IT Consultants + Billing = Check Here

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marley1

Supreme [H]ardness
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Jul 18, 2000
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What are you guys doing for billing?

We are currently using Quickbooks and Outlook. We enter our daily schedule in Outlook, write as much notes as possible and then bill in Quickbooks out of that. Stuff that is becoming a pain is with managed services - online backup, hosting, postini, etc. So when clients upgrade plans or add space or emails we are going into Quickbooks, rebilling, reupdating stuff.

I was hoping something like a ticket system, I can enter all of our clients into this program which will be a database for work done. So if Client X calls and we enter the call and put in say 15 minutes of call now, 15 minutes later, etc. I want this to be logged. At say an hour mark of billable time I want it to be able ot export this bill to Quickbooks.

So what you guys running. Managed services are pain in butt. Right now we put the memorized invoice in, but if we have to change the size of the backup set its a hassle.
 
There are three major vendors out there to my knowledge

Connectwise: I am getting ready to evaluate the hosted now
AutoTask
TigerPaw
 
Yeah yer in same boat as me marley.... the installers get schedule in outlook, one big outlook, then they write their own tickets and my boss enters them into quickbooks.

I use something called bluefolder (bluefolder.com) and i enter my tickets that way, but he then copies/pastes my tickets into quickbooks. they do have an import tool but he doesnt use that.

as for monthly contracts, he uses quickbooks and claims it does it automatically, so that covers that.
 
Using Connectwise here too.

I hate all forms of time tracking, would rather be on Salary again :/
 
Marley

1 other thing you need to be aware of:

None of these tools are simply plug n play. There is a heck of a lot of planning & work involved to set up the "chart of accounts" to get the system to work the way you do...
 
I am using freshbooks, but I keep a small client list, and consult as supplemental income to buy tech toys with, and keep my training / certification up to date.
 
At my previous job we used AutoTask. While it worked great for ticketing, AutoTask has a long way to go for billing and other bs like that.
 
I'm a one man show so i dont need any thing to big.

I've setup my 2008 server for RDP, with a ssl on my stick.

The server has outlook 2007 on it, And soon to be simply accounting. I use my Google email & calendar and it's sync'd with my outlook along with my other 3 domain email addresses.

I picked server because i can rdp from any ones computer and create a invoice and let them know exactly how much the bill is and even email them the invoice right on the spot.

Some day when i get some $$ ill buy my self a ipad and use rdp to do the same thing :)

Jase.
 
LoStMaTt said:
http://invoice.zoho.com

Also take a look at: http://www.zoho.com/crm/index2.html

What I really like about Zoho is that they recently partnered with some company that lets you snail mail bills to your clients too -- there is a fee but it is a convenient thing I can use when a few customers want a bill mailed to them.

Before Zoho I used www.invoicemachine.com
Click to expand...

These look good, plus the www.invoicemachine.com looks good too.

I assume these are all web based ? I wonder if they work on the ipad ?

Jase
 
I'd assume it'd work on the iPad just fine.

Just browse to the websites and you're done.
 
marley1 said:
What are you guys doing for billing?

...
Click to expand...


Hello

I make sure that for every work done, we email the client.

That helps on two things:

  1. registering stuff (having things on writing helps you later, because its impossible to remember everything)
  2. the client knows you're working and can consult his own email at anytime to know what youve been doing, in case of doubt.

Then, from time to time (lets say monthly) I can consult the emails and then bill stuff on Excel (invoices and receipts).


Now i've been thinking about moving to Freshbooks or Blinksale for a long time!! They're not free and picking the right one will take some time (to test and decide).

Just this week, i have emailed Freshbooks commercial support with some questions and they replied a couple of days after. Blinksale didnt say a word :/

And For those who asked about iPad, well, check the App Store. Freshbooks has its own app. I believe Blinksale may have too.
 
Last edited:
tripex said:
Hello

I make sure that for every work done, we email the client.

That helps on two things:

  1. registering stuff (having things on writing helps you later, because its impossible to remember everything)
  2. the client knows you're working and can consult his own email at anytime to know what youve been doing, in case of doubt.

Then, from time to time (lets say monthly) I can consult the emails and then bill stuff on Excel (invoices and receipts).


Now i've been thinking about moving to Freshbooks or Blinksale for a long time!! They're not free and picking the right one will take some time (to test and decide).

Just this week, i have emailed Freshbooks commercial support with some questions and they replied a couple of days after. Blinksale didnt say a word :/

And For those who asked about iPad, well, check the App Store. Freshbooks has its own app. I believe Blinksale may have too.
Click to expand...

I just looked at freshbooks, and it looks like you can't save as PDF :( bummer
You are also only limited to 25 clients :(

Im a single person operation and 20$ is around my tops i want to spend a month.

Are there any more online billing / invoicing places people can recommend ?

I signed up to :
https://www.zoho.com/invoice/index.html

& have been playing with it, not a bad idea, this could eliminate my server in the house running all the time, and also managing it etc etc. I could use my laptop & ipad when i get one to run my business.

More thinking to do :)
 
dashpuppy said:
I just looked at freshbooks, and it looks like you can't save as PDF :( bummer
You are also only limited to 25 clients :(

Im a single person operation and 20$ is around my tops i want to spend a month.

Are there any more online billing / invoicing places people can recommend ?

I signed up to :
https://www.zoho.com/invoice/index.html

& have been playing with it, not a bad idea, this could eliminate my server in the house running all the time, and also managing it etc etc. I could use my laptop & ipad when i get one to run my business.

More thinking to do :)
Click to expand...

From my bookmarks:

http://www.freshbooks.com/
http://www.blinksale.com/
https://www.time59.com/
http://www.simplifythis.com/
http://www.bug-invoicing.org/
http://joyent.com/product/
http://www.simplybill.com/
http://www.billmyclients.com/
http://www.sidejobtrack.com/
http://www.transcepta.com/
http://www.citrusbill.com/
http://www.zoho.com/invoice

All of these links have at least 1 year on my bookmarks, with the exception of Zoho which was just added because of this thread. So, some of the sites may be dead..
 
tripex said:
From my bookmarks:

http://www.freshbooks.com/
http://www.blinksale.com/
https://www.time59.com/
http://www.simplifythis.com/
http://www.bug-invoicing.org/
http://joyent.com/product/
http://www.simplybill.com/
http://www.billmyclients.com/
http://www.sidejobtrack.com/
http://www.transcepta.com/
http://www.citrusbill.com/
http://www.zoho.com/invoice

All of these links have at least 1 year on my bookmarks, with the exception of Zoho which was just added because of this thread. So, some of the sites may be dead..
Click to expand...

Thank you, will look into this when i get home, Now to find a really big mac forum to ask some questions about ical server and stuff.
 
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