Computer Science is a course based on learning how to program. We have learned web design such as HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). We used the skills we learned to build the website you are viewing now. In addition, we have learned Java through many small programing practices, which gives the fundamentals on how to think critically and logically when it comes to programming.
Apps for Good is an organization that believes in helping young students across the world develop computing and tech innovation skills. In the spring of junior year at Mass Academy, students work in groups of 3 to create an application. This app is meant to help the community while also exposing us to more software developmental skills.
Small businesses have a critical role in the economy, accounting for 99.9% of all businesses in the United States and employing over 60 million individuals (Office of Advocacy, 2026). Many of these businesses are service-related and require constant communication with clients, schedule management, and payment submissions to run efficiently. Studies show that entrepreneurs handling these businesses spend 36% of their work week conducting administrative tasks such as scheduling, invoicing, and client communication rather than on core business activities (Lashbrooke, 2023). Additionally, approximately 80% of small businesses report experiencing late payments, which disrupts cash flow and can lead small businesses to bankruptcy (Roquez, 2025). Inefficient communication can cause lost productivity, as many businesses depend on multiple systems such as text messaging, email, spreadsheets, and paper records. The lack of one constant place for information exchange increases the risk of missed appointments, delayed responses, and disorganized client information. Overall, small business owners can become overwhelmed by all the smaller tasks they need to complete, and can lose precious time that could have been spent working on the actual goal of their service.
While some digital applications were made to help manage these tasks, many are not good options for business owners, especially those just beginning their start-up, because of their high subscription cost or unnecessary complexity. For example, many existing apps charge upwards of $80 per month, which is not sustainable for new or small businesses. Furthermore, these solutions are often targeted towards larger organizations, offering features that exceed the necessity of these small businesses while failing to give a simple workflow. As a result, small businesses are either forced to spend time on these manual, time-consuming tasks or rely on multiple different tools that increases cost and inefficiency.
To summarize, small business owners face a huge burden in managing administrative and client-side tasks. The combination of time inefficiency, late payments, and reliance on many costly tools underscores a gap in accessible business management systems. This demonstrates a need for solutions that meet the needs of small business owners.
This app will appeal to small business owners, particularly those in service-based industries, because it allows them to spend more time focusing on the hands-on work that drew them to their business instead of constantly handling finances, individual messaging, administrative work, and other client-related tasks. The app will feature a primary dashboard displaying the number of new unread messages, unpaid invoices, new requests, and the day’s client schedule, along with buttons that provide quick access to the calendar and client pages.
For the secondary audience, the clients, the goal is to create a more efficient and user-friendly communication experience between them and the business owner. Clients should feel that the app simplifies the process of booking and managing home services rather than adding extra steps or unnecessary effort.
Our app is designed for small service-based businesses and their clients, with the goal of simplifying communication, scheduling, and administrative work. The app’s minimum viable product (MVP) focuses on creating a communication network between a single business owner and their clients through three primary features: a scheduling system, a financial management system, and a notification system. By combining these tools into one platform, the app reduces the amount of time business owners spend handling administrative tasks and allows them to focus more on the physical services their business provides.
The scheduling system will integrate with Google Calendar to allow business owners to organize quotes, appointments, and work sessions. Owners will be able to input their available time blocks, and clients can select appointment times that fit both their own schedules and the owner’s availability. This creates a smoother booking experience and reduces the need for repeated back-and-forth messaging between clients and businesses.
The financial system will allow business owners to create and manage estimates and invoices digitally. Owners can send estimates directly to clients, and each estimate will be linked to a specific client ID and stored in Firebase. When clients log into the app, they will only be able to view estimates associated with their account through matching client IDs. Clients can approve estimates or request changes before the estimate is converted into an invoice PDF. Once converted, the backend will automatically mark the estimate as converted. Payments themselves will occur externally rather than through the app, but the app will still allow clients to view invoice information and owners to track payments. By automatically organizing invoices and estimates, the app helps reduce the amount of time owners spend on payment tracking.
The notification and communication system includes both direct messaging and mass messaging between the business owner and clients. Business owners will be able to send updates to individual clients or notify all scheduled clients at once about schedule changes, weather delays, or other important announcements. The app will also include a client search system that allows owners to search across a client’s first name, last name, email, phone number, address, or signup ID to quickly locate accounts and records. Communication and data storage between the client and business sides of the app will be managed using Firebase, allowing information such as appointments, invoices, and messages to remain updated in real time.