If you run a business, you likely have a lot of moving parts in play at all times. Since most customers today turn to the internet first when trying to order something, you need to reach them there. Then, you may also still have people who come to your physical store, and all the staff who manage both sides of these operations. 

Whatever the case may be for your business, it is important to make sure that every part works together to drive your growth and success. One of the most effective ways of doing this is by simplifying your project management process, and you can use advanced tools to help you in this area. For example, you may be looking for the best invoicing software for contractors, since this can make it easier for you to send costs and pricing along to your own customers as well. 

However, if you are trying to find the right invoicing software, then it’s also important to understand how this kind of program works. For example, you may be wondering, “what is time and expense?” Well, if you have a team of contractors, then they probably bill on time, which just means that they have to follow and abide by a certain hourly rate. In most cases, if you or your contractors happen to work on the weekends, you may charge more for weekend hours - and all of this is the “time” component of your invoice. Then, you also need to make sure the customer pays for your “expenses,” if that is included in their contract. For example, if you have a contractor who is replacing a client’s floors, then the client also needs to pay for the wood being used to make the floors, as well as the cost of installing them. Here, the cost of materials for the wood would fall under the “expense” category.

With big projects, you can have time to track multiple team members as well as expenses of many different kinds. Therefore, you need to find invoicing software that can take care of both of these components, and in large numbers as well if your company provides large-scale project management work. That way, you can send invoices to your customers quickly and accurately, making sure that you get paid on time and so does anyone who works for you. 

So how can you find the right software to meet your needs in this way? There are several key factors to consider here.

Free Invoice Template

Before you can find the right software, you should already understand how to produce an invoice for your business. For example, you may be using a free spreadsheet program to help you do that right now: PayPal and Excel are both popular options for this. You might even have a time and expense tracking spreadsheet that seems to make this process easy for you. However, even though it is true that a spreadsheet is easy to make, this is not necessarily the best way for you to track your invoices and expenses, especially if you are dealing with multiple invoices on an ongoing basis. After all, a spreadsheet program has not been designed specifically to help you make invoices, and neither has a free invoice template.

Still, a template can be a great starting point because it is relatively easy for new users to get started with. In most cases, you can also customize a template to meet the needs of your company. Every company is different, though, so every invoice and invoicing process will be different as well. However, a free template may come with limitations such as the name of their software instead of the name of your company. 

This is another reason why you need to find the best time and billing software for accountants, since this way you already know this program has been designed specifically to help you create invoices for your customers and clients. Plus, if you use the right software program, then you can also automate the process of creating invoices thanks to the various templates you already have at your disposal. This is less time that you can spend writing bills from scratch each month and more time you can spend working on the projects themselves. 

Best Accounting Software for Contractors

Ultimately, if you are looking for the best accounting for contractors, then it is important to find a useful software program. Because there are plenty of software programs out there, it is important to find the best accounting software for contractors. Also, keep in mind that there are lots of programs available, and the right program for one company might not be the right program for everyone else as well, particularly when working in different industries. 

If you are comparing Freshbooks vs QuickBooks, for example, then you will find that most people decide to use QuickBooks because it is easier to use and comes with a wider array of capabilities. Furthermore, some platforms, such as BigTime, even offer a QuickBooks integration! With access to software that can integrate with QuickBooks quickly and easily, you can streamline your accounting process, making it easier for you to produce accurate and professional-looking invoices. This is why many people believe that QuickBooks is the best accounting software for independent contractors. 

There are also numerous features you should keep in mind when trying to find the right software program. For example, you need to find a program that can automate more of the clerical tasks that you or your team currently perform by hand. For example, instead of having to punch numbers into a calculator yourself, the software program should be able to do this for you. This can save you a lot of time - and even errors - as you go through the accounting and invoicing process.

Next, you also need to find a program that comes with a relatively short learning curve - or, in other words, that will be easy for you and your teams to learn how to use. While you may have access to the best program in the world, it won’t help you out all that much if you can’t figure out how to use it.

Finally, even though you might be tempted by free accounting software for contractors, keep in mind that a free program can only get you so far in the end. Free options will usually have limited options and customer support, since this is part of how developers entice you to use the full product, or else save costs on their end. Because of this, though, you should be ready to invest in your invoicing software if you want to get the most out of this or any other accounting software. 

Best Free Invoicing Software for Contractors

At this point, though, there may still be business leaders or HR teams who are still looking for the best free invoicing software for contractors. The most common reasoning goes like this: if you have access to a free invoice software download, then maybe this can save your company a significant amount of money. 

In some ways, it is true, but in many others, it is not. For instance, it is true that a free contractor estimate & invoice maker can save you some costs; however, this program is usually also severely limited in terms of the features that it makes available to users of its free version. It is also true that free invoicing software or a free time billing software can be a great way for you to learn about the features you need in this kind of software program; however, once you figure out exactly what you need, then you should focus on finding a program that can help do all of this for you. 

For example, BigTime offers a free trial that will give you access to free contractor estimates and invoice software for a short period of time. The goal of this free trial is to give you an opportunity to try out a wide variety of BigTime features. That way, you can figure out what you need, what you don't, and what you are willing to pay for it to help your company grow. Then, once you get used to the features, you can decide if you would like to pay for them and an expanded version with more tools, or to go back to manual processes. 

All things considered, a free trial like BigTime’s can be a great way for you to learn more about what you need in order to expedite your invoice process. 

Best Free Invoice App for Contractors

If you really want to streamline your invoice processes, then, it's clear that you should consider finding a software program that gives you access to a mobile application as well. Given that a lot of people carry their phones around with them, it may prove invaluable to find an app that will let you create invoices even when you are on the go. That way, you do not have to wait until you get back to your desk and a computer in order to track time, bill clients, and pay your staff and contractors. This will make your workday more flexible and efficient all around.

For example, if you are looking for the best free invoice app for contractors, then you may be looking for the best free invoice app for iPhone or the best free invoice software app for Android. Here, it’s worth noting that one of the biggest benefits of deciding to go with BigTime is that a mobile application is included with every plan. This means that if you are willing to purchase a BigTime plan, then you will also get access to a mobile application for free. That way, if you are working on a job somewhere, you can create an invoice for the customer as soon as you are finished, and there’s no delay in billing or worry about getting back in front of a computer to send it. 

Time and Billing Software for Consultants

Ultimately, there are numerous industries that can benefit from time and billing software for consultants. Likewise, the best invoice app for contractors can go a long way toward helping you provide better services to your customers and clients. 

Just a few industries that can benefit from consulting billing software include:

  • Accounting: Time and billing software for accountants can make it easier for professionals to track how much time they are spending with each client. 
  • Architecture and Engineering: Most architects and engineers also bill by time, so it helps to track that time to the minute. 
  • Consulting: Consulting firms also need to make sure they track their time accurately, so that they can bill accordingly. 
  • Government Contracting: Government clients are even more time-oriented than many private sector firms, meaning that tracking time for billing needs to be exact, precise, and always on time.
  • IT Services: Many IT professionals also track their time by the hour, which is why they also need to have access to time and billing software.
  • Legal: Most lawyers also bill by the hour. For this reason, legal professionals and those who employ need to use software programs that can help them track how much time they are spending on various cases, which may also have different rates.
  • Marketing and Creative: The majority of creative professionals also charge by the hour, and some also do not have an HR department who can do this kind of work for them. So, this makes it even more important to track their time exactly and get it submitted to the client for payment in a timely manner. 

These are just a few of the many industries that may benefit from time and billing software such as the one offered from BigTime. Within the industry, BigTime in particular makes this process as easy as possible. 

By automating more of the tasks that you currently do manually, you can spend more time taking care of your clients and less time creating invoices piece by piece. With all these benefits on the table, you also need to make sure you take a look at all the software programs and plans available. This way, you can maximize your chances of finding the right one to meet your needs.