For example, if you charge customers monthly for services, say alarm system monitoring, then there really is no need to send out invoices each and every month.

Provided, of course, that your customers chooses to sign up for auto-rebilling.

And believe it or not many of your customers would gladly (happily) pay you by using their credit card.  Especially if their monthly charge is the same every month.

We pay for garbage pickup in our town.  I think it costs $33 per month.  After repeated calls (and writing notes on the quarterly invoices) the company  finally decided to offer automatic monthly enrollment.

So how does it work?

Recurring Billing Service

Basically, recurring billing works with a virtual terminal.

A virtual terminal is the term used to describe accepting credit cards by using your computer, a secure online connection, and logging into a website to process credit cards.

The recurring billing part of this automates the credit card processing part.

Meaning, once you charge the customer the first time (by keying in their credit card information using the virtual terminal), the customer will be re-charged each and every month automatically.

The system runs on autopilot.  And the payments get deposited into your business account automatically.

Typical recurring billing features include:

1. Charge your customer on a specific day of the month (i.e. the 15th)
2. Bill your customer every 30 days after the first charge
3. Edit the amount charged to your customer with the click of a button
4. View all of your customers on recurring billing

The best part?

A system like this will save you time, energy and effort.

Online Recurring Billing and Your Business

Now, let me ask you one question.

Doesn’t it make more sense to automate administrative tasks by setting up an online recurring billing service then printing out invoices each month, stuffing envelopes, and mailing them to your customers… only to wait for their check.

Especially if you bill them the same amount each month.

When it comes to running your business, one simple rule should apply when you are looking at a new tool, system or software.

And that rule, to me at least, is whether or not the new tool, system, or whatever makes your business life easier.

It’s as simple as that.

Ready to Learn More…

When you are ready to discover how we can help to automate your billing process, kindly visit the link above to learn more.

You can also give us a call at 877-262-3712 with your questions.  You can also leave a comment here on the page and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

We look forward to helping you streamline your billing process.

Does getting paid on time have anything to do with the way your invoice looks?  Does appearance matter to your customer?

You be the judge.

I’ve included two examples of customer invoices, and after you review both of them think of these questions:

1. Which one looks better?
2. Which one conveys a professional image & that you know what you are doing?
3. Which one do you think the customer is going to pay first?

Here is an example of an actual invoice I received from my landscaper:

On a side note, he is not a client.  His business hasn’t reached a point where outsourcing his billing is a viable option yet…

Now, maybe your current invoicing “system” isn’t this, well… bad.  Maybe you’ve got your act together, and actually send out invoices that convey how professional your business is.

In any event, here is another example of an invoice.  Take note of the differences.

Honestly, ask yourself just one question.  Of the two, which one would you willingly pay?

That’s all we’re saying.

By the way, the second invoice is an example of the kind of work we do for you.  We even have an option where payments can be sent to us for processing.  We enter in credit card payment info for you, and checks can be deposited in the bank for you, or sent to you along with a financial account report.

So, if you don’t mind, ask yourself one more question…

Is it time to think about having us handle your lawn service billing for you yet?  We know it’s getting late in the year.  So here’s a suggestion for you if you don’t mind…

give us a call around September or October if that fits your hectic schedule better.  That way you can try us out and have time to evaluate just how valuable our service can be for you… and your business.

And come the spring time you’ll have one less thing on your “to do” list.

Here’s how to get started…

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 help to automate your lawn service billing process, visit the link to give us a call at 877-262-3712.  We look forward to helping you streamline your billing process.

On the face of it, I guess you can sum it up this way.  Business owners should focus their time and energy on the tasks that bring more money into the business, while delegating all other “low dollar” tasks to others.

Meaning, to maximize your business you need to focus your energy on the essential functions of your business that keep you in business, such as:

• marketing for new customers/clients
• on-going marketing to existing customers/clients
• doing the “high dollar” tasks that can’t be outsourced (you know better what this means for your particular business)

What about all the rest?  Well, think of it this way.  Is administrative busy-work the best use of your time?  Think about it.

Not to mention, here are a list of five (5) ways outsourcing your business to a billing services company can help you with the bottom line…

1. help you get paid on time
2. help you make more money
3. help improve your cash flow
4. help you build your business
5. help you retain customers

How can it do all that?

Get Paid On Time

If you want to get paid on time, you have to invoice on time.  If you are a landscaper, it means getting your cut list out the door on time, every month.  And then making it easy for your customers to pay you.

Do you accept credit cards?  If not, maybe you should.

On a side note, my other business is merchant processing.  You can visit the site by following the link.  It is a documented fact that accepting payments by credit card will help you get paid much quicker.  People pay for all types of goods and services by credit, and are more likely to “take out plastic” than write a check.

By accepting credit cards, you speed up the payment process because people are more likely to pay by credit card then with a check.

Additionally, payments by credit card can be processed from your desk with a computer, with money deposited into your account 24 to 48 hours later.

No more waiting on checks.  No more waiting for “out of town” checks to clear.

For more information, check out this article on merchant accounts and checks by following the link.

Do you have clear records on which customers have paid, and which ones still owe you money?  If not, your accounts receivables are a mess.

Being able to quickly account for who has paid you, and who hasn’t, is important for your business and your cash flow.  How much time are you wasting each month just trying to figure out who has paid, who is late, and then re-invoicing those customers who owe you money.

Having a monthly financial report goes a long way to streamlining your billing process.

We’ll address the other four (4) points in upcoming articles, so come back when you get a chance.  You can always bookmark our site as well. So stay tuned…

Next Steps…

Ready to get started.  Currently we are offering a…

30 Day FREE “no-cost, no-strings-attached” Trial

Test the program with our “no-cost, no-strings-attached” test drive.  Prove to yourself that it’s the “easy-breezy” system you’ve been waiting for.  If you’re not happy with the results simply let us know.  You risk nothing.

Here’s how the program works:

1. You or your crew call a toll free number and leave a message regarding work done (date, time, etc.)
2. Your voice message becomes an email.
3. We create the invoice based on your notes
4. If we have any questions we give you a call on our dime
5. Once invoices are ready we mail them for you

What could be easier than that?

To discover how we can help to automate your lawn service billing process, visit the link to give us a call at 877-262-3712. For legal billing services simply follow the link.

Are you in another industry?  No problems.  Our billing system is ideal for just about any professional practice.  Leave us a comment below to discover how we can help you and we’ll reply by email.

We look forward to helping you streamline your billing process.