A steady cash flow is critical for small businesses, professional service firms, and freelancers. Without it, these companies may be unable to pay expenses, settle debt, or scale up operations. Often, it’s ineffective invoicing methods that are negatively affecting the company's cash flow.

If you're using outdated offline billing software or still inputting accounts payable and receivable data into an Excel spreadsheet, then you're missing out on the flexibility and automation features of the best billing software for small businesses. For better cash flow, you need better billing and invoicing methods.

The best billing software will automate many admin tasks, and allow you to keep detailed, error-free billing records. Consider the time saved when invoices are created online and automatically sent via email on the customer's due date. Not only will you free up staff members for more important tasks, but online billing software allows you to check billing information from anywhere, at any time, on any device.

When a small to medium-sized business can simplify operations and work more efficiently, it becomes more competitive and more nimble. Choose a billing system software that allows you to boost your brand awareness by customizing invoices with your company name, colors, and logo.

Today's billing software for small businesses gives you peace of mind with integrated security features that protect sensitive financial data concerning your company and your clients. With all your customers in a centralized time billing and invoicing software, you have the ability to quickly track late payments, send recurring invoice reminders, and offer flexible billing rates.

BigTime offers billing system software with invoice templates that are easy to customize. You choose the details you want to include, such as expenses, tax rates, and remittance information.

Best Invoice App

When you choose invoicing software for small businesses, you want the best invoice app available to meet the size of your business and the type of clients you service. Consider those apps that are easy to use and will allow you to track unpaid invoices. To streamline your billing and invoicing processes means getting paid faster and more often. 

Invoicing can take up a lot of time and effort from both the business owner and administrative staff. Invoicing apps make it easy to create, send, and track invoices, so you get paid faster. The best part is that they're accessible on mobile devices for on-the-go invoicing. The best invoice app will also allow you separate billing for time versus materials. This is an important feature for those in automotive repair, construction, and service and repair trades. 

A simple invoice software can still have plenty of features without being cumbersome. It should provide an all-in-one account receivable software, so you can easily see how cash is flowing out of your business, as well as the cash that is flowing in. This will include methods for customers to pay using mobile payment networks or electronic payment channels.

The minimum features of simple invoice software include:

  • Both the seller and buyer's name, address, and contact details
  • Invoice issue date along with the delivery date and payment due date
  • A unique reference number that identifies each customer's invoice
  • Description of products sold or services delivered
  • Optionally, quantity, cost per-unit and total item cost
  • Total amount of invoice with taxes included
  • Payment methods and bank account or credit card number

Expect these details to be entered once within the best invoice app. With automated software, your customer data will quickly translate into new invoices with the same customer. In the end, you will be able to see a financial snapshot of interactions with each client that can help you make better business decisions in the future.

Best Billing Software Free

All businesses strive to be successful. And taking on debt, paying overhead, and making major purchases in inventory, supplies, or equipment is part of your business survival plan. But staying on top of these bills is critical to protecting your business reputation and staying financially solvent, which is the ability of a company to meet its debts and other financial obligations.

Using the free billing software in Excel is not the best way for a business to manage accounts payable. The best billing software free will typically only allow a limited number of users to log into the system, and you will likely miss many product features that make paying your bills easier. 

BigTime helps you manage cash flow by managing both your expenses and your unbilled time, along with the ability to pay or invoice work in progress or WIP bills. Consider taking advantage of BigTime's free trial that will allow you to test drive key features such as expense and time tracking, payment processing, and QuickBooks integration.

You can also experiment with their free invoice template that will allow you the added freedom to control the creation of billing invoices. Take advantage of these free tools that will allow you to reduce the burden of manually inputting your billing information over and over again.

BigTime gives you a choice of packages with features that are right for your company, from Express to Pro to Premiere Project Accounting.

Best Invoicing Software for Contractors

Contractors make money when they're in the field completing projects for customers. Independent contractors include attorneys, general construction firms, architects and engineers, accountants, and IT professionals that often go where their clients are located. The best invoicing software for contractors will be portable, allowing you to gather client data in the field.

Contractors are constantly juggling different projects or different clients, so they need the best accounting software for contractors that is flexible, mobile, and easy to use. As part of demonstrating their professionalism and trustworthiness to the client, their invoice will need to provide detailed information such as:

  • Customer billing information
  • Customer deadlines for payments
  • An itemized list of services performed and equipment provided
  • The total balance owed to the business

The best invoicing software for contractors will be equally suitable for an electrician, an HVAC mechanic, or a general contractor. When your invoicing is efficient and effective, you can expect to get paid on time more often. Avoid the mistake of sending invoices out late and using an invoicing system that allows for the addition of field changes or billing for events that are unforeseeable and were not included in the original contract.

Invoice Billing Software

In addition to consultants, BigTime is also a good fit for accountants, architects, engineers, IT services, marketing/creatives, and law firms. These types of companies may already have much of their client data downloaded in QuickBooks billing software. But QuickBooks will have quite a learning curve, and you must already be familiar with technical accounting terms to use it effectively.

Instead of struggling with cumbersome accounting platforms you avoid using to the fullest, a small business can benefit from simpler, easy-to-use invoice billing software. BigTime can quickly be integrated and synchronized with existing QuickBooks customer information. The software has a hassle-free data migration process and cloud capabilities for seamless data transfers.

The automatic billing software includes time tracking and billing software for consultants and contractors that want to minimize their administrative tasks and stay focused on their core business. Once you integrate BigTime simple billing software, you can invoice your customers from either platform.

Also, if there is a customer dispute on work performed or hours billed, the BigTime time tracking and billing software for consultants supplies a paper trail of each documented field visit or client consultation. With good billing and invoicing software, you can avoid damaged relationships with clients, possible lawsuits, or financial loss from services rendered but not billed.

Often, small businesses will use the invoice billing documentation as a scope of work contract. Therefore, it’s beneficial to use invoice billing software that allows for detailed service descriptions or consulting deliverables that have been promised to the client.

The best invoicing software may also be customized to include not only pay and invoicing rates, but also timelines, deadlines, and termination clauses. Accurate accounting documentation is often used to resolve disputes between clients and consultants.

Simple Billing Software

BigTime is one of the best billing software for PC users and mobile devices. Small business owners spend a huge amount of time looking for new products and services to generate new customers and keep old customers loyal. They need simple billing software for small business owners that won't take too much time to learn and can automate many time-consuming administrative tasks.

Business owners are surprised to learn how much time they spend on accounting. And, if they are still using paper documentation, they will be equally surprised at the cost savings that are gained by using less paper, less office equipment, and fewer hours performing manual data entry.

Best of all, you can access your billing invoices anywhere. In the field, customers will often have billing questions. Your company looks more professional and trustworthy when you can show clients exactly what they are paying for and how much each task will cost. If you own an independent service, trade, or consulting business, then keeping your customers' happy means repeat business and new customer referrals.

Simple billing software can send both you and your customers reminders when a bill is due. For you, this can mean making a phone call when one of your customers is about to enter the late payment phase. You never have to guess again about your cash flow with software that keeps all your billing and invoice data at your fingertips.