Freshbooks for invoicing...

[C.Quill]

I'm currently using Freshbooks. It's really nice, but I'm finding it too expensive for what I'm getting, so I'm testing alternatives.

Pros:
- nice interface
- online payments
- option to send hard-copy invoices by post
- integrated time tracker, expensive tracker and project manager
- excellent support
- free trial with no time limit

Cons:
- unable to set up under your own domain. Other invoicing systems allow you to set up your account under your own subdomain (ie, billing.yourcompay.com). Freshbooks requires you to use yourcompany.freshbooks.com.
- No option to attach invoice to notification email. Email notification will only send a link to your Freshbooks site. The customer can download a PDF from there.
- no full-service Android app (there are a couple for just time tracking and expenses, but nothing to manage invoices)
- Expensive when compared to alternatives. The free trial account is limited to three clients. For $20 a month, you get up to 25 clients. $30 a month has unlimited clients.

I wish the price was a little better.
But I do like the simplicity of freshbooks. I can't stand Quickbooks,
it's way too complicated for my needs and I don't have the time to dedicate to learning it.

"- No option to attach invoice to notification email. Email notification will only send a link to your Freshbooks site. The customer can download a PDF from there."

What I like to do is just download the PDF and attach it to an email message.

" - Expensive when compared to alternatives. The free trial account is limited to three clients. For $20 a month, you get up to 25 clients. $30 a month has unlimited clients. "

The 25 clients is just active clients, meaning ones that can log into the system. You can delete clients to free up a slot and then use those slots for active customers. Clients you delete aren't really deleted. They go to a storage area where you can restore them from with all of their data still intact.

 

[codegreen]

What I like to do is just download the PDF and attach it to an email message.

Yes, I could do that, but it's more of a hassle. I need my invoicing system to reduce the steps to get invoices out, not increase them.

The 25 clients is just active clients, meaning ones that can log into the system. You can delete clients to free up a slot and then use those slots for active customers. Clients you delete aren't really deleted. They go to a storage area where you can restore them from with all of their data still intact.

25 clients is far too low for the price, tricks to get around the limit notwithstandng. $5 to $10 a month is more reasonable for that level of service, especially when compared to some of their competitors.

 

[Local Circuit]

I know this thread is kind of old but I figured I would throw my 2 cents in here on Freshbooks.

We have been using it now for 3 years or so and I could not see running my shop without it. Yes its a monthly expense but what you get for that is worth it in my opinion.

-Clients can log in anytime with their account info and see all of their billing information
-Clients can pay an invoice with a credit card before they even pick up their machine,
-You can mail invoices to anyone who does not like electronic billing without leaving your desk
-If you customize the built in ticketing system it makes for easy shop workflow
-Clients can comment on their tickets/view their tickets status
-Customized email reminders for invoices, ticket status, and etc keep clients up todate
-The reporting feature is great for business managment
-Minibooks on the iphone gives me all my client info remotely when needed
-With an open API we are designing our very own Ticketing/Shop workflow program that integrates with the Fresbooks billing system so that our Ticket program can be customized to meet our specific shops needs.
-Customized outbound emails to your clients can alert them of ticket updates, invoices due and past due, thank you payment notifications and etc.
-Quickbooks in a pain in the a$$, Freshbooks can do just about anything you need bookkeeping wise.

The truth of the matter is, Freshbooks is not perfect, but if you take the time to customize the program to your needs it can be a very beneficial application that can increase workflow for your shop. (this is not a paid advertisement haha)

 

[PCX]

Local, what do you use to track tickets? How many tickets do you have open on a daily basis?

 

[parker.casey]

i host bamboo invoice on my hosting account. its done pretty much everything i want it to do. but the lack of development in over two years on it is starting to concern me.

Bamboo is actually updating the code at this very moment.

 

[Local Circuit]

Local, what do you use to track tickets? How many tickets do you have open on a daily basis?

We use the ticketing system in freshbooks right now. But, we are writing our own support ticketing software that integrates with the Freshbooks API so that we can use our custom ticket application with their billing application. (will probably offer it for sale once it is up and running)

The way we currently use the freshbooks ticketing system is this:
1. Subject line= make/model of the computer of if it is something scheduled onsite we just note that there
2. We are using the department list to note at what stage the pc is in. Examples: Waiting for repair, parts on order, waiting for pickup, call client
3. Techs update the notes as they work and can add parts and etc right in the ticket which then are automatically added to line items in their invoice. On a daily basis it just depends on how busy we are. Right now there are 8 tickets open. Most are just parts on order (DC jacks and etc) We shoot for a 48 hour turn around so most tickets are opened and closed pretty quickly.

This process enables me to see the status of everything in the shop and that is scheduled without having to be at the office. Once you have it tailored to your specs it really works well.

 

[ljtechservices]

I've been using Freshbooks since 2005.
I'm leaving it behind this year. I'd like to keep using it but mhelpdesk is a better solution for me.
I needed to go to quickbooks a few years ago for accounting reasons.
For about 2 years I've been double entering invoices in FB and QB and it was becoming unwieldy.
Plus I wanted better tracking of issues and tickets in progress.

I recommend FB to anyone that has a pure service business though.

 

[agile]

check out Curdbee. its what I use.