Business Invoicing Software

Freshbooks - Quick and easy business invoicing software

When I first started out as a freelance web designer I was invoicing using some Microsoft Word invoicing template which I had downloaded off the internet. I knew it didn't look very professional but at that point time it was the least of my worries. Additionally, if I was working on an hourly rate I would simply jot down my hours in notepad etc. If I was distracted I would often forget to note my hours all together.

On occasions I would scan around the internet looking for some free of “open source” business invoicing software but I never really found what I was looking for. I tried a few different programs but none were immediately intuitive and “to the point”.

Anyway, now I am using Freshbooks and as a result I have decided to affiliate with them since this is what I do. I do not actively look for products to affiliate with. I simply wait until a product comes along that I am impressed with. If I like it, the chance are someone else will too.

What attracted me to Freshbooks?

Firstly, on some projects I was contracted to work on an hourly rate. I wanted some kind of stop-watch, preferably with a large button saying “START” and “STOP”.

Secondly, I was looking for was some business invoicing software. Like many freelance web designers I also re-sell hosting. Therefore I wanted some invoicing software that could generate recurring invoices automatically.

Thirdly, although not so important was the ability to customise the look of my invoices. i.e. add logo, change colours etc.

I was able to do all of this using the free trial version of Freshbook without any restrictions.
Well...That's not strictly true. I was restricted as to how many client accounts I could set-up. However, It did what I needed it to do and for that it was free! Great!

Although all I needed was to track time and deal with invoices there is of course much more to Freshbooks. To be honest, it was only while writing this review that I realised exactly how much more there was to Freshbooks. Lets take a look at some of the features.

Freshbooks features

1. Invoicing
• Setting up and sending invoices is a very straight forward process in Freshbooks. No tutorial is needed.
• As mentioned you can also set-up recurring invoices, which will be sent automatically on set intervals.
• You can also set-up auto-billing so that it automatically charges the clients credit card.
• You can invoice in any currency
• You can automate late payment reminders
• Your customers can view and pay their invoice online as well as having access their account history.
• The invoicing system is safe, secure, and accessible. All date is encrypted and stored behind a firewall.
• For a small fee you can send your invoices using “snail mail”. Each invoice will be printed with you company logo and details on it. They will even provide a return envelope for you clients convenience.
• You can use Freshbooks on you iphone. This is one feature I have yet to look into. A valuable asset none the less.

2. Time tracking

The time tacking system as mentioned is very easy to use. There is a very obvious button saying “Start/Stop Timer”. You simply click on the button and a window pops up where you select a project and add some further notes if you choose. When you've finished simply click on the “Log Hours” button.
You can then go the invoice section and generate an invoice based on these hours. Simple!
You are not only limited to using this pop out window to log your hours but you can also track time through your desktop or mobile phone.
Another great feature that relates to the time tracking of a project is that you can invite contractors to work on your projects. They will be able to track time and then invoice you for it. Such features allow you to keep track of staff, stay on budget and give clients access to their projects.
Another unique feature of Freshbooks is that you can use what is called a “report card”- which is generated every three months - to compare your business against competitors.

I will only detail one more part of the Freshbooks software and that relates to the creation of estimates. The ability to easily create professional estimates is a very useful feature of Freshbooks.
These estimates can easily be turned into invoices. Additionally the estimates feature will allow you to document the estimate acceptance process as well as allowing you to re-using items from other estimates, thus saving time.

Freshbooks has of course many other features but I can't be bothered to type anything else.

Anyway, Download the free trial and take it for a spin.