WhatsApp Business for tradespeople: a complete guide
Your clients are on WhatsApp. Your business should be there too.
Why WhatsApp dominates
The numbers speak for themselves: WhatsApp is where your clients ask for quotes, send photos of the problem, and confirm dates.
When someone needs a tradesperson, what's the first thing they do? Send a WhatsApp message. If you reply fast with a professional quote, you win the job. If you reply two days later with a PDF by email, you've already lost it.
WhatsApp Business is the professional version of the WhatsApp you already have. It's free, runs on the same phone, and has features built specifically for businesses. If you're still using personal WhatsApp for work, you're missing out on tools that would save you time every single day.
Setting up a professional profile
Install WhatsApp Business, free on the Play Store and App Store. You can keep the same phone number.
Set up your profile: • Business name: use your trading name (e.g. "John Murphy Electrical") • Category: pick "Services" or whatever fits best • Description: one line on what you do (e.g. "Electrical installations and repairs, Dublin and surrounds") • Address: the area you cover • Hours: when you're available • Email and website: if you've got them
Use a proper photo, not your personal profile picture. A photo of you at work, or your logo, builds a lot more trust than a random snap.
The service catalogue lets you list what you do with descriptions and rough prices, so a new client can see what's on offer before they even ask for a quote.
Sending professional quotes via WhatsApp
This is where WhatsApp Business and Prummo work hand in hand.
The ideal flow: 1. Client messages looking for a quote 2. You visit the job, or ask for photos and details 3. Open Prummo, dictate the quote by voice (about a minute) 4. Tap "Send via WhatsApp" 5. Client gets a link to a professional page with the full quote 6. They accept directly, and payment is arranged by bank transfer or cash
The client isn't getting a PDF or a list of numbers in a text. They get a branded page with everything laid out clearly, where they can accept the quote there and then.
Send it as fast as you can. The first tradesperson back with a professional quote is usually the one who gets the job.
Automate to save yourself time
WhatsApp Business has a few features that save real hours:
Quick replies: save messages you send all the time. A few examples: • "Thanks for the message! Could you send a few photos of the job and the address so I can put a quote together?" • "Quote's sent, have a read and shout if you've any questions." • "Job's done. Here's the account for the bank transfer: [IBAN]"
Away message: set for outside working hours, so anyone messaging at 9pm gets "Thanks for your message, I'll get back to you in the morning." Stops a client thinking they've been ignored.
Greeting message: for new contacts, automatically sends "Hi there! Thanks for getting in touch. Tell me a bit about the job and I'll put a quote together."
Labels: tag contacts by status ("Quote sent", "Job booked in", "Awaiting payment"). Makes it easy to see at a glance exactly where each client stands.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the same number as my personal WhatsApp?
Yes. WhatsApp Business lets you keep your existing number, and your personal chats carry over to the new app. If you'd rather keep them separate, you can use a second number instead.
Is WhatsApp Business actually free?
Yes, completely free. The Business version's extra features, profile, catalogue, quick replies, cost nothing.
Do I need WhatsApp Business to use Prummo?
No. Prummo sends quotes through any version of WhatsApp. But WhatsApp Business gives you extra features, a professional profile, quick replies, that work well alongside it.