As a busy electrician, you need to do a lot to keep your business humming. After coordinating work orders, tracking employee hours, dispatching technicians, and addressing customer concerns, you can be forgiven for believing there isn’t much time left to focus on merchant billing software. However, finding effective electronic invoicing tools can streamline your operations and remove some of your biggest headaches.
1. Prioritize mobile payments.
The nature of your business means that you will be traveling to your customers’ home or place of business to do the work. It logically follows that the most efficient way to get paid is to complete the transaction as soon as the job is completed. The invoicing software you choose should enable you to accept a customer’s credit or debit card or digital payment on the spot without ever sacrificing accuracy or security.
2. Choose a system with customer relationship management capabilities.
When you incorporate high-quality invoicing software into your business suite, you gain instant access to data about your customers. Consequently, you can immediately see the history of past jobs you have done for them as well as any service contracts they may have signed. Additionally, you can access a real-time snapshot of all pending jobs so that you can make the most efficient, timely schedules. As a result, your clients will be more satisfied because your information will be precise and accurate.
3. Don’t make assumptions about ease of use.
The invoicing software you choose should make your life easier, not more complicated. Before you invest in a particular vendor, be sure that you and your staff can accurately navigate the various options and features contained in your invoicing package. If the company cannot provide clear instructions and even a free trial period, you might want to look elsewhere for someone who does.
4. Software should scale with your business.
Maybe your company is small at the moment, but things could change. You want invoicing software that can grow with you. Furthermore, you should choose a package that allows you to add more team members as you bring them onboard.
5. Require easy integration.
You may already be happy with your third-party accounting package. Today’s premium invoicing options provide easy interfacing with common bookkeeping software such as QuickBooks. Don’t accept anything less.
6. Make automation a requirement.
For those times when clients do not pay on the day of the job or when they have an outstanding balance, you need software that can seamlessly send invoices and reminders. The one you choose should integrate with your customer database and effortlessly generate invoices at your command. It should also be configurable if you ever decide to incorporate recurring billing into your group of payment choices.
Bringing high-quality invoicing software into your electrician or electrical contracting business is the best way to single-handedly gain a real-time snapshot of your entire operations, save time, and consolidate your customers’ payments experience. As long as you keep in mind that not all invoicing software providers are created equally and work to find the best one, you can quickly elevate your internal processes, get paid faster, and please your clients.
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