you need.
To create a revision of the existing estimate, click on the Estimate Revisions Button and choose the Create a new revision option. You will be prompted to name the revision. Once you continue, the new revision will be the one displayed in the estimate window. You can see the revision name in the lower left of the window.
To open another revision or to return to the original estimate, click the Estimate Revisions Button and choose Open an existing revision.
To generate a document that indicates the amount you would like to get paid in advance, click the Print button and choose Advance Invoice from the Document Type menu. You'll be prompted to enter an amount. The amount entered by default is the percentage indicated in the Estimate Terms section of your preferences. Once printed, Blinkbid remembers this amount. When you transfer your estimate to the invoice you'll be asked if you want to add the advance amount as a payment in the invoice.
Transfer to Invoice
Once the estimate has been approved, you can transfer the active estimate to the invoice window by clicking the Transfer to Invoice Button.
Talent Fees
When you print an estimate with a Talent section, Blinkbid will ask you what you want to do with the Talent Fees. The choice is mark them as billed to you or billed direct to your client. If the talent fees are to be billed to you they are included in the etimate total.
If they are to be billed to your client, Blinkbid will indicate this at the bottom of your document by first displaying the full sub-total for the job, then then the deducted amount of the talent fees that are to be build direct to the client, and finally the revised sub-total.
