Two Points to Consider

Before using a billing services company to handle your lawn maintenance invoices, there are really two important points you need to consider.

What are they?

The first point you need to figure out is what system will be in place to automate your billing process.

Here’s what I mean.

Let’s say you have a list of customers.  You know which schedule they are on (hopefully).  Now, the question is, how will you get your cut list over to the billing company?  Electronically?  By fax?  Log in to the site?

And what about the other maintenance issues that come up (i.e. aren’t regularly scheduled).  How will you notify the billing company so that they can quickly bill for your time and effort.

Why does this matter?

Because the main reason to outsource your billing is to automate your cash flow.

You could use a software program instead of a billing company.  But then you (or someone else) will have to print invoices, stuff envelopes, and stick stamps on all the bills.

Now, maybe you enjoy doing this, but most people don’t.  So automating the process and creating a smooth workflow will ensure that your invoices go out the door on time.

Automate Your Billing

The second involves how quickly they will get your invoices out the door and delivered to your clients.  Here’s a simple rule that has yet to be proven false: the quicker you invoice clients, the quicker they will pay you.

But that’s only half the battle.  For example:

1. What system is in place to track unpaid bills?
2. Will they accept payment for you to deposit into your bank account?
3. Do you accept credit cards?  Will they process your payments electronically for you?
4. What type of financial reporting will you receive?
5. What systems are in place to send out “second notices?”
6. Are rebills included in the program fee?

Though it may seem like a lot to consider, setting things up properly in the first place will simplify the most important part — having money in your bank account.

So be sure to ask your lawn service billing company just what you’ll receive by outsourcing your billing headaches to them.

The bottom line is this: you want to maintain (or grow) your business.  You have crews to manage, customers to keep happy, and a thousand other business headaches to deal with on a regular basis.  Worrying about getting paid should NOT be one of them.

So let us help you get paid on time.  And hassle free.

Final Thoughts

So what key questions should you ask a billing company before signing up with them?  Here’s a short list for your review:

1. What is involved in the fee (i.e. postage, envelopes, etc)?
2. Is there a monthly fee, even during winter months/downtime?
3. What reporting is provided?
4. Will follow up invoices (i.e. Second Notices) be included in the program fee

If you’d like to discover how we can automate your billing process, give us a call at 877-262-3712.  We look forward to helping you streamline your billing process.

A Case Study

Recently a landscaping company called me because they were looking for a lawn service billing company.  The problem?  The demands of managing his crews while growing his business was simply too much for him to handle alone.

In the process some of his customers were not getting billed on time.

Definitely not a good situation.  And one we are uniquely able to handle.

Now, talking with John got me thinking about an incident that happened to me over the winter…

The last winter snow storm dumped too much snow for me to handle alone.  I actually don’t mind shoveling snow (no, I refuse to buy a snow blower), but this time I called my landscaper.

He was out of town enjoying the sun in Florida.  Good for him, but bad for me.

Well, I had the cell phone for the guy my neighbor uses, and gave him a call.  He told me he just left my neighbor’s driveway and was already out of my area, but would come by early in the morning.  And true to his word, he did.

The price was fair, and he did a great job.

After a number of weeks I realized something.  He never invoiced me for clearing my driveway.

I wasn’t sure how much he charged, and didn’t have his business address.  So, needless to say, I never cut him a check for clearing my driveway.  That was 3 months ago…

Now, maybe you’re thinking “what’s the big deal?  At most it’s what, $30 or $40 to clear your driveway.  No big deal.”

Okay, that may be true.  Now multiply that by 5, 10, 25.  The numbers add up.  Fast.  And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that customers (or potential customers) falling through the cracks is NEVER good for your business.

Ever.

So how do you know if you need to…

Outsource Your Billing?

You might need a lawn service billing company (or solution) if:

1. your current system is a dog-earred notebook in the front seat of your truck
2. you don’t have an up-to-date database of ALL your customers (including former customers)
3. you know some customers haven’t paid you yet, but you’re not sure of the exact amount and number of days past due
4. you don’t send invoices on a regular basis

If any of these describe your situation, perhaps it’s time we discuss how we can help you get a handle on your customer invoicing and billing.

Here’s what we can do for you:

1. design a custom invoice with your company name & logo
2. invoice includes a “tear off” return payment slip
3. we include an envelope for return payment
4. we handle postage
5. we can receive payments, deposit to your bank account, and provide you with financial reporting

All for one simple-to-understand fee structure.

If you’re ready for a change, here’s what you can do.  Either leave us a comment here and we’ll get back to you, or send us an email to michael@yourbillingservice.com.

We look forward to hearing from you.  So why not get started today?

How can an outsource billing service help your business?

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that times are tough for many businesses today.  Even if you refuse to buy into the “sky is falling” hype about the economy, it is true that many folks are feeling the pinch.

Especially now the decisions driving business owners are absolutely critical to their success.  What do I mean?

Well, recently my dad shared with a story about a restaurant we used to visit for lunch.  The new owner admitted that things were tough, and that he had to cut back on staff.  This included not only one of the chefs, but also the professional cleaning service that would come in every week to keep the place spotless.

My dad admitted that the place looked “filthy.”  The business owner now cleans up the place every night.  By himself.

And it shows.

The end result?

Let’s just say fewer people are stopping by to eat.  And that becomes a cash flow problem.

Talk about being penny wise and dollar foolish.

And yet, this problem (and proposed “solution”) are all too common in business.  Cutting costs and corners makes sense, but only if it puts more revenue and/or more profit into your pocket.

Clearly, the restaurant owner’s decision to “fire” the cleaning staff has dramatically affected his business.  And not for the better.

So what’s the moral of the story?

Professional Billing Service

What can a professional billing service do for your business?

Let’s break out a few critical tasks vital to your business success that you should NEVER outsource:

1. your marketing
2. your customer service
3. what you actually do for clients

If you’re the owner of a lawn service company, it means you need to control your marketing to attract NEW clients, service existing clients, and managing your crews actually doing the work.

As for the rest?  It’s up to you.

Let me share a quick story about a recent experience with a landscaping company.

During this past winter the last storm of the year was brutal.  It was too much to clear my driveway.  My lawn guy was out of town, so I called on the guy who takes care of my neighbor to plow me out. True to his word, he came by that day and took care of it for me.

That was two months ago.  I haven’t received an invoice yet.

Now, does that make me a bad guy for not paying?

I don’t think so.  Weeks went by before I even noticed.  We’re ALL busy with family, work, you name it.  And all I have is the guy’s cell phone number to boot.

Look, he knows where I live.  He drove by to give me his cell phone number, didn’t he?

Now, think that’s an isolated case?  Hardly.

Recently a business owner called me to see what I could do for his business.  Turns out the person he was using didn’t stay on top of the invoices (he has 120 customers).  And according to him, it was costing him money since he was losing some clients.

If you think your customers will remind you to invoice them, think again.  It just doesn’t work that way.  And it makes you look sloppy.  Unprofessional.

Remember the restaurant owner with the filthy place no one wants to visit anymore?  Well, that’s how you look when you forget to send out invoices.  Or send out incomplete ones.

Your customers will gladly pay you if your invoice demonstrates…

1. value
2. effort

And that’s what an outsource billing service should do for you.

To discover what we can do for your customer billing system, leave us a comment below and we’ll get right back to you.  You can also send an email to michael@yourbillingservice.com.

To read about legal billing services, visit the link to our page.  For lawn service billing, you can follow the link as well.  If you’re in another industry and would like to discover how we can design a billing solution for you, please leave a comment or send us an email.

We look forward to hearing from you.