Saves time, improves control of financial position and it's easy to use
Rating: 10 out of 10
June 03, 2015
KA
Vetted Review
Verified User
2 years of experience
As a small business owner, I needed an easy way to issue invoices, track payments and expenses, track revenue and P&L. The problem FreshBooks solves for me is eliminating the need for using something like Quickbooks (which requires a long learning-curve), or hiring someone to do tasks that are basically simple, but can be time consuming, especially since I don't perform those tasks on a regular enough basis to feel comfortable.
- FreshBooks is pretty intuitive to use. I did have some questions when I first started using the system, but it wasn't a long learning curve.
- FreshBooks provides more capability than other billing applications such as PaySimple or BlinkSale. FreshBooks does provide an easy invoicing function. It's easy to create invoices that can be sent via email or snail mail to one or more individuals (for example, the decision-maker and the accounting dept). Clients can pay online or send a check and then I note that the payment has been received. If paid by credit card, the system automatically marks the invoice paid. Your business accounts such as bank accounts can be linked to FreshBooks. Then, the system can automatically draw in expenses and will create simple P&L reports, overdue invoices, client history, etc. If you don't have inventory and complex payroll, etc. FreshBooks provides just the right level of capability to make financial tracking simple.
- FreshBooks integrates with a number of credit card companies. I use Stripe, which has fees similar to Paypal, but much more reliable processing. I can accept all credit cards, including American Express, for a reasonable fee.
Cons
- Can't really think of negatives.
- FreshBooks has improved customer service because clients can review invoice history in their own FreshBooks portal. Accounting for payments has also been improved. For me, the system has taken away a lot of stress. QuickBooks has always been overkill for my needs, but I tried to use it because I wanted the financial reporting and tracking it provides, especially at tax time. Unfortunately, I'd get frustrated from time to time and ended up with no system. With FreshBooks, a lot of work has been eliminated, including entering expense transactions, trying to figure out how to correct things or account for less than perfect transactions in QuickBooks without a solid knowledge of accounting principles, and more. I'm very glad I found it.
I used PaySimple for some period of time. I wasn't happy with the extensive paperwork and rules it imposes. I do use it for ACH transactions for recurring payments from some clients because of the extremely low transaction fees. Otherwise, it was just another time waster. I considered Blinksale, and I believe it provides a nice set of capabilities. I know other people who are very happy with it. However, I was sold on FreshBooks to get the combination of invoicing and financial management capabilities in an easy to use package with good support.
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