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How to manage your small business with WhatsApp

Quotes, invoices, mileage, receipts and job tracking — the whole admin side of a UK small business, run from the one app you already have open all day.

16 July 2026 · 8 min read

Most small-business admin does not fail because it is hard. It fails because it happens at the wrong time — the receipt is in the van, the mileage is in your head, the invoice is "for tonight" and tonight never comes. The fix is to do the admin in the moment, from a place you already are all day: WhatsApp. This guide pulls together everything you can run for a UK small business from a single WhatsApp number.

Why WhatsApp beats another app

You will never forget to open WhatsApp. That is the whole point. Traditional accounting and job apps ask you to stop, unlock, remember your login and navigate a menu — so you put it off. WhatsApp is already open, so the admin happens the second the job does. There is genuinely nothing to install: you sign up once on the web, link your number, and then just text.

Quotes and invoices

Describe a job and get a branded PDF quote back in about 30 seconds; when it is accepted, turn it into an invoice with one reply. Full guides: sending quotes via WhatsApp and sending invoices via WhatsApp. Invoices carry your bank details and, on Pro, a pay-now link.

Mileage that is HMRC-ready

Text "45 miles to the Birmingham job" and GraftG logs the trip and works out the value at HMRC's approved 45p/25p rates. At year-end it is a one-click total instead of a shoebox reconstruction. You can preview any figure with the free HMRC mileage calculator, and there is more in the WhatsApp mileage tracker overview.

Receipts, captured before they fade

Snap a photo of a receipt in WhatsApp and GraftG reads the merchant, total and VAT, categorises it and files it ready for Making Tax Digital. No more faded Screwfix receipts in the footwell in January. See the WhatsApp receipt scanner.

Job tracking and profit

Start a job, text materials as you buy them, then end it — GraftG works out labour from the actual time on site and totals the materials, so you can see your quote against what the work really cost. Ask it "PROFIT" any time for income versus expenses across the tax year.

Getting paid and getting reviews

On the Pro plan two robots work in the background: the Late Payment Chaser nudges overdue invoices for you, and the Google Review Chaser asks happy customers for a review after they have paid. Both run on email so they never cost you a WhatsApp template fee.

Is it just for tradespeople?

It is built around tradespeople and sole traders, but the same workflow suits any small UK business that quotes, invoices, drives and buys materials — cleaners, mobile groomers, gardeners, freelancers. Find your trade on the for-your-trade pages, or read whether it is safe to invoice over WhatsApp if you are weighing it up.

What it costs

Solo is £14 a month (four core tools) with the first month free; Pro is £24 a month and adds branding, deposits, CIS, pay-now links and the chasers. Compare them on the pricing page.

FAQ

Can you really run a small business from WhatsApp?

You can run the admin side of it — quotes, invoices, mileage, receipts, job tracking, profit summaries and payment chasing — entirely from one WhatsApp number. You send a message or a photo and GraftG does the paperwork and replies in the same chat.

Do I need any other software or an app?

No. There is nothing to install and no separate app. You sign up once on the web to link your number, and after that everything happens inside the WhatsApp already on your phone.

Is it suitable for UK sole traders and the self-employed?

Yes. It is UK-focused and built around HMRC and Making Tax Digital rules — HMRC mileage rates, VAT handling, MTD-ready receipts and CIS deductions — so it fits sole traders, the self-employed and small trade businesses.

How much does it cost to manage my business this way?

The Solo plan is £14 a month and covers four core tools, with the first month free. The Pro plan is £24 a month and adds branding, deposit invoices, CIS, pay-now links and automatic payment and review chasers. There is no long contract.

Try it free for a month

Solo from £14/month — first month free. No app to install.

Get started free