You might be a do-it-yourselfer when it comes to shuffling papers. Do you use Word or Pages to type up invoices and letters? Or maybe you use a separate program for each of your paperwork tasks. Does your workspace look like a volcano erupted? Oh, do I have some info for you. Let’s explore some options that might just blow you away. After reading about each of these leaders in document management, you’ll be able to see your way through the chaos that might live on your desk.
Billings Pro
Billings Pro is an invoicing program that costs $10./ month after a 30-day trial. The cost includes unlimited everything. Unlike similar programs, it doesn’t track your time. It will sync with all your devices, which is important when you want access while away from your office. Your clients can pay you, but Billings Pro uses an outside program, called Credit Card Terminal by Inner Fence. It might work very well, but when there’s a problem, having to deal with two separate companies can be a nightmare, especially when it involves money and payments from customers.
Freshbooks
Freshbooks is a cloud-based accounting program; that means you can access it anywhere. It also comes with a 30-day free trial; after that, it’s either $13.50 or $15.00 per month up to five clients. $25.00 per month will allow you up to 25. Unlike Billings Pro, it allows you to track your time, and accepts credit card payments online from within the program, keeping the process streamlined. You can set it up to automatically import expenses from your bank account. You can also have it send out reminders automatically, and charge late fees. Freshbooks has been very popular with small businesses.
Hiveage
Hiveage almost had me. It’s also cloud-based and has an iPhone app. You get a 14-day free trial with this one. It costs $15.00 per month with a limit of access by two of your staff. For $39.00 per month, up to five of your staff members can access Hiveage. There is no client limit. It handles bills, invoices, estimates, payment reminders, daily backups. It tracks your time, expenses, and mileage. You can set it up under your own branding and customization, so your clients see your company’s branding rather than Freshbooks. It accepts online payments from clients, supporting more than 12 payment gateways, as well as offline payments (checks and cash paid to you directly, for example). They also boast 24/7 support.
17 Hats
17 Hats is quite feature-rich and attractive. It has been highly recommended in many of the mastermind groups I’m in. What doesn’t it do? Not much! For someone starting out it’s quite pricey at $37.00 per month, or $199.00 per year. It comes with a 17-day free trial. As you can gather from its name, it does just about everything involving paperwork – even helps with your taxes!
With 17 Hats you can:
Create custom questionnaires
Send out job quotes directly to potential clients
Send out contracts direct to clients, they sign them and return, all within the program
Send out invoices directly
Send bills and accept payments within the program
Get your records ready for your accountant with its bookkeeping system
Create templates so every document you need is ready to go
Sync with your email account
Keep all your client’s projects (and yours) organized with its project manager
Create lead forms for marketing
Create online payment schedules that allow clients to pay via PayPal, credit/debit cards, Square, Stripe, and echecks
Sync your Google calendar with whatever you have going on in 17 Hats
Track your time
Automate your workflow
That’s quite a lot! But now for the one I chose –
Dubsado
Dubsado is free for all features until you have more than two clients. Which is great for new businesses! After that, it’s $25. per month – much less than 17 Hats.
It has many of the same features that 17 Hats has, and offers even more. For example, they have a template library of more than 50 templates suitable for a variety of industries, saving you a lot of time and hair-pulling trying to do it yourself.
There’s a client portal that allows your own clients access to the forms in your account for that business. No more emailing, mailing, faxing when they can access their forms on their own.
Nothing you send shows the Dubsado brand – everything has your business brand on it.
It’s international currency – friendly.
Dubsado has a built-in to-do list, and a workflow that automates your entire process from client on-boarding, to quotes, to invoicing, to accepting payment. All automated for you! Amazing, right?
I hope this will help shine some light on what often seems like a hopeless situation – never ending and disorganized paperwork. It doesn’t have to be!
Photo by Ricardo Viana on Unsplash
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