diff --git a/src/besapi/plugin_utilities.py b/src/besapi/plugin_utilities.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0feb509
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/besapi/plugin_utilities.py
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+"""This is a set of utility functions for use in multiple plugins"""
+
+import argparse
+import os
+import logging
+import logging.handlers
+import ntpath
+import sys
+
+
+def get_invoke_folder(verbose=0):
+    """Get the folder the script was invoked from"""
+    # using logging here won't actually log it to the file:
+
+    if getattr(sys, "frozen", False) and hasattr(sys, "_MEIPASS"):
+        if verbose:
+            print("running in a PyInstaller bundle")
+        invoke_folder = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(sys.executable))
+    else:
+        if verbose:
+            print("running in a normal Python process")
+        invoke_folder = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
+
+    if verbose:
+        print(f"invoke_folder = {invoke_folder}")
+
+    return invoke_folder
+
+
+def get_invoke_file_name(verbose=0):
+    """Get the filename the script was invoked from"""
+    # using logging here won't actually log it to the file:
+
+    if getattr(sys, "frozen", False) and hasattr(sys, "_MEIPASS"):
+        if verbose:
+            print("running in a PyInstaller bundle")
+        invoke_file_path = sys.executable
+    else:
+        if verbose:
+            print("running in a normal Python process")
+        invoke_file_path = __file__
+
+    if verbose:
+        print(f"invoke_file_path = {invoke_file_path}")
+
+    # get just the file name, return without file extension:
+    return os.path.splitext(ntpath.basename(invoke_file_path))[0]
+
+
+def setup_plugin_argparse(plugin_args_required=False):
+    """setup argparse for plugin use"""
+    arg_parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        description="Provde command line arguments for REST URL, username, and password"
+    )
+    arg_parser.add_argument(
+        "-v",
+        "--verbose",
+        help="Set verbose output",
+        required=False,
+        action="count",
+        default=0,
+    )
+    arg_parser.add_argument(
+        "-c",
+        "--console",
+        help="log output to console",
+        required=False,
+        action="store_true",
+    )
+    arg_parser.add_argument(
+        "-besserver", "--besserver", help="Specify the BES URL", required=False
+    )
+    arg_parser.add_argument(
+        "-r", "--rest-url", help="Specify the REST URL", required=plugin_args_required
+    )
+    arg_parser.add_argument(
+        "-u", "--user", help="Specify the username", required=plugin_args_required
+    )
+    arg_parser.add_argument(
+        "-p", "--password", help="Specify the password", required=False
+    )
+
+    return arg_parser
+
+
+def setup_plugin_logging(log_file_name="", verbose=0, console=True):
+    """setup logging for plugin use"""
+    # get folder the script was invoked from:
+    invoke_folder = get_invoke_folder(verbose)
+
+    if not log_file_name or log_file_name == "":
+        log_file_name = get_invoke_file_name() + ".log"
+
+    # set different log levels:
+    log_level = logging.WARNING
+    if verbose:
+        log_level = logging.INFO
+    if verbose > 1:
+        log_level = logging.DEBUG
+
+    # get path to put log file in:
+    log_filename = os.path.join(invoke_folder, log_file_name)
+
+    handlers = [
+        logging.handlers.RotatingFileHandler(
+            log_filename, maxBytes=5 * 1024 * 1024, backupCount=1
+        )
+    ]
+
+    # log output to console if arg provided:
+    if console:
+        handlers.append(logging.StreamHandler())
+
+    # setup logging:
+    logging.basicConfig(
+        encoding="utf-8",
+        level=log_level,
+        format="%(asctime)s %(levelname)s:%(message)s",
+        handlers=handlers,
+    )
+
+
+# if __name__ == "__main__":
+#     print(get_invoke_folder())
+#     print(get_invoke_file_name())
+#     setup_plugin_logging(console=True)
+#     logging.error("test logging")
+#     parser = setup_plugin_argparse()
+#     # allow unknown args to be parsed instead of throwing an error:
+#     args, _unknown = parser.parse_known_args()
+
+#     logging.error(args)