[sf-lug] General Contracting software?

[Kristian Erik Hermansen]

My father runs his own business as a General Contractor in
Massachusetts.  He has used software many years ago on Windows to keep
track of time, materials, and expenses.  However, it wasn't very good
and I am unfamiliar with any reviews of such software.  I am looking
for something, either open/closed source, that would preferably be run
on Linux (or wine), but Windows would be fine too since the have
access to dual-boot.

The reasoning is that my father recently had a guy stiff him on a very
large amount of money for a project.  Now, the guy probably stiffed my
father because of the Christmas crunch, and some financial trouble.
However, I told my dad that likely the guy didn't take him seriously
because of the handwritten bills that he usually provides.  Sometimes
he types up bills, but it is very painful to watch him hunt and peck
and type spaces a thousand times as "field separators" in OpenOffice
-- despite having introduced him to columns and other features, not
exclusive of OO Calc.  He just doesn't get it.

I don't really know what people use these days, but I had a next door
neighbor who was using some really cool software way back in 1994 on
Windows 3.11.  It looked really cool, gave 3D models, handled employee
time sheets, materials, and expenses.  I believe it was even able to
cut checks for the employees.  Does anyone have an idea of something
like this!??!?  Thanks :-)
-- 
Kristian Erik Hermansen
"Know something about everything and everything about something."