Category: Invoicing

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How to Create the Perfect Invoice and Get Paid Faster

2019-04-01 | Invoicing | No Comments

When it comes to efficient invoicing, every business or individual should exert professionalism at every turn. After all, there is nothing more serious or important in business as payment.

At the same time, the process of invoicing is also an opportunity to create structure and organization within a business.

From tracking and time sheets to inventory and sales, invoicing software is capable of simplifying many aspects of a business and condensing this information into one system.

With this in mind, attention to detail is always important but establishing a clear process is often key to the efficiency of finances within a business. Here are some of the most useful tips for creating the perfect invoice and system for a small business.

Create Perfect Invoice

As already mentioned, the invoice itself should be professional and accurate, but simplification is key to establishing the perfect invoicing system.

In this sense, there are several software applications which create such invoices and then store the information in an electronic filing system. As you might expect, this system is fully automated, easy to manage and customizable.

Furthermore, this system will often feature a range of functions which cater to expense tracking, inventory, sales figures and even taxes. In short, the prospect of having a seamless system and specific place for this information is extremely beneficial for the growth of a small business.

While many invoicing software options are rather expensive, there are some invoicing systems such as 12th Door which is extremely efficient and entirely free.

Establish a Clear Process

When you set out to establish a set process for invoicing, you are committing to saving a significant amount of time.

For example, if a customer is unsure with regard to the content of an invoice, they may seek clarification or further guidance, and this is time-consuming at the very least.

Also, the invoice should consist of a very clear process which outlines a secure and easy payment process.

It may seem unnecessary, but while Paypal and credit card are the most common methods of payment, the invoice should clearly state that these methods are fully supported.

However, there should also be a general process which outlines the entire system to internal members of the business.

After all, this information is not merely for receiving payment and needs to be stored in such a way that you can easily access previous records at any time.

Highlight the Due Date

In the same way that payment options need to be identified, there should be a precise due date on every invoice.

Setting a due date is the perfect way to establish a process which can encourage the best practice and habits about payments from customers. In case you might be asking yourself, failing to set a due date is likely to discourage customers from prioritizing this payment.

It must also be said that setting this guideline from the outset is a perfectly reasonable approach to a contract of any kind.

On the contrary, setting these guidelines in the event of a non-payment can appear as a threat or warning to customers which is never beneficial for a long-term relationship.

Implement Recurring invoices

Producing a recurring invoice is another way to foster a positive and healthy relationship with regular customers. Overall, this will ensure that invoices are expected as opposed to being intrusive while the timely manner of this aspect creates routine within the invoicing system.

As a rule, recurring invoices are also likely to result in recurring payments, and this is certainly one of the most reassuring signs for a small business.

In some cases, the time frame for these invoices can be monthly or weekly, but the reasoning for recurring invoices is always the same in a sense that they seek to establish a healthy pattern of payments from customers.

Use Simple Language

As always, you should never assume the level of understanding for which a customer might have regarding a payment process. While we stress professionalism, due dates and an outline for payment methods, this information should be clear and courteous at all times.

Needless to say, you should never forget to thank customers and show genuine appreciation for their presence. Invoicing is the perfect opportunity to express this gratitude, and this is something which should never be taken for granted.

At the same time, the use of simple and straightforward language is important when communicating with customers. While demonstrating intelligence may seem relevant, the purpose of an invoice is to outline the process and encourage a simple outcome – prompt payment.

Take Advantage of Automation

Automation is arguably the most popular way to approach invoicing for small businesses. Invoicing software can provide specific programs and invoicing templates. Also an option to create a customizable invoice for customers.

For this reason, you can spend time to create the perfect invoice or existing templates are often applicable to almost any business.

Although this is merely one feature of this powerful software, for this automation extends to outsourcing many more aspects of the process. Instead of chasing up payments with customers, these attractive templates are automatically issued on a regular basis.

In the event of non-payment, the software will also issue a reminder to customers while the business owner has little more to do than wait for confirmation.  

As a final step in this process, receipts are automatically generated to complete this highly efficient invoicing system.

While finding new customers is always necessary for growth, efficient invoicing is equally as important for the organization and profitability of a small business.

Similarly, freelancers and small businesses can find a wide a range of tools within this software to streamline the process and transition to a superior invoicing system.

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By Darka Panovska

11 Benefits of Using Online Invoicing Software

2019-03-29 | Invoicing | No Comments

Another week, another few hours spent putting together invoices, calculating hours, keeping records, and mailing said invoices out.

But what if instead of having to punch in every address and micro-manage each invoice at every turn, you could fill out your invoices with just a few clicks?

With the help of free invoicing software for small business online invoicing has never been easier.

So without further ado, here are 11 reasons why Envoice invoicing software is a powerful resource to have in your company’s arsenal.

1. Get Paid Faster

It goes without saying that getting paid on time is the key to maintaining a healthy cash flow. The sooner you get paid, the sooner you can put those dollars to use for business.

With cloud-based invoicing software, you don’t have to keep re-entering information every time you create an invoice. You can simply make a few clicks and create an invoice and email in under 2 minutes. When invoices start to number in the dozens to hundreds per month, that’s an adjustment you won’t regret making.

Furthermore, our software also allows you to integrate with online payment gateways such as Paypal, Stripe, Square, Payoneer (and more) and also supports multiple currencies. This in turn allows clients to make payments with a single click.

Receiving payments doesn’t get any more straightforward than that.

2. Automated Payment Reminders

In business, it’s not unusual for things to suddenly become chaotic. There’s always a deal that needs to be closed or a product that should’ve been shipped out yesterday.

As such, it’s not unusual for clients to receive an invoice but forget to pay.

However, here’s the thing about unpaid invoices: closed mouths don’t get fed. Without a system for following up on overdue and unpaid invoices, it’s difficult for a business to survive.

The software is all the reminder you need. If an invoice is overdue automated email reminders will be sent directly to the client so you don’t have to. No more written agendas, hunting for calendars, or anything else!

3. Easy Access

Imagine submitting work and having the client email you a couple days later to say that they’ve approved the work and to send the invoice.

It’s just too bad that the paper invoice is back at the office while you’re on the other side of the country attending a conference.

Cloud-based invoice processing software means that you have access to all of your invoicing information as long as you have Internet. It’s a business tool that lets you respond to that client’s email with the words “Sure thing”.

4. Professional Looking Custom Invoices

Just because you’ve completed the work, that doesn’t mean that you have no more opportunities for professional branding.

When a client sees your invoice, you want them to pause for a moment, take a breath, and say, “That’s a nice invoice.”

With Word and Excel, professional-looking invoices require a lot time, effort, and tweaking.

Using our software, those stunning, visually-impressive invoices can be done and completed with just a couple of clicks.

5. Regular Backups and Encryption

Nobody goes into business expecting to be in a dire emergency situation, but unfortunately there are some things that even the best insurance can’t replace. This is especially true for client contacts and information.

Our online billing offers you data backup and protection. We use advanced digital safeguards such as SSL encryption to keep your information safe as well as regular backups to further protect your data.

In other words, even if the physical office were to go up in flames tomorrow, our software would allow you to keep going without missing a beat.

6. Reduce Administrative Errors and Costs

When you’re entering details into your invoices manually, even the fastest and the most efficient person can make mistakes.

In addition, there’s also further potential for error during processing on tasks like noting whether the invoice is paid or unpaid or if payment was made offline.

The beauty of cloud-based invoicing software is that it inputs customer information automatically while giving you tools to manage invoice creation and processing.

With the software filling in a lot of the blanks and overseeing the details, you can bring the number of administrative invoice errors to zero.

7. Reports 

Although in-depth, detailed invoicing can be useful, sometimes you need to see the big picture. For instance, you’re making market projections or you want to know the inventory levels at a glance.

With a manual invoicing system or with template invoices, this type of information can be compiled but it takes you tons of time and effort to put together basic reports.

Envoice’s invoice software solution makes it easier for businesses to accumulate this data without any hassle.

8. Be More Organized

Running a business can be stressful in the best of times. You’re juggling clients, you’re dealing with employees, you’ve got meetings and deadlines coming up. Keeping invoices and expenses organized isn’t easy.

Cloud-based invoicing software lets you organize your data the way you like it. If you have to present the information differently or compile it for the purposes of a report, Envoicer’s software allows you to accomplish that with ease.

9. Settings and Features Customized To Your Business Needs

Although it seems like common sense, a lot of businesses fail to fully maximize new software simply because the technology hasn’t been tailored to suit their specific work flow.

In other words, the software’s lack of flexibility hurts productivity more than it helps.

Our invoicing software uses numerous tools to make your life easier by allowing you to customize details like expense details or attachments without making dramatic changes to your regular routine.

10. Eco-friendly 

One of the advantages of online solutions is that they’re environmentally-friendly and cost-effective while taking up less of your office space.

In any given year, how much paper do you use printing, filling out, and replacing invoices?

At the moment, scanning, emailing, and laying the general administrative groundwork for preparing invoices doesn’t seem like much. However, over longer periods of time, the resources spent on this do add up.

And as we always say in business, time is money.

Cloud-based software saves money, uses less paper, and helps out the environment all at once.

11. Save Time

As necessary as it is, preparing and submitting invoices is incredibly time-consuming work.

You have to find and verify client information, make calculations, print off copies, and, in some cases, prepare the invoice for mailing. Over the course of an entire fiscal year, it’s easy to spend the equivalent of several full work days on invoices.

How would your outlook change if you could spend those hours not processing invoices?

Would you ramp up your marketing efforts? How much faster could you finish up your products?

Our invoicing software is able to save, produce, and all but automate your invoices.

Conclusion

Invoicing and billing is an essential part of running a business but preparing and processing can be tricky.

We pride ourselves on providing invoicing software for small business owners.

We understand how difficult it is to grow and expand and we believe that individuals and business owners deserve to have access to the community at large.

With our invoicing software for small business online invoicing online billing and online backup data are all available for small businesses with no strings attached.

Sign up with us at Envoice today.

 

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By Darka Panovska

6 Most Important Pieces of Information Every Invoice Should Have

2017-11-09 | Guide, Invoicing, Tutorials and how to's | No Comments

When someone asks how to avoid legal trouble in their invoice, they are usually interested in only one thing: how to ensure they get paid for the work they provide.

If you are one of them, you are probably wondering if there is anything you can include in your invoice to make it more binding and make sure that you will get paid on time, because, after all, there is nothing worse than wasting valuable time chasing payments.  

The simple answer is that, there a few things that you can do to make the invoice more ‘enforceable’:

 

  1. The Correct Billing Contact

 

From the moment you start the project, make sure you request the contact details of the person who is responsible for paying you. Depending on the size of your client’s company they may have an accounting department that handles their billing.  It is much easier to deal with this individual directly, because this way you will be sure that the accounting received your invoice, and it might be easier to follow up on late payments with them directly.

 

  1. A Unique Identification Number in Each Invoice

 

Create some sort of numbering system for organizing and arranging your invoices. This could be a basic numbering framework that begins with 001 or it could be by date. This will enable you to keep your invoices organized for tax purposes. A good numbering system will also make things easier and a lot more professional, should you need to follow up with a client on a late invoice.

 

  1. Matching Invoice Terms and Contract Terms

 

When it comes to invoicing clients, you have to ensure that all the data information matches with the details written in your contract. For instance, if your contract says your terms are net 30, you can’t make a request to be paid upon receipt of your invoice. In case you’re not using a contract that includes payment terms, you’ll want to change that immediately.

 

  1. Specific Details Requested by Your Client

 

It is always better to ask your clients upfront if they have specific requirements for what information must be incorporated on an invoice. For example, some companies might require that your invoice includes your Tax ID Number, others may ask for a detailed rundown of the services you’re billing for. Few of them may indicate that invoices should be sent electronically or via snail mail.  Keep in mind that not having the right information on your invoice might delay the payment.

 

  1. Date and Terms of Payment

 

Every invoice should include the date of issue and articulate the terms of payment. The exact terms you use are up to you and your client, but here are a few suggestions:

  • Pay attention to the language you use for payment terms. Studies have shown that this has a great impact on the likelihood and time to get paid. Something like the following is optimal language: “Thank you – we really appreciate your business! Please send payment within 21 days of receiving this invoice.”
  • Be clear and specific. Clients may not know what the term “Net30” implies, so writing “within 30 days” or even include the specific due date might be easier for everyone to understand.
  • Avoid using “Due upon receipt” whenever possible. You might think this language will help you get paid faster, but not specifying an actual deadline can result in delayed payment since some clients may interpret it as “pay whenever you can.”

 

  1. Billable Services Specifics

 

Each invoice line should indicate the exact services that are being billed. Try to be as clear and thorough as possible. If the client is being charged a flat rate for services, use your judgment to determine the level of details needed to specify what they’ve received. If you are billing by the hour, make sure to specify the hourly rate, the number of hours billed and what they’ve received for that time.

 

Final Advice: Always Discuss Payment Terms Up Front

A proactive approach is always the ideal way to ensure your invoices will be paid on time. Talk about payment terms in early conversations with clients. A simple question like “My other clients pay me within 21 days of completing the project. Will that work for you?” might do the trick. If you notice any red flags in their reaction, trust your gut and move on.  

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By Eva Piperevska

Say Hello to our New feature – Recurring Invoicing!

2017-08-15 | ALL, Invoicing | No Comments

recurring invoicing

You asked for it, and we built it: Recurring invoicing is now available on Envoice App!

As a small business owner, you can constantly deal with sending invoices on a repeating basis. With Envoice new recurring invoicing tool, it’s never been easier to get paid.

Our recurring invoicing tool is super flexible and will let you decide whether invoices are sent out automatically to your clients.

If you are Envoice existing user all you need to do to start using our Recurring Invoicing Tool is to sign in to www.envoice.in and set it up to start sending invoices automatically. It does not matter if you are sending invoices to your customers at the beginning of the month, end of the month, or every second Tuesday, recurring invoicing works with your schedule to make sure you’re paid on time, every time. Whether your clients are in your country or worldwide, recurring invoicing is here to help you get back to business.

To learn more about how you can start using our recurring invoicing feature see the videos below:

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By Eva Piperevska

5 things you need to know about invoicing when starting a business

2017-08-09 | ALL, Invoicing | No Comments

5 things you need to know in order to create the perfect professional invoice for your first clients when starting a business

Did your business just started to boost, and you are caught in the maze called invoicing instead of working on getting more things done? If so, even though it might appear complicated, we all can, at some point, become invoicing masters.

Here are 5 things you need to know in order to create the perfect professional invoice for your first clients:

 

Start at the beginning

The first and most important thing you need to understand is the anatomy of one invoice. It doesn’t matter if you are handling your own invoicing or you hired someone else to do it for you. Here are several things you need to be familiar with:

  • Your invoice should include both yours and your client’s contact information
  • Your invoice should include Invoice number and Due Date
  • Your invoice should include a breakdown list of the service your provide
  • Your invoice can include a Terms and Conditions
  • And of course, your preferred payment methods you want to use like for ex.  PayPal, Stripe, Payoneer or credit card

 

Get paid at once.

Did you know that only 18% of the people who are waiting to get paid more than 90 days, get paid from clients? To avoid not getting paid on time, establish a good paying time cycle for you and for your clients, in order to send invoices promptly. You can have a recurring invoicing schedule and have a specific time when to send your invoices. In the beginning, the best time to send out an invoice is immediately after completing the project/service. You can also assign yourself a day in the week that will be spent on invoicing every week.

 

Track your income and invoices

Same as using a time tracker tool, you can start using an invoicing software which can help you track your expenses, completed projects, clients, send invoices, and much more depending on the software. Some invoicing apps have also recurring payments features and sending automatic payment reminders features that can help you automate your invoicing process and get paid faster.

The good thing about using an invoice software is that you don’t need to worry about tracking the numbers of your invoices or worry if you added the right email address, or contact name, even if your invoice looks professional enough. Almost all of them will take care of those problems and help you save time while invoicing your clients.

 

Don’t forget to follow-up

It’s so frustrating when we have to chase our clients for due payments, spending time in emailing and phone calls instead of focusing on our business tasks. That is why most invoicing solutions have features that will help you set up a reminder emails to remind your clients for due payments.

5 things you need to know in order to create the perfect professional invoice for your first clients when starting a business

Be nice and always ask for a testimonial

It’s professional and polite to say “please” and “thank you”, which will increase your chances of invoices being paid on time. Your customer testimonial is always important, don’t forget to ask for a testimonial from your clients.

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By Eva Piperevska

7 MISTAKES TO AVOID WHILE INVOICING

2017-07-03 | Invoicing | No Comments

7 MISTAKES TO AVOID WHILE INVOICING

As a freelancer I have been doing business with companies for a long time now, during which I have come to see few common mistakes they tend to do concerning invoicing.

Most small business owners would agree with me that accounting is their least favorite task to do. Plus, invoicing seems like a boring, repetitive task that does not require full attention.  In order to keep your business’s cash flow healthy, it is crucial that invoicing is done properly.

Here are some common invoicing mistakes to avoid:

Not sending or forgetting to invoice on time – One of the most common mistakes is not sending invoices at all or not sending them on time. Often enough, teams are very busy with completing their tasks and getting the job done, that once they finish it they forget to charge for it. This causes a delay in payments and the whole business suffers. Using an invoice scheduling feature is very helpful in sending out invoices to clients on time. The best time to send out an invoice is immediately after completing the project/service.

7 MISTAKES TO AVOID WHILE INVOICING Envoice

Sending invoices to the wrong person – Sending out invoices to the wrong person/email address or department is also very frequent. This means resending the invoice, wasting a lot of time and delayed payment. Make sure to get the correct billing details from your clients.

Having unclear terms – Using vague language is not recommendable when invoicing. Especially because the client may not understand what you are charging for and ignore the invoice. Make sure that the item description, prices, and quantities are clearly stated. Also, clearly state the due date for payment and any consequences or interest on late payment if the terms are broken.

Missing details on your invoice – In order to prevent any misunderstandings, and depending on your company’s and client’s jurisdiction, your invoice should include the following details:

  • Full legal company name and number
  • Office address
  • Your client’s name and address
  • Invoice number
  • Invoice date
  • Any tax numbers required by local law
  • Payment terms
  • Contact details so your customer can reach you if anything is unclear

Not storing a backup – A backup of the original invoice must be kept for future references. Online solutions like Envoice help you keep a PDF copies as well copies stored in the cloud.

Unprofessional invoicing – Spelling errors, incorrect amounts, Excel formatting can make your business look unprofessional. Involves that are created poorly tend to be more often ignored and not taken seriously. Using online tools, like Envoice, can eliminate mistakes and customize the creation of invoices with company branding on them.

Not using your invoices as a marketing tool – Besides being a tool for payment, invoices can be used as a marketing tool as well. Since they are read through with great attention, invoices can be a great way to market to your existing customer base. You promote a new product or service at the end of an invoice or offer a discount for further purchase. You can even offer a referral incentive for recommending your company to friends.

 

If you take into account the above points, your payments will be faster and you can increase your future revenue stream. One other important thing that owners should pay attention to is following up on unpaid invoices. Even if your invoicing process is spotless, there will be times when clients miss the due date or simply misplace the invoice and forget about it. Sending automated reminders about unpaid dues, or contacting them is your responsibility.

After all, you finished your part of the deal and you should be compensated for it.

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By Eva Piperevska

Getting started with Payoneer and Envoice – Learn how to get paid in less than a minute

2017-04-11 | ALL, Invoicing | No Comments

getting-started-payoneer-envoice-learn-get-paid-less-minute

Running a business is one great personal challenge. You have to plan your time wisely to be effective and productive in the available time. With limited resources, this means that you need to focus more on delivering to your clients and minimize the effort for side tasks.

This is where Envoice comes into place.

Envoice is a simple invoicing app which let you create invoices in less than a minute. To ease up the getting paid struggle, there is an awesome integration with Payoneer. Once your account gets connected, you will be able to receive payments for your work instantly.

Let’s learn how it can be done.

Login to your account

Open your browser and navigate to https://www.envoice.in/login

Navigate on New Invoice

Open “New Invoice” from the main menu to create a new invoice.

Click on “Connect with Payoneer” button from the invoice toolbar

On the invoice toolbar, under “RECEIVE PAYMENTS” section, click on “Connect with Payoneer” button. This will navigate you to your account settings where you can connect your Payoneer account.

Once you are there, click on the “Connect” button. You will be redirected to the Payoneer page. If you already have an existing Payoneer account click on “Click Here!” button.

Type your credentials and click on the “CONTINUE” button.

If your Payoneer account is eligible for connecting to third party services, you will be redirected back to your account settings page.

You can return back to your “New Invoice” tab or you can simply click on the “Create Invoice” button to prepare your invoice.

After you’ve filled the required information on the invoice, under “RECEIVE PAYMENTS” section in the invoice toolbar, click on “On Payoneer” toggle to enable getting your invoice paid on Payoneer.

At this stage, your client will be able to pay your invoice on your Payoneer account. Click on “Save & Preview” to review your invoice before sending it to your client.

On the preview page, verify that your provided information is valid. Once you can confirm, click on “Send” button to send the invoice to your client.

How your client see the invoice?

This is the most interesting part. By now you must have wondered how the invoice is going to pay you. Your client will receive a link to the invoice. Once he click on the link the invoice will be opened.

By clicking on “Pay with Payoneer” button a popup will be loaded. The requested information will be filled by your client and you will get your funds on your account once Payoneer approved the transaction.

Easy as 1, 2, 3.

FAQ and Issues

What are the Payoneer fees?

You can calculate their fees on our calculator: https://payment-fee-calculator.envoice.in/

Can my client pay my invoice from his bank account to my Payoneer account if his account is not connected to Payoneer?

If the client wants to pay you from his bank account, he has to connect his bank account to a Payoneer account, otherwise, he can pay you directly on your Payoneer account with a company credit or debit card without owning Payoneer account.

Can I get paid with PayPal while I receive the money on Payoneer?

If your client pays you via PayPal you will receive your funds on PayPal.
We do not interfere with the transactions.

Are there any limitations that I need to be aware of?

Make sure the invoice amount and currency is according to the Payoneer requirements.
Amount limit
Total amount must be between 20 and 100000.
Supported currencies
The sender needs to configure his Payoneer account to accept USD.
Payoneer supported currencies are EUR/USD/GBP/CNH/JPY.

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Who is going to pay the transaction fee? – Me or my client?

You need to discuss that issue with your client. The payment popup will offer your client to decide who is going to pay for the transaction fee. It can be either you or him.

I can’t connect my account on Payoneer. Payoneer shows me an error on login.

This is an account compatibility issue. The official Payoneer response it that if an account has been created by a third party provider it might not be enabled to be integrated with Envoice.
To resolve this issue, open a new Payoneer account and write an email reachout@envoice.in. Our support team will take care of the rest.

My client paid my invoice and got both success and error message.

In case your client’s card is locked or does not have enough funds, Payoneer will show success message for the card information and…

… and then will deliver a failed to execute transaction email

My client gets an error when trying to pay the invoice.

This is an account compatibility issue. The official Payoneer response it that if an account has been created by a third party provider it might not be enabled to be integrated with Envoice.
To resolve this issue, open a new Payoneer account and write an email reachout@envoice.in. Our support team will take care of the rest.

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By Marjan Nikolovski