Freelancing is never a career choice; it is always a transition. A Transition from how- things-are, to, how-we-want-them-to-be. And, as with any kind of transition, administrative tasks are put off until the last hour. Because, we are busy, working on the task & billing the hours. And we all know, what happens when we procrastinate.
So caught up on work, freelancers tend to put off billing / invoicing until the end of the week (ruining weekend-family-time), or until it is the last day of the month (shooting up your blood pressure, because you can’t find a certain log/ receipt etc). We all tend to do the easy things first, and leave the difficult ones to the last.
Invoicing & managing accounts has never been easy for most of us.
(Unless, you are a freelance accountant by profession. )
Basic Invoicing - This is not Rocket Science
Crunching numbers sends a chill down the neck, so deep that, we shudder when it is time to get the numbers in place for our weekly / fortnightly / monthly invoices. It is not that we do not realise the importance of these numbers...just that.. we are a bit scared that we might do something wrong..in the accounting sense. After all, Mathematics happens to be our worst nightmare.
Well, truth be told, if you are reasonably good at reading a map, following directions, stick to procedures, or even cook yourself a meal with a recipe-book, then you are qualified to teach yourself how to invoice clients. Trust me, this is as important as teaching yourself job-specific-skills. After all, you are in the freelancing business to earn, and it is only appropriate that you know how the cash flows in and out of your system. These write-ups on basic invoicing can help you get started.
Invoicing on the Cloud - All time access
All time access to tools and files is an occupational necessity for a freelancer. As a one- person-office, using proprietary or enterprise level softwares & tools will incur financial burden. Not just that, such tools will consume resources which might not typically support a freelancer’s computer / laptop.
These links here can help get your head around using online tools for invoicing.
It is very likely that as a practicing freelancer, you might be using several other online- tools as part of your services rendered... consider online invoicing as part of your work- tool-investment.
When it comes to billing for your time, and invoicing the clients, having all the relevant documents readily accessible reduces stress, and helps focus on getting those numbers right
Less is more - Keep it simple
Accounting professionals apart, most of us with no accounting background get intimated by the jargons used by accounting systems. 7/10 times, we do not understand what something means, and refrain from using the system altogether.
Bad move; Contact Support, Educate Yourself
- after all it is your money, and you need to know how best it can be managed,.
By “Less is more” in this context, I expect the invoicing system/tool to take minimal inputs from me as an end user, and do the automation for me. This means I have more time on my clock to actually focus on work, and raise more invoices. ShimBi MyBilling perfectly aligns with this philosophy and is a must-try. Hands on experience are more likely to convince you than any recommendations I could possibly add here.
As a practicing freelancer, with no accounting background, these are the things I would personally look out for, in my invoice management system, in addition to regular features.
- A free version to test the system, and probably upgrade to paid version later
- Hassle-free registration and basic settings
- Contextual help (docs / videos) accessible via activity window (After all, I am getting to know the system.)
- One click access to support
- Payment gateway integration (Call to Action on payment from within the invoice, great way to combat delayed payments)
Learning a new tool will call for your time and attention, in addition to the work related responsibilities you might already have. Do not let this deter you from making the most significant decision that could directly impact your business.
Beat your competition to a better performance by becoming an early adopter of technologies that has potential to help grow your business.
~ Deepa Govind
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About Guest Author
Deepa Govind is Homepreneur, A Freelance Work from Home Professional since 2007. She offers Editorial Services (Content Creation, Content Coordination, Source & Manage Editorial Team) Coding and Development in Zoho Creator, and, Social Media Marketing and Management as service offerings. She also has an ebook to her credit “Income Tax for Freelancers - Make an informed Start” available for free on her website at http://homepreneur-online.com/ .
Twitter @DeepaGovind | Linked |