All Forum Posts by: Nick Baldo

Thanks @Michael DeFrancisis! Happy to help out and/or demo some of the pre-made templates.

Hey @Stephanie Jacobson, thanks for the kind words. 

I think Google Suite will certainly help form the foundation of a streamlined operating process. Here is a quick list of super useful functionality that you'll have right off the bat: 

• Gmail
• Calendar
• Photos - Create and share albums of your projects. Auto-sync w/ your phone to save device space
• Drive (Docs, Sheets, Slides & File Storage) - Potentially the most used function in my business. Set up folders for each project. Make it a standard to keep all documents electronically. Share folders and files as needed. Everything is in the cloud...accessible anytime, anywhere
• Sites - Keep an internal "Intranet". Post project updates, provide access to subs, partners, vendors, investors, etc. 

Trello is a nice product. Asana is another that I use and really like. These products will help you with basic task management at the project level. However, they don't quite have the comprehensive scheduling/ resource tracking that you need when managing full-scale rehabs. 

Podio is a good option to get started. You can setup your apps to fit your business. E.g. A "vendors" app to store your contractors, a "Projects" app to store your projects and a "Deliverables" app to track everything you need to get done. 

Since you mentioned that you own a renovation company...I need to mention both BuilderTrend and CoConstruct (I also own a high-end home remodeling company). These products, while expensive, are built specifically for our industry...and they are amazing! While generic project mgmt products can be twisted and customized to do what you need, they do not understand/ account for the specific requirements of our industry. The two products mentioned above were built by remodelers for remodelers. 

Personally, I use CoConstruct and cannot live without it. It is the perfect marriage of Estimating, Scheduling, Vendor Mgmt, Client Mgmt, Team Mgmt (Time Tracking w/ GPS support), etc. 

Let me know if you would like to set up some time to discuss any of the above. Also, we're not too far! I live in Rochester and my businesses all operate in Buffalo. 

Talk soon! 

Thanks @Ola Dantis! I would certainly agree that I cannot live without G-Suite! It is the backbone of each of my businesses!

Also, products like Podio can be quite powerful. Happy to answer any specific questions you have @Stephanie Jacobson

Hi All, 

I apologize for the delay! I've been spending the last 6 months tweaking and enhancing the Podio for Property Mgmt template. In fact, with recent enhancements to the Podio/ Globiflow integration, we are now able to deploy super powerful workflows along with the template. This includes automated SMS texting to our tenants, broadcast emails, RightSignature, etc. 

We are recording the training videos now.

Thanks for all the interest! 

@Account Closed. 

The best and potentially most overwhelming attribute about Podio is that it is an "Open Box". It can be built and molded into exactly what you need. No two Podio setups will be the same. 

I'd be happy to meet with you to show a quick Demo and do a quick 101 training to help you gain a strong understanding of how things work. Also, there are a few best practices that are good to know as you begin your journey. 

Feel free to reach out to meet and/or if you have any specific questions. 

Great meeting everyone tonight! Please get in touch via the webform: http://www.incomedigs.com/nycbp/ or email [email protected]

@Account Closed, 

A few ways actually! A native podio webform is the best. You are able to easily control the fields and the data that is entered. I therefore put a link to the "renters" webform in every ad that I publish. 

That being said, some people will still reply to the add via email. If that is the case, you have the ability to connect your email to Podio so that items that are "forwarded" to a specific podio email address will create new items. 

There is a unique email address for every app. What you do is take the specific email for the "renters" app, add it as a contact in Gmail so its easier to remember/ identify (e.g. "Podio Renters"). You then set up your email client rules such that emails meeting specific criteria are automatically forwarded to this Podio address. Field mapping can be a bit of an issue...but you can always edit after the fact. I will usually map the email content to a "notes" field in the app and then have my VA parse the info to update the appropriate fields in the app (e.g. name, phone #, etc)

Let me know if you have additional questions! 

yes...I set up filtering/ forwarding rules in Gmail to automate this

@John K.

I use Podio to manage incoming interested renters as well as scheduling showings and processing applications. The workflow is great and allows for high volumne. 

In addition, you can add "Custom Voting" / "Ratings" so that as you screen tenants you can sort/ filter by only those rated highly by you and/or your staff. 

I would definitely recommend giving it a look! 

I agree with @Tim G.

Podio is amazing. It's an "open box"...which means it has unlimited potential...but can be a bit overwhelming to setup.

Happy to share some use cases if interested.