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As my freelance business has grown, I’ve really been trying to keep up with the growth and create systems for my workflow.
One thing that makes this so much easier is FreshBooks, a cloud accounting, invoicing and expense-tracking system that I really love. I’m an affiliate for them now, because I use them so much, so if you click through any of my FreshBooks links and decide to sign up, I get a commission at no charge to you!
I used to make a new Word document invoice every time for every client, and email it. FreshBooks lets me send out recurring invoices, lets me email it as a PDF or Word, and they will even print it out and mail it for me (they include a return envelope)! It’s awesome! My invoices have my logo and are easily searchable by client, and I can track paid and unpaid invoices. Clients can even pay me by PayPal or credit card, an option I never had before.
I also love the automatic expense tracking. Once you import the bank info (totally secure) for your business checking and credit card accounts, they automatically import your expenses and categorize them for you. So easy!
There is also a time-tracking feature, which is awesome for my bigger projects (like book writing). My favorite feature here is the real-time TIMER button, where you start and stop the timer and it automatically adds the time to your invoice. Woah-hey.
The mobile app lets me snap a picture of a receipt and add it to expenses so I can ditch the receipts crumbled up at the bottom of my purse for “sorting later” (you did that too, right?). And P&L statements? Literally click a button. I just love that I can access this anywhere, too, since being mobile is part of my freelance business.
NEW for 2019: Retainers! Freelancers, rejoice. Freshbooks has added a new feature in 2019. You’ve wanted it for awhile, and they’ve finally heard. Retainers are here! No, not the kind you put in your mouth. The kind you collect from clients to keep your business at a regular monthly income. Retainers are win-win for clients and you, so this feature is a great new addition to the already-fantastic Freshbooks suite. You’ll be able to do so many more things, such as tracking time spent against time allotted, collect recurring payments automatically, forecast monthly income, manage project progress, and automatically invoice. This is such a great new feature, particularly for IT/tech freelancers, designers, photographers, and any time of consultant or coach. FreshBooks Easy Invoicing Page
FreshBooks is priced at $15/mo for up to 5 clients up to $50/mo for 500 clients. Trust me, this is nothing compared to the time and frustration this saves, which means I can add more billable time and projects to my week instead of spending it on invoicing, adding expenses, etc.
I truly love FreshBooks and if you run your own thriving small business, encourage you to check it out!
