Many self-employed business owners juggle numerous responsibilities, from marketing to operations and accounting. Navigating these tasks can be overwhelming, especially when hiring a team is not financially viable for smaller businesses.
Invoicing for solo traders, a crucial yet often disliked task, can be time-consuming and error-prone. Mistakes may have legal and financial consequences, making professionalism essential. Luckily, in today’s tech-driven world, there are various small business software options to streamline the invoicing for solo traders process, saving tradies time and ensuring accuracy.
In this blog, you will explore the top invoicing software for solo traders and software solutions tailored for solo traders.
When choosing your invoice software, look for these key features:
1. Customizable Templates: Save time and ensure professionalism by using customizable pre-made templates for invoices and quotes, allowing easy branding and compliance.
2. Payment Collection: Streamline payment processes by sending invoices, requesting payments, and issuing reminders from a single platform, ensuring on-time payments and minimizing tracking efforts.
3. Automations: Optimize efficiency with automatic payment reminders, recurring invoices, and other time-saving automation features, allowing you to focus on business growth.
4. Integration: Many invoicing software integrates with inventory, CRM, expense management and other useful tools. Choose software that seamlessly integrates with your existing tools and software, ensuring a smooth workflow and avoiding disruptions.
5. Multi-Currency Support: If your clients or subcontractors are worldwide, opt for a platform that handles payments in multiple currencies within a unified system.
6. Reporting: Gain insights into your business activities by generating analysis and financial reports directly from your invoices, enabling strategic improvements for success.
7. Data Security: Prioritize platforms with robust privacy and security features to secure sensitive data online.
8. Expense and Hour Tracking: Monitor real-time project durations and business costs in one place, providing comprehensive tracking and management capabilities for tradies.
1. Rounded
Rounded streamlines your business with user-friendly accounting and invoicing for solo traders software. Easily generate online invoices, efficiently track time and expenses, accept online payments, and stay organized for tax season. Perfect for tradies, this software simplifies financial management, saving you time and ensuring accuracy.
Features:
- Invoicing for solo traders: Rounded simplifies solo trader’s finances with automated invoicing, streamlined payment features, and secure bank account integration. You can have on-the-go invoicing, automated invoice reminders, seamless Gmail integration, flexible deposit options, multi-currency invoicing, and complete audit history.
- Expense Tracking: It imports transactions, reconciles instantly with AI, categorizes easily, and stores receipts on the go. Form real-time reports, on-charge expenses, automated GST tracking, and customizable features.
- Automatic Tax Calculation: Rounded’s tax calculator offers real-time estimates, automatic GST tracking for quick BAS preparation, and instant report generation. You can securely share data with your accountant without needing a new bank account. Rounded ensures simplicity, immediacy, and Australian expertise for effortless tax preparation.
- Time Tracking: You can track work hours effortlessly with Rounded’s integrated mobile and desktop solutions and avoid extra costs and separate apps, streamline time tracking, invoice for tracked time, and create instant client timesheets. Gain insights into non-billable time, quote confidently, and efficiently organize projects with budget monitoring.
Pricing
- Starter: $19.95
- Pro:$24.95
Rating
- Capterra 5⭐/5
2. GO Simple Tax
GoSimpleBooks is a cloud-based top software for bookkeeping and accounting, catering to traders, small businesses, and contractors across various industries. The key features include invoicing for solo traders, quote management, bank reconciliation, financial reporting, and expense management system, providing a comprehensive solution for managing diverse bookkeeping needs.
Features
- Custom Invoices: Design professional invoices that reflect your brand, update customer-specific sections easily, and enhance the overall presentation of your payment requests.
- Send Quick Invoices: Streamline recurring invoices by quickly duplicating them, saving time, and ensuring prompt payments through efficient follow-up reminders.
- Customer Management: Easily manage regular customers by adding their details to the system. Categorize them as active or inactive, enabling a clear overview of your client base for business development opportunities.
- Integration with Software: Seamlessly integrate with tools like PayPal Business and SumUp, adding a ‘pay now’ button to invoices for swift debit or credit card payments. Additionally, record expenses within the GoSimpleTax Invoicing platform.
- Financial Control: This invoicing software benefits sole traders and small businesses not registered for VAT. It allows quick and accurate tracking of income and expenses, with direct integration into your GoSimpleTax for tax return purposes.
- Free and Easy Start: GoSimpleTax Invoicing is free, requiring no debit or credit card details for sign-up. The user-friendly platform ensures a hassle-free experience for small businesses and sole traders, facilitating faster payments and improved cash flow management. It also helps mitigate late payments by streamlining the invoicing process and providing timely payment reminders.
Pricing:
- Contact for the pricing plan
Rating
- Get app 4.4⭐/5
- Capterra 4.4⭐/5
- Software Advice 4.5⭐/5
3. Freshbook
FreshBooks is an ideal choice for sole traders, whether you’re starting a new business or have years of entrepreneurial experience. This all-in-one accounting solution handles various bookkeeping requirements, including creating professional invoices, tracking time, and recording business expenses.
Recognized as the best purchase sales invoice software, it is perfect for tradies and offers valuable insights, allowing seamless management of business finances and ensuring you can efficiently handle all accounting tasks without switching between platforms.
Features
- Invoicing: Simple to create and customize your invoice, add your logo, personalize your thank you email, accept credit card and ACH payments, and put your business on autopilot.
- Payment: FreshBooks Payments make it easier for your clients to pay online by letting your customers pay directly through invoices, and automatically records each payment in your account.
- Time tracking: Whether on the go with the mobile app or browsing the web with the Fresher Chroma timer, FreshBooks ensures you bank every billable hour. Plus, you can track time directly from the apps you already know and love – Asana, Basecamp, Trello, and Teamwork.
- Accounting: With Freshbook you can ensure accuracy, prove compliance, prepare detailed financial reports, make informed business decisions, and easily work with your accountant.
- Bookkeeping: It handles your bookkeeping, tracks expenses, and maximizes your tax deductions and returns.
- Report: Freshbook makes it easy to know exactly how your business is performing with dashboards and reports. From your Dashboard, you can conveniently access important reports (like profit and loss) and skip the math headaches.
- Estimate: With FreshBooks, you can transform your custom estimates into ready-to-pay invoices in a flash. You can showcase your unique value with customizable Proposals. Without leaving FreshBooks, you can clearly outline a project’s scope, timeline, and deliverables.
Pricing:
- Lite: $7.60/month
- Plus: $13.20/month
- Premium $24/month
- Select: It is a customizable plan. To know the pricing you have to contact.
Rating:
- G2 4.5⭐/5
- Capterra 4.5⭐/5
- Software Advice 4.5⭐/5
4. MYOB
Tailored for businesses in Australia and New Zealand, MYOB Business accounting software is crafted to efficiently handle reporting, expenses, and payroll, including Single Touch Payroll. Geared towards businesses of any size, MYOB Business aims to streamline processes, save time, boost productivity, and ensure compliance with ATO obligations. With user-friendly features, it simplifies cash flow management and eliminates daily bookkeeping hassles, providing a fast and easy solution for businesses, including tradies.
Features
- Invoicing: You can use various customizable invoice templates where you can showcase your business logo and brand, turn your quote into an invoice including GST calculation and details of clients, and get paid with options like PayPal, Apple Pay™, Google Pay™, BPAY, and credit card and can set an automatic invoice reminder to track payments. Additionally, it supports the creation of shipping invoices, making it a comprehensive tool for all your needs.
- Inventory Management: Optimize sales and prevent stockouts with our automated inventory management. Analyze product performance through reports, and efficiently manage orders and invoicing with integrated sales orders feature, saving your time and ensuring accuracy.
- Sales CRM Software: MYOB sales CRM streamlines business operations by centralizing data, orders, and customer info. It integrates seamlessly with popular applications like Xero and Mailchimp, providing comprehensive oversight. Easily convert leads into customers with integrated web forms and manage sales opportunities through a visual pipeline management system for successful closures.
- Expense Management: Effortlessly match purchases to bank transactions, capture receipts via the MYOB Capture app, and on-charge costs to customers with a single click. You can have a seamless experience with over 130 bank feed connections for swift and error-free reconciliation.
- Tax and GST billing software: MYOB auto-calculates GST, streamlines compliance reporting to the ATO, and offers a GST widget for quick insights.
- Online Accounting: Accelerate your payments by up to 3 times with MYOB Online Invoice Payments. The ‘Pay Now’ button expedites customer payments directly from their invoices, ensuring easy cash flow management for your business.
- Job Tracking: Optimize project management with MYOB Business Job Tracking. Easily estimate, record hours, and manage expenses, while gaining a quick overview of profits and losses. Access detailed reports for informed decision-making and set budgets with alerts to prevent overspending.
Pricing
- Lite: $5/month
- Pro: $8/month
- Plus: $68/month
- Premier: $85/month
Rating:
- Capterra 3.8⭐/5
- Get app 3.8⭐/5
- Software Advice 4⭐/5
5. Zoho
Zoho Invoicing, a free invoice app, provides customizable quotation templates, expense and time tracking. It has automated payment reminders and diverse payment options and sends up to 500 invoices annually for free. Seamless integration with Zoho Books’ best accounting software is an added advantage. Ideal for self-employed individuals and tradies, it supports various payment methods, including check, cash, and ACH transfers, while also accepting online payments through Stripe, Square, and PayPal.
Features
- Invoice: Easily brand and customize invoices with Zoho Invoice’s templates. The platform offers convenient options for mailing physical copies, setting up recurring billing, and sharing invoices through various channels. Get real-time reports for insights into sales, expenses, and tax summaries, simplifying financial tracking.
- Payments: Simplify invoicing by easily printing and sharing invoices. Automate payment reminders to address overdue payments, send personalized thank-you notes, and efficiently manage credits and refunds. Stay informed with real-time reports on customer payment behaviors and gain detailed insights into credit notes and refunds.
- Quotes: Effortlessly generate professional quotes using customizable templates. Seamlessly convert approved quotes into invoices and track the history of discounts and interactions. Improve collaboration by inviting clients to the Customer Portal for quote acceptance, advance payments, and comments.
- Time Tracking: The Zoho invoice allows you to log and track time spent on each task. You can seamlessly create a project, invite staff, and assign tasks to each.
- Customer Portal: Clients can track transactions in real-time, view project details, download statements, and collaborate seamlessly. The portal also facilitates feedback collection, allowing you to improve services and share positive reviews on social media.
- Expenses: Effortlessly manage expenses with invoice recurring profiles, analyze spending patterns through visual charts, and streamline receipt tracking with photo uploads. You can stay in control of your business finances with detailed and hassle-free expense reports.
Pricing:
Free of cost
Rating:
- G2 4.1⭐/5
- Get app 4.3⭐/5
- Capterra 4.3⭐/5
- Software Advice 4.5⭐/5
6. Xero
Xero is an online invoicing system for small and growing businesses including tradies. It provides real-time financial visibility, accessible from any device with internet connectivity. Xero streamlines business tasks with features like automated transaction imports, online bill pay, and mobile expense management. It offers unlimited user support, integrates with various systems, and comes with a 30-day free trial. Used by business owners, accountants, and bookkeepers.
Features
- Invoicing: Customize invoices by adding your logo for a professional touch. Provide flexibility to customers with multiple payment options. Save time with automatic payment reminders. Create and send invoices on the go directly from your mobile app.
- Accounting: Quickly send invoices, track payments, reconcile on the fly, and monitor cash flow from anywhere. Streamline your small business accounting for enhanced efficiency.
- Integrated App: Customize your experience, streamline data flow, and address specific needs effortlessly. Discover and connect certified apps quickly through the Xero App Store for a more optimized business workflow.
- Manage Fixed Assets: Keep records in one place, manage depreciation with your advisor, and gain a clear financial picture through asset value reports. Streamline asset management for accurate bookkeeping.
- Analytics: Track short-term cash flow, view your business overview in one place and assess financial health via a dashboard.
- Sales Tax: Customize VAT rates according to your needs, and automate tax calculations for transactions. Utilize sales tax reports for easy preparation of VAT returns.
- Quotes: create and send professional online quotes with Xero. Choose from templates or duplicate previous quotes for efficiency. Streamline invoicing by converting accepted quotes directly within the Xero desktop software or app.
Pricing
- Starter $29/month
- Standard $46/month
- Premium $62/month
Rating
- Software Advice 4.5⭐/5
- Get app 4.4⭐/5
- Capterra 4.4⭐/5
7. Refrens
Refrens is a best invoicing software for solo traders and consolidates all business operations into a single platform. It serves as a complete business operating system, encompassing features such as lead management system, Invoicing, Accounting Suite, Inventory and Expense Management, Profile Management, and a Networking System.Ideal for tradies, Refrens simplifies business management, streamlining all essential tasks into one user-friendly solution.
Features
- Invoicing: Refrens, designed for solo traders, empowers them to craft invoices that mirror their professional identity. The software allows for personalized touches such as logos and custom messages, transforming each invoice into a reflection of their daily practice.
- Payment Options: Enhance client convenience by providing multiple payment choices, including Google Pay, Phone Pay, Paytm, UPI, QR codes, and more. This flexibility ensures that clients can easily pay using their preferred method.
- Document Attachment: Solo traders, can attach crucial documents like important notes, or confidentiality agreements directly to their invoices. This feature streamlines documentation accessibility for the client.
- Tax Compliance and Reports: Refrens simplifies tax compliance for solo traders by managing TDS and GST, generating essential reports for streamlined tax documentation and adherence to financial regulations.
- Clear Business Terms: Solo traders can specify business terms, such as payment deadlines and charges for delayed payments, ensuring transparency and preventing misunderstandings.
- Recurring Invoices: Save time and reduce repetitive tasks with Refrens’ recurring invoice feature, allowing solo traders to create invoices with the same details for each billing period.
- Personalized Signature: Add a professional touch and authenticity to invoices by personalizing them with your signature. Refrens supports both uploaded signatures and those captured using a signature pad.
- Customization Features: Refrens offers various customization features for solo traders, including invoice layout customization with templates, font and color changes, footer and letterhead addition, script alteration, page size adjustments, margins, and more.
- Quotations software and Purchase Orders: Ideal for solo traders offering workshops, group sessions, or other products, Refrens simplifies the management of financial transactions related to these services.
- Expense Reports: Solo traders can efficiently manage practice-related expenses, from office supplies to professional development costs, using Refrens’ expense report feature. This helps in maintaining accurate financial records.
- Multi-User Management: For solo traders with additional staff, Refrens enables collaborative financial process management while maintaining individual access and permissions.
- Data Security and Portability: Solo traders can trust Refrens to ensure the confidentiality and security of financial and client data. The software also provides options for secure data download and portability.
Pricing:
- Free Plan: free plan for small businesses to create up to 50 documents/year
- Premium Plan: Pricing starts from as low as ₹100/month or $2.5/month depending on the number of users & features
Review:
- Capterra 4.8⭐/05
- G2 4.6⭐/05
- Software suggests 4.8⭐/05
- Software Advice 5⭐/5
- Get app 4.9⭐/5
8. Quick book
Quickbooks, in addition to providing top accounting solutions for small traders, is an all-encompassing platform designed to streamline income and expense tracking while managing taxes. It caters to various business types, including tradies, freelancers, professional services, product sellers, and nonprofits, ensuring compatibility across PCs, Macs, tablets, and a mobile app.
Features
- Estimate and Invoice Creation: Quickbooks offers features to create project estimates swiftly, easily transforming them into professional invoices with just a few clicks. The platform facilitates online payments through credit cards or Apple Pay, ensuring timely payments and providing automated sales tax calculations.
- Income and Expense Tracking: The platform’s robust income and expense tracking capabilities enable businesses to monitor their activities and growth effortlessly over time. It includes a bill management feature, ensuring comprehensive financial oversight.
- Reporting: It provides extensive reporting capabilities, allowing businesses to track profit and loss, plan cash flow, and enhance project profitability. The reporting features also help monitor payments and ensure prompt receipt of funds.
- Accounting and Virtual Bookkeeping: It serves as a comprehensive accounting solution, offering virtual bookkeeping services that simplify financial management for businesses of all sizes.
- Payroll: The platform includes a payroll feature, streamlining the process of paying employees and ensuring accurate and timely compensation.
- Contractor Payments and Tax Calculations: Quickbooks simplifies the complexities of paying contractors and calculating taxes, making these processes efficient and error-free.
- Time, Expense, and Mileage Tracking: Businesses can easily track time, expenses, and mileage, providing a comprehensive view of operational costs and enhancing overall financial management.
- Integration with Apps: The platform offers seamless integration with various third-party apps, enhancing its functionality and adaptability to different business needs.
- Receipt Capture: Quickbooks streamlines expense management by allowing users to capture receipts digitally, ensuring organized and efficient record-keeping.
Pricing
- Self-employed: 2.25 pounds/month
- Simple start:3.15 pounds/month
Rating
- Capterra 3.9⭐/5
- Software Advice 4⭐/5
Why You Need to Improve Your Invoice System Now
Elevating your invoicing process is crucial for solo traders aiming to expand their business. Maintaining accurate tracking of due payments becomes challenging with a growing client base, leading to potential errors. Implementing an organized invoicing system based on invoicing basics not only saves time but also prevents billing mistakes and legal repercussions. Timely invoicing builds a strong business reputation, instills client trust, and justifies potential price increases.
Explore software solutions such as Refrens to alleviate monthly invoicing for solo traders stresses, ensuring timely payments and maximizing earning potential. Beyond invoicing, these tools offer additional benefits like expense tracking, payment acceptance, crafting quotations, managing leads and reporting. Consolidating essential business functions within a single platform, including invoice and packing list software, the best invoice management software saves hours weekly, reduces operational stress, and empowers strategic decision-making for business growth.
Recommended Reads
10 Best Invoicing Software For Mechanic Shop
Best Supplier Invoice Software
Best CRM Software with Invoicing
Top Software to Manage Your Inventory and Accounting
FAQs
What is invoicing software for solo traders?
Invoicing software for solo traders is a digital tool designed to simplify and automate the process of creating, sending, and tracking invoices. It helps individuals who are self-employed or run small businesses manage their finances efficiently, ensuring timely payments and reducing the risk of errors.
How can invoicing software benefit solo traders in tax preparation?
Invoicing software often comes with features like automatic tax calculations, real-time estimates, and comprehensive reporting. This simplifies the tax preparation process, ensures compliance with tax regulations, and facilitates easy collaboration with accountants by securely sharing relevant financial data.
Is invoicing software suitable for different industries?
Yes, many invoicing software solutions are versatile and can cater to a variety of industries. Whether you’re a freelancer, consultant, creative professional, or service provider, these tools can be tailored to meet the invoicing and financial management needs of solo traders across different sectors
Can I accept online payments through invoicing software?
Yes, many invoicing software solutions offer the functionality to accept online payments. This feature enhances convenience for clients and ensures faster and more secure transactions. It may involve integration with payment gateways like PayPal, credit card processors, or other online payment methods.
How can invoicing software improve client relationships?
Invoicing software enables solo traders to maintain professionalism in their interactions with clients. Features like customizable invoices, automated reminders, and transparent billing practices contribute to positive client experiences. Timely and accurate invoicing builds trust and enhances overall client relationships.
What is the cost of invoicing software for solo traders?
The cost of invoicing software varies based on the features and plans offered by different providers. Some software may have a free basic plan, while others offer tiered pricing based on the level of functionality and usage. It’s essential to evaluate the features against the cost to choose the best fit for your business.
How can invoicing software contribute to business growth for solo traders?
By automating invoicing processes, reducing administrative burdens, and providing insights through reporting features, invoicing software allows solo traders to focus more on business development. The time saved can be redirected towards client acquisition, project management, and strategic planning, contributing to overall business growth.