When it comes to invoicing and record keeping, traditional software like Word and Excel do a good job. They’ve been used by millions of freelancers and small businesses ever since the 1990s and they have delivered. However, nowadays there are better alternatives when you want a faster, more secure, and highly integrated online invoicing solution.
Invoicing software – or SaaS invoicing – is a more dynamic alternative to the old-style Word and Excel documents, which had to be filled out individually and required copious amounts of data input and calculations. This could be especially cumbersome if you had a lot of clients or many small projects.
Online invoicing using specialist software like Invoice Ninja provides you with a more modern, safer, and faster way to write and send invoices in a matter of moments. You also get the benefits of automation and integration which can make every facet of running a freelance business online so much easier.
Here are just a few reasons why freelancers should use the most up-to-date invoicing software instead of more traditional means:
You get paid faster
A smooth cash flow benefits you as a freelance professional. Making it easier for your clients to make a payment ensures you get paid on time and with as little hassle as possible. Clients also appreciate an easy way to pay.
With dedicated invoicing software, you can link to various different payment options, right in the invoice itself. This means your client just has to click a link or button and they are taken straight to a payment screen, where they can pay immediately.
At Invoice Ninja, for example, we offer more than 40 different payment gateway integration solutions including PayPal, Stripe, and many more.
It’s easier to spot mistakes
When you enter information manually into a Word or Excel document, you are running the risk of making a mistake. Human error occurs no matter how precise we aim to be. Even when we double-check facts and figures, an error often slips below our radar. Fixing such an error can be costly both in terms of time and money.
With specialist invoicing software, there are checks and alerts when something seems amiss with the information and figures you input. All service prices are also automatically added up and these are immediately provided without the need to manually calculate totals. This can be especially beneficial when working with deposit and partial payment figures.
Professional design
Professionally designed invoices – as well as quotes and proposals – go a long way to making a good impression with your prospects and clients. Brand continuity is vital when you’re a freelance professional and this continuity carries through to the design and identity of your invoice documents.
At Invoice Ninja, for example, we provide our clients with numerous ways to modify and personalize a variety of invoice templates to suit their unique brand. You can add your logo, create a color scheme, modify formats, and change fonts, table designs, and a lot more.
This can be incredibly difficult to achieve in a Word or Excel document.
The power of automation
Automation saves you time. In this day and age, it’s ludicrous for any freelancer or business owner to continue doing tasks which can easily be automated. Invoicing is one such task which can be streamlined using specialist invoice software.
Many freelancers have clients on retainer and send out an invoice every week or month. Instead of sending this manually, as an attachment in an email, you can set up an automated reoccurring invoicing schedule instead. All the applicable figures, such as the invoice number and date, are automatically adjusted. This means you get paid repeatedly without having to create a new invoice.
Late payment reminders can also be automated. These are sent when a client is late with their payment, and again, this is all done for you.
The benefits of integration
Advanced invoicing software allows you to integrate your invoicing system with a whole host of other applications. This can be beneficial when, for example, you’re wanting to track and record the time you’ve spent working on a client’s project.
With Invoice Ninja you can seamlessly transfer this time-tracking data into an invoice. Other integrations include payment gateways and connections with hundreds of other apps such as Google Sheets, Slack, Pipeline, and MailChimp, plus many, many more.
Invoice Ninja’s internal apps also allow you to convert estimates and quotes into deposit invoices or final invoices. There’s also the option to create proposals and manage your entire work day using Kanban Boards.
You can invoice from anywhere
SaaS invoicing allows you to create and send invoices from anywhere with an internet connection. This means you don’t have to be in front of your computer when dealing with invoices. In fact, you can invoice from your favorite mobile device, while sitting on a beautiful beach, thousands of miles from home.
All your data and templates are securely stored and can be accessed from any device or computer. This freedom is particularly appealing for freelance professionals and solopreneurs who might enjoy a more travel-friendly lifestyle.
Saves time
For freelancers and solopreneurs especially, time is precious. Every minute can count and finding ways to free up extra time is essential to a successfully run business. Writing invoices using Word or tracking your finances using Excel can be a laborious process and highly inefficient when it comes to speed and productivity.
Invoicing software allows you to track, record, write, and send invoices within minutes, all without the fiddley process of updating different Word or Excel rows and columns. All details and figures are automatically calculated, recorded, saved, and transferred to the applicable app or document within seconds.
Everything is integrated.
Invoice Ninja invoicing software
With Invoice Ninja you have all the integrated tools and apps you need to successfully run nearly every facet of your freelancing business, from invoicing and finances to time-tracking and project management.
And there’s so much more, including the secure payment gateways and numerous other features including an inbuilt proposal creation tool, client-side portals, seamless Zapier integration, expenses data integration, multiple currency support, automatic tax settings, a service description library, voice commands, and even alerts when a client opens your invoice.
These are all features you won’t find using traditional Word and Excel software.
