Getting paid reliably.
THE OPTIONS
Manual invoicing, which works for the first few clients A billing system, which automates invoices, reminders and suspension A simple subscription through your payment gateway
STARTING MANUALLY
Legitimate, and it teaches you what you actually need before you buy software.
Ten clients invoiced manually is manageable. Fifty is not.
WHAT A BILLING SYSTEM PROVIDES
Recurring invoices Automatic reminders Payment collection Suspension for non-payment A client area A record
WHEN TO ADOPT ONE
When manual invoicing takes more time than the software costs, or when you start forgetting to invoice.
That is usually around ten to twenty clients.
PAYMENT METHODS
Offer what your clients use. For Nigerian clients that means a gateway supporting local cards and bank transfer.
Bank transfer is widely preferred and requires manual reconciliation.
BILLING CYCLE
Annual is better for cash flow and reduces churn. Offer a discount for it.
Monthly suits clients who prefer it and produces more administration.