Paper or Digital in tree care

In October 2021, TreeBuzz user @oceans from Rhode Island posed a simple but practical question: “Who is still paper based?” His company relied on paper records and work orders because digital systems felt inefficient, sticky notes were easily lost and handwritten documents became confusing after multiple edits. That single question sparked a discussion that, as of October 2025, was still ongoing.

Suggestions for staying paper based
Tree care professionals who still work primarily with paper offered a range of low-tech solutions.

@Stumpsprouts from Asheville, North Carolina, described designing and printing carbon-copy work-estimate sheets. Estimates are written on site, a copy is given to the client and the duplicate is filed at home. When projects have many line items, the forms can get cluttered, but an accordion filing-folder system keeps past estimates organized by category.

A more unique approach to workflow was shared by @DSMc from Montana, who said their team uses telephone message pads with carbonless duplicates, one pad at a time, and keeps originals in an estimate book until complete. Duplicate job sheets are filed chronologically, and receipts are stapled or organized monthly and kept for seven years – a paper archive backed up with simple Excel spreadsheets to track income, hours and job history.

Referencing field environments like hurricane zones, where Wi-Fi and power aren’t guaranteed, @colb from Florida added that paper systems can be especially useful.

These contributors emphasized that paper systems can be flexible, familiar and resilient when digital infrastructure isn’t reliable or when teams prefer minimal screen time.

Suggestions for software-based or hybrid approaches
Several users offered alternatives that blend analog and digital workflows.

@OasisTree from Missouri described moving from paper quotes to an iPad Pro with the GoodNotes app and Apple Pencil. Blank paper quotes are kept in the truck for clients without email, screenshots are taken and they are sent to a secretary for entry into software. Handwritten originals are also attached to digital records for reference.

Also encouraging a shift toward software, @Reach from Atglen, Pennsylvania, noted that programs like Jobber integrate with Google Calendar and iCalendar, allowing for the creation of quotes with prefilled fields and saving significant time compared with transcribing notes. @Reach also offered to help @oceans through calls and screen sharing to demonstrate setup and workflows.

@oceans later elaborated on a new hybrid system combining paper and digital elements to suit his workflow. Contact and intake start with whatever method the client prefers – call, email or website inquiry – and scheduling estimates happens on both a paper calendar and an iOS calendar app. Estimates themselves are created in the Joist app, emailed to clients, then printed and filed once approved, with approved jobs placed in a “to be scheduled” folder. Work scheduling is handled on paper, and the crew fills in the weekly paper calendar so the office knows who to contact and when. Invoicing is mostly digital; the work order/estimate is reviewed, converted to an invoice and emailed, although clients can pay by check or cash. @oceans acknowledged that balancing family demands, paper calendars and digital documents remains challenging, and his preference for physical backups is partly driven by concerns about losing data to crashes – a fallback that feels more reliable than computers alone.

Some contributors suggested remote administrative support, explaining that a part-time or remote secretary can help manage records, messages and scheduling, even for small companies.

Conclusion
The forum discussion revealed that, while many tree care professionals still rely on paper for field records and customer interactions, the community recognizes practical limits and often uses hybrid methods to reduce manual work. Carbonless duplicate forms, organized filing and intentional workflows help keep paper systems manageable. Meanwhile, digital tools like GoodNotes and software like Jobber are highlighted as ways to modernize quoting, scheduling and recordkeeping without completely abandoning the familiarity of handwriting and paper.

This article is based on an original TreeBuzz discussion thread in the Big Business forum. It was chosen and compiled by TCIA staff for the quality of the insights shared and the range of practical solutions applicable to tree care businesses of all sizes.