Invoice apps for start-ups

Invoicing is essential for most businesses dealing with clients or other companies.

While it can be easy to put off invoicing when you’re busy launching a business, this can result in delayed or missed payments.

A recent survey found that 37% of small business owners were concerned about their business’s cash flow, which means keeping on top of invoicing is essential.

As well as ensuring you get paid promptly, invoices are essential for calculating and paying taxes such as VAT and corporation tax.

The good news is that invoice apps and tools can help speed the process and make your invoicing more efficient.

What to look for in an invoice app

There are various invoicing apps to choose from, ranging from basic free ones to more costly comprehensive solutions.

Many offer trial versions, so it can be a good idea to test several different apps to find one that best suits your needs.

Reading reviews or seeking recommendations from friends or others in your network can be helpful.

When choosing an invoicing app, consider features such as:

• Personalisation – Adding your company logo, brand colours, and personal information can help invoices look more professional.
• Integration – Some apps can integrate with your existing accounting and inventory systems to help save time and effort.
• Reminders – It can be helpful to send a personalised reminder to your client at set periods and close unpaid/paid invoices.
• Reporting – The ability to create automatic financial reports can help you track outstanding invoices.
• Payments – Some invoicing apps offer different ways to pay a bill, which may encourage customers to pay quickly.
• Receipts – Issuing receipts when an invoice is paid may be helpful for your customers, who can keep receipts as proof of purchase and use them for their financial reporting.
• Accessibility – Taking into account the needs of both those that use the system and those that receive the invoices can help your business be more inclusive.

Invoice apps to try

This list indicates the type of invoice apps available and is provided for information purposes only.

Start Up Loans do not endorse these apps.

Other apps are available, and you should seek expert financial advice on the most suitable app for your business.

Quickbooks

Quickbooks can connect to your online bank accounts to help reduce data entry errors and send invoices to your customers.

You can send and update invoices and automate them for efficiency.

It allows you to see all your paid and unpaid invoices in one place and can set up faster payments by card or using other platforms such as PayPal.

Quickbooks offers templates so you can create and customise the appearance of your invoices by adding your brand’s personal touch.

Prices start from £2 a month with various plans to suit small businesses, freelancers, and contractors.

The app is suitable for all devices for ease of access.

Invoicely

Invoicely is a web-based invoicing and accounting application suitable for any device with an internet connection.

It can manage multiple businesses in one place and generate reports and statements, allowing you to customise your invoices and automate your workflow.

It accepts online payments in any currency and can track time, expenses, and mileage.

A free plan includes limited monthly invoices, while more comprehensive plans start from $9.99 a month.

Kash Flow

Kash Flow can help you manage your accounting tasks, from payments to filing your taxes.

VAT can be automatically updated and shared with your accountant, and directly with HMRC for easy and controlled management.

You can also keep track of your performance with reports.

It can send automatic reminder notifications to customers and converts quotes into invoices with your company branding.

It features multiple payment providers, allowing your customers to choose their preferred method of payment, and can link to bank accounts for real-time matching of funds.

Prices are package-dependant and start from £9 a month with the ability to grow with your business, adding additional features and unlimited invoices.

FreshBooks

FreshBooks can support a variety of small businesses, from start-ups to freelancers.

It produces automated invoices and a summary report, exporting financial transactions and categorising them.

You can run reports on profit and loss or create a cash flow statement to see how your business is doing.

You can also track business mileage and view potential tax deductions.

Basic plans start at £3.30 a month, and it offers a specialised plan to support growing businesses depending on their needs.

Tradify

Tradify was explicitly designed for tradespeople and small business owners.

It features personalised and automated invoices, integration with multiple accounting software, and can process online payments from customers.

It provides job tracking, so you can easily track quotes to invoices.

Prices start at £19 per user a month with no limits to invoices, jobs, or quotes.

Other invoice apps

• Zoho Invoice – A fully-fledged accounting software that may be suitable for smaller businesses.
• Xero – On-the-go accounting for invoices, transactions and cash flow management.
• Zervant – Quick and professional invoices with reporting and productivity-boosting features.