anyone have an invoice software recomendation?

[QueBert]

I Googled, but none of the programs I came across have a trial, and I couldn't find any reviews. This guy runs a landscaping business and has about 200 clients who have the same things done every month. Basically he wants to be able to automatically generate an invoice by clicking on a customers name. He's not computer savvy at all so something that's easy to use and hard to make a mistake would be perfect.

He wants to spend $200 or less.



Closed due to spam necro.

Anandtech Administrator
KeithTalent

 

[rasczak]

Peachtree or Quickbooks. Those are the only two I can come up with.

 

[stlcardinals]

Depending on how many customers he has, you might try something like FreshBooks. It's a cloud based service.

 

[wirednuts]

quickbooks works, but its mostly garbage. no thread crap, just speaking from experience.

 

[Mixolydian]

If he's not computer savvy, your best bet is to get one of the off-the-shelf programs like QuickBooks. At least then he can easily call tech support without calling YOU when he has a problem.

 

[EagleKeeper]

I use a simple spreadsheet

Macros assign invoice numbers based on the date.
I just enter the hours to be submitted to my client.
Invoice is save with a date attachment to the filename.

Simple

I expanded that concept to be used by a small business (snow removal) such that they select the client via a dropdown box; check box selects the service and the invoice is printed from a generated spreadsheet. All the grunt work is behind the scenes of a UI application as long as they have a copy of Office on their system.

If not; then I have used the same concept without the actual spreadsheet and just a text file is generated for printing.

PM me if additional info requested.

 

[Charlie98]

quickbooks works, but its mostly garbage. no thread crap, just speaking from experience.

I'm kind of in the same boat... I have a pool cleaning and service business and use QB'12 to run monthly invoices and service calls, once it's set up it works pretty well. I also have about 500-600 items (parts, services, etc) that are keyed in, all I have to do is key in the first couple of digits of the item name and it comes up with a price and everything.

I will say I'm about sick of QuickBooks, however. They sell their software with the intention to obsolete it and MAKE you upgrade every few years... so you are spending a few hundred dollars ever few years for an upgraded version... and I've had it.

Currently, I'm looking at gnucash (free) and waveapps (free.) I'm hoping to find something that will work with what I have.

 

[Spicedaddy]

I'm kind of in the same boat... I have a pool cleaning and service business and use QB'12 to run monthly invoices and service calls, once it's set up it works pretty well. I also have about 500-600 items (parts, services, etc) that are keyed in, all I have to do is key in the first couple of digits of the item name and it comes up with a price and everything.

I will say I'm about sick of QuickBooks, however. They sell their software with the intention to obsolete it and MAKE you upgrade every few years... so you are spending a few hundred dollars ever few years for an upgraded version... and I've had it.

Currently, I'm looking at gnucash (free) and waveapps (free.) I'm hoping to find something that will work with what I have.

I'm still using Quickbooks 2006 that I bought when I started my business. It's running in a Windows XP guest in VMware... I think about upgrading every year, but it seems the newer versions are worse, LOL.

 

[Charlie98]

I'm still using Quickbooks 2006 that I bought when I started my business. It's running in a Windows XP guest in VMware... I think about upgrading every year, but it seems the newer versions are worse, LOL.

I started with QB QuickStart '05 or something and it was perfect for what I needed, but then Intuit suspended update support. OK, well, it works fine. Then Intuit suspended email support... well, I email about half of my invoices... and so I was caught up in the Engineered Obsolescence Black Hole.

 

[EagleKeeper]

I started with QB QuickStart '05 or something and it was perfect for what I needed, but then Intuit suspended update support. OK, well, it works fine. Then Intuit suspended email support... well, I email about half of my invoices... and so I was caught up in the Engineered Obsolescence Black Hole.

Does the support for email:

• Require you going through Intuit to generate the emails
• Only get support from Intuit if there is a problem
• Software shuts down because it was not upgrades/lack of a support agreement.

For a small business; unless you need the full integrated support from the Intuit packages; roll your own. All S/W business make the $$ from their support contracts (needed or not). Like an insurance policy.

Most small businesses can get by with a database of clients; a database of supplies; a database of operational expenses; potential bar code interface and a simple front end. Payroll is the only headache.

Yes, the data will not be readily loaded into a tax program; but you can target the expenses with codes to correspond to required tax fields.

Find a person that has done this projects; knows what questions to ask of you as to how you have things organized and get off of the upgrade teat.
Get what you want and then you choose the upgrade cycle.

The biggest headaches are usually transference of data from the existing system to the new system. amount of export support in the old system is key.

 

[Charlie98]

My needs are so idiot stupid... I don't do payroll or even taxes on QB... I use Excel for expenses and I don't have a payroll.

I probably could have kept going with the old SimpleStart, but like the OP's proposed need, I just wanted to keep it simple and easy. It's looking like gnucash is going to work, but if it doesn't, I may pursue something like what you are talking about.

Find a person that has done this projects;

I wouldn't have idea one where to start looking for something like that.

 

[Greenman]

Use an excel sheet.

 

[capeconsultant]

I use WHMCS for simple invoicing. Has more than I need but is darn cool software. Client can login and pay bill.

 

[davedale]

I just use http://spryinvoice.com It's simple and quick. No sign up process is a bonus.

 

[Softballslug]

http://www.mlr-enterprises.com

I use a Product called EZInvoice from them...

Support for unlimited clients & projects.
Support for Task based and for re-curing invoices.

If you email them through the contacts, they will provide you with a free trail.

 

[ringtail]

bambooinvoice was excellent for my use, although (for reasons not associated with bambooinvoice, which I recommend) we've been experimentally using wave. Wave: So far so good.

 

[stargazr]

I used this for awhile. I liked it, was just what we needed but it's a yearly subscription.

http://www.invoice2go.com/

 

[wirednuts]

why no one recommend fetchflow.com ?, it is compatible with almost all device because it is web based online invoice software. the advantage using fetchflow, i can create unlimited invoice in PDF format, import clients list from excel file, and many other, check their website.

is this a product that will stop a woman's period?