Invoicing: Are You Making it More Difficult Than it Needs to Be?

The woman entrepreneur, especially the one who works at home, listen up, this is for you. Let’s tackle that awful and boring aspect of your job: bookkeeping. Shudder … cringe … scream!

You’re a creative woman who has great products and ideas. Invoicing, in particular, is dull and tedious, but you know you should invoice promptly because it generates income. Yet, it’s a task that you put off doing all the time, why? Perhaps you’re making it more difficult than it needs to be?

Let’s see how you can simplify invoicing and get the cash flowing.

1. Change Your Mindset

Envision dollar bills floating down to you or, better yet, being deposited into your bank account. The sooner you make the connection between invoicing and getting your company into the black – or shopping for that new pair of designer shoes – the sooner you will get your invoicing tasks done and out the door.

Invoicing is not a task; it’s a path to what you want: investing in new equipment for your business or something personal like an Armani suit. It doesn’t matter what the cash brings you. It’s your choice how you spend it, but it’s key to the success of the business.

2. Invoice Immediately

One way to simplify your invoicing tasks and not feel like you are overwhelmed by a giant responsibility is to invoice immediately. You do a consulting service or sell a product and bam: You send the invoice. Now. Today. What a concept!

When you get unsavory work done immediately, it doesn’t fester in your mind and grow out of proportion. Small jobs that are manageable actually get done. You can do it! Do not pass go, do not collect $200, do not leave this office until you have sent that invoice.

3. Get Organized

Okay, we understand that you travel or have kids or a day job. Or all of the above. If you have a complex life, just organize a little and you’ll find invoicing gets done in short order. Create a handwritten or digital calendar entry when you sell something and record that you need to invoice. Once per week, set aside time that is dedicated to checking your invoice status, creating and sending new invoices, and voila! You’re done. Breathe a sigh of relief, cash is on its way.

4. Invest in Good Bookkeeping Software

Compared with poor cash flow, the cost of good accounting software is a bargain for your business. There are many good, yet simple, programs that will help you handle a number of accounting functions including billing. For example, QuickBooks. This great program for small business makes invoicing so easy that you won’t dread it ever again. Time-saving features are rampant. You can create one entry to avoid retyping recurring information on documents (like invoices). These simple features will get invoices out the door before you know it.

Conclusion

Women have made such great inroads into the business world. Don’t let something simple like invoicing trip you up. By following these steps, you’ll be on the road to greater revenue and profitability and perhaps a vacation in the south of France in those great new designer shoes.

Sarah Boisvert is a writer who covers a wide range of topics from business to travel, marketing communications to social media. She has profiled Steve Wynn, Steve Jobs, and Chuck Hull of 3D printing.

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