When I had my own auto damage appraisal business it was just me doing everything, traveling to the cars, inspecting them, taking digital photos, coming back, doing all the paper work, billing and taxes. Now this was before smart phones, back in the Win XP and flip phone days.
I could NOT loose files on the computers so I had two desktops, the main computer would backup all work files every hour to the 2nd computer, worse I could loose would be one hours of files. With a splitter cable setup both were connected to run off the same monitor, keyboard and mouse, with the tap of keys I could switch from working on one computer to the other. If one computer went down, I could tap keys and be able to keep on working.
The assignments then came in through fax so I put in a second phone line just for faxes. I used SmartFax software to get and send faxes right off the computer, it would also forward by email a new incoming fax and at the same time send me a text message to my cell phone a new fax came in. While on the road I used a laptop, I had my cell phone and a air card for the laptop so anywhere that had cell coverage I'd have internet. When I saw a text for "new fax" I'd pull over, pull up my emails and see what the new assignment was, if it was in the area I was in I could swing by and inspect the car while there, if the car was available for inspection, saved me from having to travel back to the same area another day. I also used Maps software and a GPS that plugged into the laptop, now we have smart phones with google maps.
Once back home the laptop would be plugged into the network and all files sync, and again in the morning before I left, all three computers would have mirrored work files. Using the cell phone as my business phone and having all current files with me while on the road allowed me to take calls from
insurance companies and run my business at any time be it at home or out on the road. I added a printer/scanner to the truck, I could scan in copies of tow bills, write estimates on the spot, print them out and leave them with the
shop or owner.
At that time, I was the only independent adjuster in my area that had a complete mobile business, the only other company like mine was GEICO and they had their own adjusters set up with their fancy mobile vans, I was a one man show. Now everyone has setups like that but it's much easier these days, so much can be done right on a cell phone and tablet, and who uses fax these days???
