This small business accountant came to us with an outdated and manual billing system that was slowing down their operations. They tracked their time on a mix of digital timesheets and handwritten notes, retyping invoices manually at the end of each month. As a result, the billing process was not only time-consuming but also prone to delays—bills would sometimes be pushed aside as the accountant focused on more urgent client work. This led to delayed payments and inconsistent cash flow.

Time Lost, Payments Delayed

• Manual Data Entry: The accountant had to retype information from timesheets into invoices, creating redundancies and wasting time.
• Delayed Billing: Writing up invoices manually meant that billing could be postponed during busy periods, leading to inconsistent cash collection.
• No Automated Follow-Up: If clients didn’t pay promptly, there was no system in place to automatically follow up, leaving collections dependent on the accountant’s availability.

A System That Fits Their Everyday Work

We built a custom billing system designed to match the accountant’s existing workflow while eliminating the manual tasks that were slowing down their process:

Simplified Timesheet Entry:

• We set up a Google Sheet where the accountant could log hours daily, using simple codes for different types of work (e.g., “DE” for data entry, “BR” for bank reconciliations). This made it easy to track time without switching tools.
• The timesheet was kept open throughout the day, allowing the accountant to quickly add time as tasks were completed.

Automated Invoice Generation:

• At the end of the month, the system automatically generated invoices based on the timesheet data. The invoices included details like invoice numbers, client names, totals, prices, and work descriptions.
• Once the invoices were ready, they were sent to the accountant for quick approval, streamlining the review process.

Automatic Invoice Delivery & Follow-Up:

• After approval, invoices were automatically emailed to clients in PDF format. This reduced the manual effort of sending invoices individually.
• We set up an additional sheet to track payment statuses. If an invoice remained unpaid after a certain period, the system sent a notification to the accountant, asking if they’d like to send reminders. The accountant could then choose to send follow-ups or not, keeping control over the process.

Faster Payments and Hours Saved

The new billing system brought immediate improvements in the accountant’s operations:

• Faster Payments: Invoices were now sent out promptly. Our client remarked that his clients often paid instantly via Zelle or PayPal, improving cash flow.
• Time Saved: The manual effort of retyping invoices was eliminated, freeing up time for the accountant to focus on higher-value tasks.
• Consistent Cash Flow: With automatic invoicing and reminders, the accountant experienced more regular payments, decreasing the number of delayed collections.

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