Choosing an Invoicing App for Your Business

The eternal question: which invoicing app is best for you and your freelance writing business?

Sure, you know you should be using one to send out professional-looking invoices and maybe even track your business expenses. But there are so many choices out there!

Here’s some help so you can decide which is best for you…

What do you need your invoicing app to do?

Are you a solo freelancer or do you work with a partner? Do you want to collect payments through the invoicing software? What about your expenses, do you want to track those too?

Each of our writing businesses is different and we each have different needs for our businesses.

Before you decide on an app, make a list of what you need it to do.

My needs are pretty simple. I need an app that creates pretty invoices, sends them to my clients or lets me download a PDF copy so I can send it, accepts payments via credit cards, and lets me track my expenses.

Oh, and generates easy-to-read reports so when its tax time, I have precisely the info I need already organized for me.

Other things to consider about your invoicing app

• Do you want to access it when you’re away from your main computer?
• Does it have a mobile app that lets you create invoices or upload expense receipts?
• Do you want it to track your time?
• Will you accept online payments with it?
• If so, does the app integrate to your preferred online payment processor (Stripe, WePay, PayPal, etc.)?
• Can you customize the invoices with your own branding?
• Do you want a free or paid invoicing app?
• Do you need to track your mileage in the app?
• Do you want an accounting-type of software that lists all transactions (income and expenses) as in- or out-going transactions?
• Do you need to track your mileage for your projects?
• Do you want a choice of adding tax to each item on an invoice or simply on the total?
• Can you split expense transactions? E.g., My cable and internet bills are combined in one bill, so can I split out just the internet cost for my business in the app?

Your choice of invoicing app will come down to your answers to these questions (and more), so it’s important to know what you need it to do.

How to evaluate invoicing apps

Now that you know what you need your app to do, it’s time to start signing up for a few free trials. Most solutions do offer you the chance to test out the interface and see if you like it.

Spend a few hours clicking around the app and test it out based on your requirements list.

Can you do everything you need to do? Create and send invoices? Integrate online payments with your processor of choice? Take the time now to ensure it meets your needs.

For example, I’m always on the hunt for an app that lets me set up my business in Canada (where I live), but invoice in multiple currencies (like US$, which is what the majority of my clients pay me).

I also look at whether it lets me attach a copy of a bill to an expense, whether I can split an expense, and if I can include the taxes I paid on the bill as a separate line item.

These are important details for me and my business, so I want to make sure I can do all that. If not, then I move on to the next app option.

The baseline for your invoicing app

Keep in mind there is a set of basic functionality your invoicing app should cover regardless of your requirements list, including:

1. 1. Customized invoices: You should be able to add your contact information and your client’s to any invoice, even if you can’t add your logo or change the color of the text or other graphics. After all, your clients need to know who to pay and where to send payment to!
      This includes being able to change the invoice numbers to something that works for you. I tend to use the year plus a number that increases with each invoice. E.g., 2018-001, 2018-002, etc.

 

1. 1. Send invoices by email: Most apps will send the invoice to your client through their portal and mark it as sent for you. Bonus points if you can download a PDF copy of the invoice, but it’s not necessarily a requirement.

 

1. 1. Accept online payments: Many studies online show that offering online payment options decreases the time it takes for your invoices to get paid, so ensure your app lets you do it.
      Pro tip: Make sure to look at the payment transfer timing of your payment processor, as they often hold credit card payments for a certain number of days before sending you your money. Most processors send domestic payments (ones made by clients in your country of residence) within two business days at the latest and within five business days for international payments (from clients outside your country of residence).

 

1. 1. Unlimited clients and invoices: Invoicing is already a bit of a chore, so don’t make it worse for yourself by choosing an invoicing app that restricts the number of clients and/or invoices you can send each month. The juggling act can be a challenge that leads to delayed payments, or worse, lost clients.

 

1. 1. Expense tracking: Ideally, it’s best if you track your business expenses in the same place you track your income, since it’s centralized and easy to find. At the very least, you should be able to create line items for each expense and categorize them for the tax laws in your country.

 

1. Basic reporting on income and expenses: Use the basic reporting to find out how much money you’re making and spending each month. Bonus points for apps that let you run a report on how much sales tax you’ve collected, since you probably have to report that on your income tax next year, right?

Are there any other features you’d add as a baseline to choosing an invoicing app? Not the extras you need for your unique business or location, but just the basics.

Whether you just started your freelance writing business or are a veteran, a good invoicing app can be a tremendous help to you. It’ll save you time and make your business run more smoothly — leaving you more time to focus on your core business.

Here’s a quick list of some of today’s top freelancing invoicing apps if you’re looking for a new one to try out:

1. FreshBooks (Paid)
2. AND CO (Free)
3. Bonsai (Paid)
4. Ballpark (Paid)
5. Harvest (Free, but mostly paid)
6. Harpoon (Paid)
7. Hiveage (Paid)
8. Invoicera (Paid)
9. Invoice Ninja (Free and paid)
10. Paymo (Free and paid)
11. Wave (Free)
12. QuickBooks Self-Employed (Paid)
13. ZipBooks (Free and paid)