Billing and Invoicing Solutions for Bookkeepers

Getting paid quickly and easily for the work you do is your goal—after all, your job is to help clients maintain their books, not chase after collections. But if you’re finding yourself spending hours every month dealing with overdue invoices and coaxing payments out of clients, you may need a better system in place. 

That’s right—even bookkeepers face challenges with billing and invoicing and can benefit from solutions to help them optimize processes and avoid costly mistakes. Address these common problems so that you can focus more on your important work and less on administrative tasks. 

Problem: Confusing invoices  

When invoicing clients, bookkeepers often use language specific to tasks completed. But bookkeeping tasks that are well-known in the finance world can sound like jargon to clients. If clients don’t understand what they’re paying for, they’re more likely to feel confused or frustrated and less likely to submit payments on time.  

Solution: Be as clear as possible  

You can avoid client confusion by being as straightforward as possible with the language you use on your invoices. Create an invoice format that’s easy to read and use the same language present in your original work agreement. When your invoices are clear and easy to understand, you won’t have to worry about rejected invoices because your clients will know precisely what they’re signing off on.  

Set up a process for creating simple, clear invoices, and make sure your team adheres to your guidelines.  

To ensure your clients can easily understand your invoices, include only essential information like:  

• The date of the invoice 
• The invoice number  
• Each item billed 
• The amount for each item  
• A description of the item  
• Your contact information 
• The due date of the invoice 

Problem: Errors on invoices 

Everybody makes mistakes, but mistakes on invoices can cost you and your business dearly. From miscategorized entries to accidentally overcharging customers by incorrectly inputting data, an error on an invoice can shake your client’s trust in your services.  

Solution: Automate your processes  

While human error can create setbacks for your business, you can avoid costly mistakes with invoicing software that automates your billing processes.  

Automating your processes minimizes the risk of error by automatically:  

• Compiling costs and quotes 
• Generating invoices from previously saved information 
• Tracking billable hours 

An added bonus of employing software for automation is that it makes invoicing convenient for your team and can increase efficiency by freeing up more time for them to focus on client work. 

Problem: Missing invoices 

From having invoices lost in the mail to forgetting to send them altogether, there’s no surer way to miss out on getting paid than by failing to deliver an invoice to a client. If your invoices aren’t making it to the client and you don’t have a way to confirm delivery quickly, you could end up waiting weeks before even realizing there’s a problem.    

Solution: Use cloud-based storage and client collaboration tools  

Prevent invoices from going missing or not reaching your clients by using a cloud-based software solution that keeps your data stored in a central location. This eliminates the worry about where printed invoices may have wandered off to.  

You can also reduce the risk of missing invoices by using client collaboration tools like secure client portals and file-sharing. These tools help you send invoices and email reminders to your client quickly without needing to worry about when they’ll be delivered—or if they’ve even been viewed at all.   

Problem: Not receiving prompt payment 

Not getting paid on time can be a massive issue for bookkeepers. When clients are late in delivering their payments, your staff can end up spending valuable billable hours trying to contact them and deal with collections rather than focusing on high-value tasks. This drains productivity—and if it becomes a big enough problem, it can drain profitability as well.   

Solution: Set expectations from the beginning and communicate regularly  

Setting payment expectations at the beginning of your relationship will go a long way in encouraging your clients to pay in a timely fashion. Clearly outline your payment terms in a contract and review them with your client during the onboarding process.  

Regular communication also plays a crucial role in ensuring that you get paid on time. Send your clients reminders about upcoming bills and important deadlines to keep them in the know.  

If you find yourself short on time for client communication, it’s worth using a software solution that allows you to easily send recurring payment reminders to your clients. Simplify the process for your practice and your clients alike, and late payments will become a thing of the past. 

Problem: Spending too much time invoicing  

Without invoicing, you’ll be hard-pressed to get paid. Still, the process of invoicing can be a time-consuming endeavor that eats away at valuable hours.  

Solution: Use invoice templates 

Instead of spending hours in front of a computer trying to create invoices from scratch for every client you work with, employ industry-specific billing and invoicing software that provides a variety of detailed invoice templates.  

Choose a software that provides a range of invoice types like hourly, retainer, recurring, fixed, phased, and more. It’s also essential to have software that allows you to edit invoice templates manually or create your own for a personal touch when needed.  

Problem: Spending too much time on individual invoices  

Another task that can eat into the time bookkeepers could be spending on billable work is the time-consuming process of sending out individual invoices to clients. 

Solution: Use software for batch billing  

If you want to cut down on the time your team spends billing and invoicing, look for a practice management solution that provides batch invoicing. Batch invoicing features enable you to create, review, edit, and send all of your invoices for the month simultaneously, shaving hours off the time you’d normally spend on invoice creation and editing.  

Solve your billing and invoicing problems with Mango  

With Mango’s robust billing and invoicing software, you can say goodbye to the common invoicing issues that plague bookkeepers and streamline your practice in the process.  

Mango Practice Management is an all-in-one solution designed to optimize every area of your business. From invoicing and billing to project management and document sharing, we have the solutions you need for success.  

Ready to see what Mango can do for your business? Schedule a demo with us today.