FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ACT CONTRACTORS FORMS PRODUCTS

1) Why should I buy your form software?

In one sentence, you should buy our form software because it WILL save you time over manual methods, it WILL save you money like attorney fees and printers fees, it WILL make a one or two man operation look like and RUN like there are 20 guys in your office, and it most definitely WILL help you sell more of the jobs you bid on. In this digital age, customers expect more than a scribbled estimate on a non-specific "proposal" form! We used to sell 90% printed forms and now we sell about 15% printed and 85% digital forms... if you want to be competitive you need to get with the 21st century! With all the competition out there offering the same services that you do, giving your customer carefully designed, professional paperwork will tip the scale in your favor and get you the job over the other guy. It is no accident that our forms are designed to work together to build the image of your company in the customers eyes! Our bidding forms will separate you from the competition by telling them how much more you are doing for the customer and how much better your work will be. Our proposals/contracts & change orders spell everything out to the customer so there is no confusion and later problems with the job. Our warranty certificates will help you sell the job because it shows the customer that you have a standard for taking care of problems and for taking care of the customer. Do you know how many referrals that will get you? And... down the line when the customer needs their house painted again, or maybe needs a new roof or other work done, who do you think they are going to call? Of course they will call the company that has warranted and taken care of their problems in the past, the same company that they have recommended to their friends time and time again... and that company is your company... YOU! ...That's the reason to buy our software!

2) How do I print two sided forms with printing on both sides of the page?

You have several options here. You can print two sided forms by simply printing one side and then flipping the page over to print the other side. This is the method most of our customers use. You can also print two separate pages instead of printing a single page printed front and back (don't forget, most legal documents are done this way!) or... If you have a duplex printer the program will automatically print front and back for you. Since the back side of all our two sided forms do not get filled out, most users keep a few copies of those forms that they frequently use with just the backside printed so it is simply a matter of printing the front side after you fill in the form.

3) How do I give my customer a copy of the forms I print using your software?

You have three options here. The simplest option is to print two copies of the form on plain paper and both you and your customer sign each copy. The next option is to make two copies on plain paper and stick a piece of carbon paper between the two copies before they are signed or before they are filled out if the form is being filled out in the field. SEARS Painting Service in the San Francisco Bay Area used our contracts printed on plain paper with carbon paper in between, to write more that 4000 home improvement contracts- so don't rule out carbon paper as an option so fast! The third option is to print your own carbonless forms just like you would buy from any printer... it's easy and we even teach you how in our report "Printing Carbonless Forms from Your PC" Get this report free with our full version of ACT Forms on Disc!!

4) So, do I have to run back to my computer every time I need a form?

Definitely not! While you have the option to fill out and print a completed form you also have the option to print as many blank forms as you need, just as if you ordered them pre-printed from us.

5) I have seen other form programs and the forms come out looking more like multi page letters than forms. How is your program different?

Instead of designing our forms for a word processor like the other forms out there, we design our forms with a desktop publishing type program just as any professional typesetter would use. Word processors are designed to write letters... is it any wonder that forms printed from a word processor look like a letter? Our program does the same type of text and graphic manipulation that only a print shop can do. That's why the forms you print from our program look like a professional form should, and not like "letters". That can be the difference in you getting the job or not!

6) What do I do with the software when the laws change?

Although there have not been any major contractors law changes for a while, there have been a few minor ones. With ACT Contractors Forms on Disc, you can change any part of any form whenever you want to. So, for example, recently one notice required by the California State Contractors Board was changed. This change was very simple, it requires the three in the dollar amount $300 to be changed to a five so that the dollar amount is now $500. With our software, all you do is go into the form, and change the three to a five. It is that simple. Now all your forms will be current, and you don't have a stack of obsolete forms on the shelf that you have to use up because you have a fortune invested in them. For 2002, California required three entirely new forms for any home improvement work. We made these forms available to previous customers for $15 for use with the software they already had. We also offer any needed revisions and upgrades to the program that would include any revised laws. It also includes options for you to get a newer version of the software and options for you to obtain any new forms that we might design. So don't worry, your software will not go out of date and become obsolete! We'll keep you current with the new laws!

7) How do I get help with the program?

There is a lot of documentation with the program, including searchable help files and tutorials for all of the basic functions. If you cannot find what you need there, give us a call at (707) 244-4090 for support or e-mail us. We will be glad to help you. Our customers tell us we have the best tech support out there. We don't "hide" behind our website and are one of the very few companies that have reliable phone support.

8) My computer doesn't have a disk drive.  Can I get your software on a USB Flash Drive OR by DOWNLOAD instead of Disks?

YES! For those computers without an optical (DVD or CD Drive) we offer out program on a USB Flash Drive and as a DOWNLOAD.  More and more computers, both desktops as well as laptops, are being sold without optical (disk) drives. These computers always have USB ports and if this is the case with your "machine", just tell us you want the program on a USB Flash Drive!  We can put everything on a USB Flash Drive for you for the price of the drive... $10 additional! If you want a fast option and have Broadband Internet, save the shipping time and costs and option for a DOWNLOAD... $25 additional cost


Call 1.800.820.5656 to reach ACT Contractors Forms.