For self-employed plumbers, electricians, and HVAC contractors, getting paid on time is crucial for maintaining financial stability. Waiting for payment to process can create a cash flow crisis and impact the company’s ability to restock inventory. These consequences can threaten a small business’s livelihood.
Invoicing software makes it easy for contractors, freelancers, and small businesses to track projects and get paid. These invoicing solutions offer a wide range of customizable features that aim to streamline the billing process, create professional invoices, and make the lives of business owners easier. Discover the best contractor invoice apps and how to choose the right one for your business.
Elements of a Service Invoice
A service invoice is a document stating the payment amount due for services rendered. Providers can send clients invoices for services already provided or for recurring services. Small business owners can create these statements manually, use free invoice templates, or use software to generate professional-looking invoices.
Invoices can vary in appearance but should include the following basic elements:
- Invoice number
- Date services were performed
- Provider’s name, address, and contact information
- Description of services completed
- Amount due by the customer
- Payment instructions and payment due date
- Payment terms
- Payment options (debit or credit card, check cash, ACH, etc.)
What to Look for When Choosing a Contractor Invoicing App
When deciding between invoicing software solutions, it’s wise to consider the inefficiencies or drawbacks you’re trying to improve. During your selection process, keep the following invoicing features in mind:
Ease of Use
An invoicing app with all the bells and whistles does you no good if the interface makes it difficult to find what you’re looking for. While a learning curve is expected for accounting software and payroll solutions, they shouldn’t be stressful to use. Choose a user-friendly option with simple functionality.
Invoice Scheduling
Does your business use service contracts that merit recurring payments? If so, you need an invoicing software solution that allows for invoice scheduling. Many apps allow you to schedule daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly invoices using an invoice template.
Invoice Tracking
Staying on top of finances is a critical aspect of business. An invoicing app can provide you with a clear picture of which customers have fulfilled their financial obligations and which ones haven’t yet. Some apps are set up to notify you when a payment is made with real-time alerts.
Payment Reminders
Manually reminding customers of upcoming payment due dates can be incredibly time-consuming. Instead, choose a billing software that automates payment reminders on a schedule that you can set yourself.
Customer Support
Although technology can help make the invoicing process easier, bugs and other glitches can occur. In these circumstances, a reliable support team is critical. Choose an invoicing app known for its strong customer support by reading online reviews before selecting. This will give you a good sense of an app’s quality and reliability.
Integration Capabilities
Do you plan to use other software alongside your invoicing app? Check to make sure it has seamless integration capabilities so you can continue to use accounting, scheduling, time tracking, expense tracking, and CRM apps that you already use.
Top Invoicing Apps
Choosing your ideal invoicing solution is crucial for successful business operations. Some of the top-rated invoicing apps to choose from include:
Zoho Invoice
Zoho Invoice is an ideal invoicing app for freelancers, startups, and any small business looking to get the most out of an app without paying a premium. This free billing software provides several useful tools needed to operate a service-based business. It costs nothing to use Zoho Invoice, meaning users can create, send, and track invoices free of charge. Users only need to pay credit card processing fees.
Collecting payments requires one or more payment gateways. When using Zoho Invoice, you can get paid online, through bank transfers, or in person, depending on which payment processors you use.
Square Invoices
Square Invoices is a viable option for any small business with a free and low-cost plan for online payments and in-person invoicing. The software solution enables service-based providers to accept payments online, making the process simple for business owners and their customers.
Both the free and paid plans allow users to create unlimited invoices and schedule recurring invoices. With the paid version of Square Invoices, users can add custom fields to invoices and create milestone-based invoices for longer projects.
FreshBooks
Many small business owners view FreshBooks as the best billing software option because of its ease of use and scalability. With a simple interface, users can quickly navigate the app and perform the tasks they need to. Plus, FreshBooks uses easy-to-understand terminology, rather than language that only accountants understand. Finally, the software’s help center offers resources regarding the app’s features. Upgraded plans are available as your business grows, which include unlimited proposals, bank reconciliation, and accountant access.
Intuit QuickBooks Online
By paying a monthly fee, self-employed contractors and small business owners get access to accounting and invoicing features with QuickBooks Online. Makers of the app are continuously updating it to improve the user experience and provide reliable customer support. With this software, you can manage all your financial information conveniently in one place.
Other invoicing solutions include:
- PayPal
- Stripe
- Wave
- Xero
These mobile apps are for Android and iOS devices. Pricing varies depending on the invoicing app and plan.
Enhance Profitability with Sera
General contractors and small business owners can streamline workflows by simplifying the payment process with Sera. Our field service management software allows you to quickly create quotes and invoices on the fly to improve customer experience.
Other features of our technology include:
- Live customer booking
- Smart scheduling
- Real-time financial and KPI reporting
- Profit-generating cash flow tools
- Membership growth tools
Your business will not skip a beat with our easy onboarding process. Those interested in learning more about our software solutions can Contact Us today to schedule a demo.
