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Top 5 electrical contractor business invoicing software options

Are you on the hunt for an electrical contractor business invoicing software? Click through for a list of your top options!

Top 5 electrical contractor business invoicing software options Read More »

As an electrician, you likely do multiple jobs per day. With electrical work being as busy as it is, administrative tasks like bookkeeping and invoicing are probably at the bottom of your list.

Fortunately, many electrical contractor business invoicing software options save you time and energy so you can focus on the real money-making work. Read on for the top electrical business invoicing software options.

Electrical contractor invoice terms and conditions: The basics

An electrical contractor invoice is a document you send to clients when collecting payment. Usually, invoices contain information such as:

A breakdown of services provided.
The materials used.
A payment deadline.
General electrical contractor invoice terms and conditions.
The total cost that your customer must pay.

Invoices are to notify the customer that they need to pay for your work and share details on how to pay you.

Invoices are also financial records. So you can quickly look up previous work with a customer, establish a profit and loss report, and, most importantly — make sure your business is profitable. Past invoices are an excellent way to track financial growth and help you prepare your tax forms.

Pro-tip: All of the above administrative tasks are simpler with the right electrical contractor business invoicing software.

How to factor in work by your subcontractors

Electricians sometimes need subcontractors like roofing and plumbing specialists. As a result, you need to factor this into your invoice, so your customer doesn’t have to pay multiple people.

There are several types of electrical business invoices you can add subcontractor work into:

Standard electrical invoice: This is the most straightforward invoice type that details a single project and notifies the client of how much they owe.
Recurring electrical invoice: This invoice type is used for recurring jobs like regular electrical maintenance or long-term projects.
Prepaid electrical invoice: A prepaid electrical invoice allows you to collect a deposit before performing the requested electrical service.
Time-based electrical invoice: Slightly different from a standard invoice, a time-based electrical invoice is used if you charge an hourly rate.

Electrical contractor invoice terms and conditions

Electrical invoices contain several terms and conditions that both you and your customer must agree upon. The most common electrical contractor invoice terms and conditions include the following.

Tax terms

The government imposes taxes on many goods and services. Before coming up with your final invoice amount, multiply your service price by the applicable tax rates.

By shifting the burden of taxes to your client, you can take home a much larger cut of the profits.

Service terms

Service terms are typically dictated by the electricians themselves. In your electrical contractor invoice terms and conditions section, define the services included in the job and those that are not.

For instance, if your invoice states that your customer hired you to rewire the lights, your job scope is limited to that alone.

If they then ask you to install circuit breakers, you have the right to charge them for the extra work.

Schedule terms

As an electrician, you may work on multiple homes or buildings per day. As a result, your schedule is usually jam-packed.

To prevent any last-minute schedule shifts or cancellations, implement a schedule change deadline in your invoice.

If your customer decides to cancel or move their appointment after the deadline, you can impose a penalty on them as part of your electrical contractor invoice terms and conditions.

Changes terms

Sometimes, material and labor costs can suddenly change. To protect yourself from these sudden shifts, state in your electrical contractor invoice terms and conditions that you reserve the right to alter the billed amount.

Pro-tip: Electrical contractor business invoicing software incorporates your terms and conditions into your invoice template so you can set and forget this important detail.

How electrical contractor business invoicing software can help

Are you still on the fence about purchasing electrical contractor business software? Well, here are some benefits of electrical contractor business invoicing software.

Efficient scheduling

Many electrical invoicing software options offer scheduling and dispatching features that allow you to assign jobs and monitor their progress in real-time. This way, you don’t have to bother with time-consuming phone check-ins or rely on post-job electrician reports.

The less time you spend scheduling, routing, and making sure your electricians are assigned jobs, the more time you can spend on improving your services and customer satisfaction.

Accurate timesheets and payroll

Electrical contractor software offers robust accounting and payroll features that accurately track your team’s work hours.

With the most up-to-date information on your team’s performance, you can pay fair wages based on their work ethic and reliability.

Information ready to go

Electrical business invoicing software collects all the customer information you need to bill your customers.

So, instead of looking for the details needed to invoice, they are all at your fingertips. As a result, you can bill your customers in just a few clicks with electrical contractor business invoicing software.

When it comes to reporting, you can select the relevant information in your electrical contractor business invoicing software to create the report almost instantly.

The best electrical contractor software options

There are dozens of electrical contractor software options on the market today. Here is a list of the five best electrical contractor software you can implement ASAP.

1. Method:Field Services

Method:Field Services is an all-in-one software platform that merges all administrative tasks, from invoicing to job scheduling. It uses cloud technology to make desktop and mobile access possible to make connecting your entire team possible.

Method:Field Services boasts:

On-the-spot invoicing: Create invoices on the go through Method’s mobile app.
Personalized transaction templates: Tailor your invoice format to your business, from its branding to the electrical contractor invoice terms and conditions you require.
Robust dispatching and navigation tools: Map out the best routes, so your field technicians get to job sites faster.
QuickBooks Online and Desktop integration: Eliminate double data entry and reduce admin work through Method’s top-notch accounting software integrations.

Plans and pricing

Method:Field Services start at $15 per month for field technicians, and dispatchers are $45 monthly. Sign up for the no-commitment trial today.

2. Buildops

Buildops is a cloud-based electrical contractor business invoicing software. It boasts an intuitive technician mobile app, an invoicing tool with e-signature capture, and many more features, like:

Automatic scheduling tools: Avoid scheduling conflicts by automatically assigning available technicians to open jobs.
Service agreement tracking: Ensure recurring jobs are done on schedule to retain ongoing clients.
Real-time data reporting: Create reports for every part of the business in a flash.

Plans and pricing

Buildops does not publish pricing information on its website. Contact a sales representative to book a live demo and learn more.

3. Jobber

Jobber is a field service management software that prioritizes ease of use. Its free product training, unlimited customer service, and entrepreneur community ensure that anyone can use it to its maximum potential.

Jobber provides robust features like:

GPS-supported job tracking: Keep an eye on your team’s job progress at any point through Jobber’s work tracking tool.
Automatic quoting and invoicing: Create job quotes for customers to approve, then instantly convert them into invoices to get paid faster.
Mobile app: Communicate with clients and technicians from anywhere with Jobber’s iOS and Android apps.

Plans and pricing

Jobber starts at $49 per month. It also offers a 14-day free trial.

4. Housecall Pro

Field service management software Housecall Pro promises to grow your business by improving profitability and creating a scalable workforce to meet demand.

It does so with an automated marketing tool that lets you send special offers to potential customers without any extra work. Other notable features of this electrical contractor business invoicing software include:

Intuitive digital scheduling tool: Eliminate double booking by automatically assigning jobs to technicians.
Text-based job notifications: Send new jobs to technicians via text to minimize travel time to and from the office.
In-app team chat: Coordinate and communicate with workers on the fly through the app’s chat feature.

Plans and pricing

Housecall Pro starts at $65 per month. It also offers a free trial.

5. FieldEdge

Field management software FieldEdge gives you a better look at your business by tracking the performance of all your technicians and office staff. It also makes coming up with financial decisions easier through quick reporting.

FieldEdge also offers features like:

Drag-and-drop scheduling: Assign technicians jobs within minutes and easily track work progress.
Customer relationship management dashboard: Keep your clients happy by providing reliable, high-quality service.
Mobile price books: Help customers understand what they’re buying and how your technicians can help.

Plans and pricing

FieldEdge doesn’t publish any pricing information on its site. Contact a sales rep to get a demo and personalized price plans.

Electrical contractor business invoicing software: Final thoughts

Electrical contractor business invoicing software allows you to automate administrative tasks so you can concentrate on money-making work. Additional features like CRM and service agreement trackers are key to look out for to keep clients happy and coming back for more.

The best way to find the right tool for your business is to try it before you buy it. So look for providers that offer free trials and don’t require long-term contracts.

Get started with your free trial of Method:Field Services!

Image credit: Kelly L via Pexels

The best electrical invoice template for your business

Field Services / By Sarah Iranca

Find out how you can take your electrical business to new heights with the best electrical invoice template.

The best electrical invoice template for your business Read More »

Having a professional electrical invoice template is crucial for handling an electrical business. It’s what makes sure you get paid accurately and on time.

Find out how to create an electrical service invoice template that helps your business run efficiently and with few mistakes. But first, let’s dive into why a professional invoicing process is vital to business growth.

The importance of invoicing for electricians

If you offer electrical services, you need a professional invoice process. It legitimizes your services and gives you a professional edge.

Whether you use invoicing software or an Excel sheet template, you need an electrical business form that breaks down all costs per job. This gives your customers a clear view of what they pay for and gives you your work’s accurate cost.

An efficient invoicing system gives you an organized account of previous jobs, which helps with pricing future jobs and summarizes completed work for when customers return for more services.

What is an electrician invoice used for?

An invoice includes job information for when to bill your customers. It has relevant job details, including:

Company information.
Customer details.
The job description.
Accepted payment methods.
Labor and materials used.
The sub-total and total cost.

These electric business form fields paint an overview of the work that has been done, leaving little room for confusion when collecting payment.

Customers get an easy breakdown of the services and materials they pay for in one organized form.

How to make an electrician invoice template

Standard form fields and details should be included on every single invoice.

To start making your electrician invoice template, follow the following steps.

Step 1: Choose your invoice format

The format of your invoice should stay consistent throughout all jobs. This ensures that every invoice includes relevant data.

Whether you use Google Docs, Sheets, or invoicing software, you want a uniform digital invoicing system to create professional invoices easily.

With an electrical invoice template or electrical invoicing software, you can create a reliable format that lets you organize your list of invoices.

Step 2: Add your contact info

Make sure to give customers your contact details if they need to reach you about items on the invoice or future work.

Step 3: Create a field for invoice number and due date

Invoice numbers are important for tracking payments. Easily pull up past services with invoice numbers to keep track of completed jobs.

The payment due date is a key form field to give your customers time to discuss any issues or changes necessary on the invoice.

Step 4: Calculate and include the cost of supplies and labor

The point of an electrical work invoice template is to break down the cost of materials and labor.

The best practice is to breakdown material costs by:

Describing the material.
Quantity.
Unit price.
Sales tax.

The best way to breakdown labor costs is by:

Describing the labor needed.
Hours.
Hourly rates.

Get your free electrical invoice template

Get ready to create invoices faster, accurately, and without forgetting important details.

Increase the efficiency of your electrical business by downloading your free electrical invoice template.

An invoice template empowers your team to create fast and accurate invoices that reflect your company’s needs and get you paid on time.

Get your copy

Choosing the best electrical service invoice template for your business

To keep your cash flow healthy, your customers need to pay you on time.

With an electrician invoice template, you give your customers the necessary information for a seamless payment process, and you get paid sooner. A true win-win!

Want to know how invoice software saves you time and money? Take a look at this blog.

Image credit: Visoot via Adobe Stock

An electric bill invoice template to improve your bottom line

Field Services / By Shana Cesaire

Is creating invoices taking up too much time? Here’s an electric bill invoice template to increase your efficiency and get more done!

An electric bill invoice template to improve your bottom line Read More »

Getting a signature and doing the job are only your first steps. Billing is the final and most crucial stage in your electrical business.

Billing can be a scary word, but it’s without question that you need to set a standard for it. This way, all parties involved in your business arrangements remain in the loop about payment expectations.

It’s your chance to leave a lasting impression on your customers and ensure that you get paid on time. So it’s important to deliver clear, concise, and timely invoices after each job.

Our investigation demonstrated that creating an electrician invoice template Excel sheet is the quickest way to ensure that your invoices stay consistent and transparent. Using templates means that you barely need to lift a finger when sending invoices – this will save you tons of time and money in the long run.

In this article, you’ll receive instructions on everything you should include in an electric bill invoice template, as well as a few tips on how it simplifies your process to get you paid faster.

Electric bill invoice 101

As per our expertise, an electric bill invoice is a document that you present to your customer detailing the work that’s been done and the final cost.

Typically, you present this invoice to your customer once the job is complete and they are satisfied with your work.

If it’s a large electric job in the city, for example, it’s good to deliver multiple invoices throughout the job. This way, your customer can pay in installments, as opposed to facing one large bill at the end.

There are two main factors to consider when creating your electrical invoices. They are:

The format of the invoice.
The content of the invoice.

Although the content of your invoice may change based on the job and your customer, the format should stay relatively the same. Based on our observations, consistency standardizes your customer service workflows and helps answer any questions people may have about their bills.

The best way to ensure consistency in your electrical invoices is by creating an electrical bill invoice template.

What is an electric bill invoice template used for?

An electrical bill invoice template is a form that has your invoice fields ready to go. Once you complete a job, all you have to do is plug in the numbers to generate a final invoice to your customers.

Based on our firsthand experience, most invoices feature the same general information, meaning that you could use a template for different purposes. For example, the same document could serve as an electricity bill or a utility bill template.

This saves you from creating thousands of invoices from scratch every year for the same products or services, which allows you to focus your time and energy into other business matters.

As a result of having easy-to-follow guidelines, you deliver your invoice quicker, get paid sooner, and keep your revenue flowing.

When it comes to creating your electric bill invoice template, you have several options, such as:

A Google Sheets electrical invoice template.
An electrician invoice template Excel file.
Downloading a basic invoice template online.

Through our practical knowledge, we know that both Excel and Google Sheets are popular options for creating the best electric invoice template, so let’s walk through how to create your own electrician invoice template Excel sheet.

What your electric bill format in Excel should include

The purpose of your electrician invoice template Excel file is to provide your customer with the following billing details:

The work that’s being billed.
The amount your customer owes.
When, where, and how to pay.

So you don’t want to leave anything out.

Drawing from our experience, an electric bill invoice template with the standard fields in place is the best way to ensure nothing slips through the cracks. Just make sure to delete any sample text in your template.

Below are the key electrical work invoice details that your electric bill format in Excel should include.

Your company details

At the top of your electrician invoice template Excel sheet should be your business information and contact details. This is important for your customers’ records, and in case they need to get in touch with you about their bill.

Include company details such as:

Company name.
Phone number and email address.
Name of the electrician on the job.

What’s more, you should include your customer contact information as well to ensure that your invoice is delivered to the right area and person.

Material and labor costs

A key part of your electrician invoice is the breakdown of costs.

There’s nothing worse than presenting a customer with the total cost of the job and receiving pushback or disagreement.

Without a rigid breakdown of the costs of the job, you don’t have any proof you can show your customer for them to compare with that final number. This leads to angry customers and puts your business at risk.

Detailing the cost of materials and labor avoids confusion and emphasizes your transparency. And breaking down the categories that comprise your expenses sheds light on your pricing strategy.

It can be hard to gain votes of confidence from your customers, but our research indicates that transparency ensures that they won’t regret signing a contract. Be sure to include information such as:

The hourly rate of your electrician.
Total number of hours worked on the job.
A complete list of material used and quantity.
Price of materials per unit.
Utility bill expenses such as electricity, water, and natural gas.

You don’t need to account for every single kilowatt your tools use, but power consumption is high on every electrical job site, so utility usage should factor into your overall cost.

Then, don’t forget to calculate the total amount due!

Payment terms

No matter how well you break down the costs of the job in your electrician invoice template Excel sheet, if you don’t provide payment information clearly, you put your revenue at risk.

An electric bill invoice template is a great place to explain your prices and payment terms. It ensures that your customer has all of the information they need in one place.

Your payment terms typically include the date payment is due or how much time your customer has to make payment upon receipt of the invoice.

If you and your customer agree on a payment plan, include each payment due date with day, month, and year to avoid ambiguity.

Our findings show that it’s also a good idea to have a section in your electric bill format in Excel explaining any additional charges you might impose.

For instance, you should include your procedure regarding overdue payments — including any late fees or penalties.

Make sure to send a letter with reasonable notice to your customer before deciding to charge them more than the initial amount. This helps you avoid adding even more gas to the fire if your customer gets upset.

Payment methods

The last piece of information your customer needs is how to make their payment.

First, detail how you accept payments, whether that be:

Online (i.e., electrical invoice software).
By phone.
By mail.
In-person.

Next, list your accepted payment methods. If you take credit card payments, include the credit cards you accept. You can even mention which payment type and card provider you prefer. The easier you make it for your customers to access these payment methods, the more likely you are to receive payment.

An electrician invoice template Excel sheet increases your efficiency in the long run, but as indicated by our tests, it takes time to create the initial template. If you have concerns about that, we’ve got you covered.

Skip Excel: Download your electric bill invoice template

No one wants to navigate Excel if they don’t have to. Well, you don’t have to.

Go straight to the part where you boost efficiency by downloading your free electric bill invoice template, among other helpful template PDFs, in just a couple of clicks – no sign-up or registration required!

Simply modify it to reflect your business, and you’re ready to bill any job in just a few minutes. You can consider it as a utility bill generator, too, because it’s the perfect template for Internet or utility bills. With a few minor tweaks, you can easily include whatever utilities you’re charging for.

You should be able to download the template to any device, including your mobile device.

If you don’t see the download form, download your template from this web page.

Get your copy

Electric bill invoice template transforms your business

Amongst the several electrical business forms you present to your customer, an invoice is the one that ensures that you get paid. Document management is tough enough without having to draft a new invoice from scratch every time you bill someone.

After putting it to the test, it’s clear that an electric bill invoice template ensures that you include the relevant information your customers need to make their payments on time. As a result, you get paid sooner and grow your electrical business.

Check out this blog in our library to learn how electrical invoice software drives even more efficiency.

Automate your invoicing process with a free trial of Method CRM.

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5 words of advice for companies when Pride month ends

Method News / By Shana Cesaire

Your support for the LGBTQ+ community shouldn’t stop in June. Check out this blog for tips for companies when Pride month ends.

5 words of advice for companies when Pride month ends Read More »

June is here, meaning that it’s Pride month. And for the first time in two years, much of the world’s Pride celebrations will be restriction-free.

Companies often join in on the celebration by sponsoring Pride parades and working the Pride flag into their branding. But what happens to companies when Pride month ends? The initiatives of the month are often forgotten.

While it’s important for your business to show support for the LGBTQ+ community during June, it’s key to be authentic and consistent with your support throughout the year. This is especially true for those who keep your business going: your employees.

If you want to learn the responsibilities of companies after Pride month, you’ve come to the right place. Here are the top 5 ways to take your support for your LGBTQ+ employees beyond June Pride month.

1. Respect other people’s pronouns

One of the simplest yet most impactful ways for companies after pride month to support their employees is by using and respecting everyone’s preferred pronouns.

To start, ask for job applicants to include their preferred pronouns with their application. This way, everyone is on the same page before an interview.

You want to avoid assuming someone’s pronouns based on how they look. If you’re not sure, ask. Better yet, make an effort to learn your employees’ pronouns as soon as you meet them.

Create a safe space by first introducing yourself with your pronouns. This allows your employee to comfortably tell you their pronouns and get it out of the way.

Encouraging your employees to indicate their pronouns on tools like Slack or in their Zoom names further normalizes sharing your pronouns and acts a friendly reminder for your team!

What’s more, if your employee prefers a name that is not their legal name, respect them by using their preferred name.

If you accidentally misgender someone, here are the three things you should do:

Apologize.
Correct yourself.
Move on.

Don’t be overly apologetic or make the moment about you. The best apology is to try to do better.

2. Provide channels for feedback

A key part of evolving as a company is listening to your employees.

There may be flaws in your current company culture that may not make all of your employees feel safe .

To fix that, you should provide a space for them to give you feedback directly or anonymously, and act on that feedback.

An essential part of supporting your LGBTQ+ employees year-round is to not take criticism personally. You may not realize that your actions hurt your employees, but you have the power to fix the problem and ensure that everyone feels comfortable at their job.

June Pride month is a good time to open the door for feedback if you haven’t already. However, continuous feedback for companies when pride month ends is the best way to ensure long-lasting, psychological safety for all your employees.

3. Stay up to date with current events

How often do you see something happen in the news and brush it off because it doesn’t immediately affect you? We’re all guilty of it. But when you manage a team, it’s important to consider their needs.

Human rights are an everyday issue. June Pride month isn’t the only time that the LGBTQ+ community exists, and unfortunately, its members experience hardships throughout much of the year.

There are continuous discussions and changes in laws and policies that affect minority groups, including the LGBTQ+ community.

When you keep up with these changes and address them, it shows your team that you pay attention and care.

Beyond that, Pride isn’t the only awareness celebration for the LGBTQ+ community. Learn about the other awareness days that affect the LGBTQ+ community for year-round awareness.

Here are just a few additional dates to put on your calendar:

March: Bisexual Health Awareness Month and Women’s History.
March 31: International Transgender Day of Visibility.
May 17: International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia.
June 28: The Stonewall Riots Anniversary.
November: Transgender Awareness Month.

By staying mindful of these dates, you’re automatically in a better position to support your employees and become known as one of the authentic companies when Pride month ends.

4. Strive for representation at all levels of your organization

Another positive move for companies after pride month is to encourage diverse representation across their organization.

It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean filling a quota or pushing for anyone to share information they don’t want to.

In fact, many people never disclose their full identity at work. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 46% of LGBTQ+ employees are closeted at work.

However, you should still stay mindful of building a diverse company that encourages people to be their authentic selves.

Take a close look at your company. If your leadership positions are comprised of all cisgender heterosexual men, ask yourself why that is and whether it’s time to reframe your hiring processes.

You may not prioritize LGBTQ+ values or other values of marginalized communities in your recruitment process to attract a wide range of candidates.

5. Continue to educate yourself

June Pride month should not be the end of your LGBTQ+ support.

The most effective way for companies when pride month ends to maintain LGBTQ+ support is to educate themselves year-round. Here are some ways to do that:

Train all staff on discrimination policies.
Seek LGBTQ+ literature.
Learn the proper terminology.
Encourage open conversations.

Business owners and managers have control over their companies when pride month ends and have a responsibility to continue to educate their employees throughout the year.

Don’t forget: Listen to your employees’ experiences, but only if they choose to share. It is not your employees’ responsibility to educate you.

Bonus: Put your money (and time) where your mouth is

Throwing a rainbow logo on your social media is often seen as a poor attempt by companies at allyship. Instead of this performative action, think about how your company positively impacts the LGBTQ+ community.

Here are a few examples to get the ball rolling:

Start a scholarship fund for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Donate your time and capital to a local charity that supports LGBTQ+ people in need.
Invest in unconscious bias training for your employees.

Recap: Companies when Pride month ends.

Companies after Pride month should continue to work with their LGBTQ+ employees to foster a safe and comfortable environment for all.

This Pride month, here’s how to make a long-term impact:

Respect others’ pronouns.
Provide channels for feedback.
Stay up to date with current events.
Encourage representation across your organization.
Educate yourself.
Look for actionable ways to support your local LGBTQ+ community.

Image credit: Mercedes Mehling via Unsplash

Here’s how electrical invoice software grows revenue

Field Services / By Sarah Iranca

Growing revenue is a vital part of running your electrical business. See how electrical invoice software can help.

Here’s how electrical invoice software grows revenue Read More »

Electrical contracting companies need simple solutions that improve operations for the office team and field technicians. With electrical invoice software, it’s easy to create professional invoices and custom templates that transform how you run your business.

Here’s your guide on how electric invoice software grows revenue for your small business. Let’s start with what electrical contractor software is and how it improves your invoicing process.

What is electrical contractor software?

Electrical contractor software gives electrical companies an all-in-one solution for:

Scheduling and dispatching.
Automatic invoicing.
Reporting from field to office.
Business analytics.

The features software for electricians has helps you plan projects, track job details, and get real-time updates on jobs from your field technicians. It also improves your job scheduling with automated dispatching.

Electric invoice software vs. an electric invoice template

Using an electric invoice template offers a small portion of the benefits of electric invoice software.

An electrical contractor invoice template lets you create an invoice with custom form fields such as:

Customer details.
Payment due dates.
Work order number.
Additional notes and instructions.
Total, sub-total, and taxes.

But seamless invoice creation is truly only possible with electrical invoice software. With customizations and automated processes, pen and paper invoicing just can’t compete.

Other reasons to implement an electric invoice software include to:

Improve revenue and reduce unnecessary costs.
Enhance customer service and communication.
Create custom reports to uncover business insights.

The bottom line is that electrical contractor software helps you increase productivity and earnings.

The top benefits of electrical invoice software

Check out the top four benefits your business gets with electrical software below.

Save time by automating your invoicing process

If you’re stuck with hours of invoicing, it’s time to start getting that time back with electrical invoice software.

To start, create an invoice template with the form fields you need in your tool of choice.

From there, automate your invoicing process with features like bulk invoicing, e-signature capture, online payments and more!

Better yet, look for a tool that syncs with your accounting software of choice to save yourself even more time.

By automating your invoicing process, you can focus on:

Marketing efforts to bring in new customers.
Expanding your electrical services.
Scheduling more jobs.
Offering top-tier customer service.

Stay productive on the go with a mobile app

A mobile app for your electrical invoice software is a must if you want to increase efficiency and empower field technicians. Here’s why.

First, it’s crucial for growing field service companies to access service history, customer details, and a real-time line of communication with your office team. And this is exactly what a mobile app enables.

Beyond this, an electrical invoice software mobile application lets your field techs:

Create estimates and invoices on the go.
Collect payments with a built-in payment processing system.
Edit invoices to match changes that occur on the job.
Update the office team about changes to schedules, jobs, and payments.

Make your small business look professional

Customer relationships make or break a small business. So it’s vital to have electrical invoice software that makes your templates, processes, and customer portal look as professional as possible. This way, your business can compete with larger competitors with more resources.

Use an electric invoice software to personalize and brand your:

Estimates, invoices, and other documents.
Customer online portals.
Marketing campaigns.
Job schedules for your technicians.

Accounting software integration for an all-in-one solution

Integrating your accounting software with your electrical invoice software has never been easier, with many solutions offering native integrations.

The beauty of this feature is that all your accounting details sync to your electric invoice software and vice versa.

With a solid electrician software solution, you’ll never worry about mistakes due to double data entry again.

The best electrical software for QuickBooks

Whether you’re using QuickBooks Online or Desktop, electrical invoice software like Method:Field Services combines your accounting workflows to create one, all-encompassing solution.

Method:Field Services allows QuickBooks users to:

Empower field technicians to make sales while on the job.
Give accurate revenue reports by separating estimates from invoices.
Create personalized work orders.
Connect field technicians with office management at all times.

Below is an example of how Method:Field Services improves your day-to-day — from job scheduling to invoicing.

Conclusion: Take the next step with electrical invoice software

Electrical invoice software grows revenue by allowing business owners to focus on growth strategies.

Here’s a recap on how electric invoice software saves you hours each workweek and increases revenue:

Automates your sales process from beginning to end.
Gives you access to job and customer information through a mobile app.
Personalizes invoices and other forms to make you look professional.
Avoid double data entry with integrations with accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero.

Find out how to improve your electrical work invoicing process with Method:Field Services here.

Image credit: Tomasz Zajda via Adobe Stock

10 best small business CRM software Australia offers

CRM, Small Business / By Sarah Iranca

Keep on top of the competition and discover the power of CRMs. Find out the top 10 best small business CRM Australia has to offer.

10 best small business CRM software Australia offers Read More »

Drawing from our experience, customer relationship management (CRM) software offers small businesses crucial tools to compete with bigger competitors. For example, a CRM helps boost your customer’s experience and improve sales by automatically organizing your current customers and capturing new leads.

And this is only the beginning of how this solution helps your business!

When choosing the right small business CRM Australia solution, it’s vital to understand what CRM software is and how it benefits your business. Read on to find out your top 10 small business CRM Australia options.

What is a CRM software?

As per our expertise, CRM software fuels your growing business with tools that track your contacts, capture leads automatically, and build the long-lasting relationships you want with your customers.

When looking for a CRM software, make sure to keep an eye out for one that has:

Native integrations with your everyday tools like Gmail, Outlook, etc.
Automation tools for sales and marketing.
Two-way sync with your accounting software like QuickBooks or Xero.
Automatic follow-ups with leads and appointment reminders.
Online customer portals for a better customer experience.
A commissions calculator for your sales team.

The growth of CRM software in Australia

CRM software is one of the fasted-growing software markets worldwide. Our research indicates that it has an estimated growth of reaching $80 billion by 2025.

The small business CRM Australia segment is key as the growth CRM enables for Australian businesses is created through a snowball effect.

When companies implement CRM software, they see exceptional revenue growth, making it crucial for other businesses to invest in a quality CRM system to compete.

Australian businesses spent more than $2 billion on CRM software in 2018, and that number has grown exceptionally over the past few years.

Why is the CRM market growing so fast?

Based on our firsthand experience, today, customer experience is vital to any small business’s growth. What’s more, internet use has migrated to mobile devices, which has boosted the use of CRM’s on-the-go.

Our findings show that more small businesses use CRM software to stay competitive against larger companies. Automation tools for sales and marketing drive growth and allow business owners to have more time to dedicate to new product lines or services.

What does CRM software do?

Through our practical knowledge, small business CRM software is more than just a contact management solution. A strong CRM solution helps fill the gaps that slow down your sales process.

Over time, we found that a CRM enhances your sales experience from lead capture to closing a sale.

The best small business CRM Australia contenders:

Connect your entire business in one software.
Keep your team up-to-date with real-time sync with your accounting software.
Automate your daily repetitive tasks.
Simplify your workdays and get more time back to focus on growth.

Why consider CRM implementation or upgrade?

When it comes to implementing or upgrading your CRM system, it’s time to evaluate what keeps your small business from reaching your growth goals.

Here are a few areas in which a CRM benefits your business:

Overview of customer data, interactions, and transactions shared company-wide.
Data collection, analytics, and reporting specific to your business.
On-the-go access to your lead and customer data through a mobile app.
Integrations that power your operations.

How does a CRM help?

A CRM helps your business by never letting you miss a sales opportunity. With automatic lead capture and follow-up reminders, you’re on track to close more sales.

Based on our observations, almost every aspect of your business benefits from CRM tools, as automation is possible for your daily, weekly, and monthly tasks.

Best CRM software in Australia

While it might be easy to search for the most popular, cheapest, or all-in-one small business CRM Australia software solution, it’s worth considering a few key areas before deciding.

Below are the top 10 best CRM software for small businesses. They each list their key features, pros, cons, and pricing.

1. Method CRM

Customizable software that automates your processes and saves you hours in your workday is what you get with this small business CRM Australia solution.

Tracks your sales process at every stage and never miss a sales opportunity again with Method CRM’s leading automation.

Key features

Method CRM offers features including:

Two-way sync for QuickBooks and Xero users.
24/7 online customer portals to empower your customers with self-service.
Integrations with Gmail, Outlook, Google Calendar, and more.
Manage customers and leads with a 360-degree view of their history and all interactions.
Lead capture from your inbox, website, etc.

Pros

Easily stay up-to-date and connected with their mobile app.
Improve your customer service with Method’s online self-serve customer portals.
Use their customizable, drag-and-drop tools to create your perfect CRM experience.
free trial with full access to all features and an unlimited amount of users.

Take advantage of a free hour of customization services with an in-house expert alongside your free trial.

Cons

Method is only available in English currently.
To take advantage of all that Method CRM offers, you must be a QuickBooks or Xero user.

Pricing

Method CRM offers three pricing plans. All plans are billed in USD:

Contact management plan at $28 per month.
CRM pro plan at $49 per month.
CRM enterprise plan at $85 per month.

These plans are available monthly or annually with no contract necessary.

2. Really Simple Systems

Image credit: Really Simple Systems

Our analysis of this product revealed that Really Simple Systems helps your small business create lasting relationships and close more sales. It’s an easy-to-use small business CRM Australia solution that manages your sales, marketing, and customer support processes.

Key features

Some of their key features include:

Customer history and interaction tracking.
Marketing and email campaign tools built-in.

Pros

Stellar and free customer support.
Simple to use and navigate.

Cons

Times you out of the software often.
Limited custom reporting.
Only offers a free trial for the Professional plan.

Pricing

Really Simple Systems offers a limited free version of their software and three paid pricing plans billed annually. All of their packages are billed in AUD:

Starter plan: $16 per month.
Professional plan: $35 per month.
Enterprise plan: $55 per month.

3. Salesforce CRM

Image credit: Salesforce

Salesforce offers a lot of choices for the right small business CRM Australia solution for your business. They offer tools to help you customize and automate your sales, marketing, and support processes.

Key Features

Salesforce’s key features include:

A seamless user experience.
Automation tools for repetitive tasks.
Tools for a variety of industries.

Pros

Flexible cloud solution.
Customizable options.
Marketing automation.

Cons

Customer support is difficult to reach.
A Salesforce specialist or consultant is usually needed (at a high price point).
Offers a limited 14-day free trial.

Pricing

Salesforce offers small business pricing plans billed in AUD:

Essentials plan: $35 per month.
Professional plan: $105 per month.
Enterprise plan: $210 per month.
Unlimited plan: $420 per month.

4. Zoho CRM

Image credit: Discover CRM

Zoho CRM offers customer management tools covering all aspects of running your small business. From marketing to finances. They also offer a free version for up to 10 users and with limited software features.

Key Features

360-view of customers.
Easy and fast lead capture.
Integration with other applications.

Pros

Customer support is highly accessible.
Form creation is highly customizable.

Cons

Vague reporting capabilities.
Their mobile CRM lacks tools available on their web version.
Unfriendly user interface.

Pricing

Zoho CRM has a 15-day free trial and four pricing packages billed in AUD. They include:

Free plan: $0 per month.
Basic plan: $75.90 per month.
Standard plan: $152.90 per month.
Professional plan: $383.90 per month.

5. Streak

Screenshot of Streak integration with Gmail.

Image credit: Streak

Our team discovered through using this product that if you’re looking for a small business CRM Australia option that has great integration with Gmail, Streak is an excellent choice. Streak offers great tools for various industries and covers many departments within your business, including sales and customer service.

Key features

Here are a few of Streak’s key features:

Sales pipeline templates.
Contact info from email is captured and put into your CRM.
Email marketing and sales follow-up automation.
The ability to share data easily across your business.

Pros

Easily customizable fields and forms.
User-friendly interface.
Offers a limited free version of their software.

Cons

Their lower-cost plans only offer email support.
Must use Gmail to benefit from this software.
Only offer a 14-day free trial on their Pro plan.

Pricing

Streak offers a free version of their software and three paid pricing packages. All of their packages are billed in USD. They include:

Solo plan: $15 per month.
Pro plan: $49 per month.
Enterprise plan: $129 per month.

6. HubSpot CRM

Image credit: HubSpot

If you’re looking for basic CRM tools for small businesses, HubSpot has you covered. This software looks to follow your leads through the sales funnel from awareness to close.

They offer tools for marketing, customer support, sales, and CMS hubs.

Key features

Some of HubSpot CRM’s best features include:

Lead nurture through email marketing.
Contact management.
Integration with more than 300 applications.
Live chat and chatbot support.

Pros

Provides data on which pages your customers view.
User-friendly interface and dashboard.
Web design software with internal content management.

Cons

Expensive depending on the tools you need.
Little flexibility with contract-based pricing plans.
HubSpot CRM templates are difficult to modify.
Transitioning from a WordPress website to HubSpot’s CMS can be complex.

Pricing

HubSpot CRM has a free version with upgrades for purchase as you scale. Their pricing plans are split into various hubs, including marketing, sales, customer service, and more.

Hubspot offers a Starter plan, Professional plan, and Enterprise plan billed in USD. Their Starter plan starts at $50 per month billed monthly or $540 billed annually, and you can request pricing for their other two plans.

7. Nimble

Image credit: G2

Nimble is a CRM that focuses on communication and makes it simple to stay in touch with leads and customers.

After using Nimble, we have found that the platform provides a user-friendly way to manage messages, segment customers, and keep on top of social media marketing. It’s a small business CRM Australia option at an affordable price.

Key features

Some of Nimble’s key features include:

Different methods to capture leads.
Easy segmenting of customers and leads.
Mobile app is available for iOS and Android.

Pros

Get emails, social media messages, Microsoft teams notifications, and more all in one place.
Easy to navigate interface.
Not very expensive compared to other CRMs.

Cons

Only offers a 14-day free trial.
Limited customer support.
Lacks many tools that other CRMs provide small businesses.

Pricing

Nimble’s pricing is straightforward, with a single plan costing $19 (USD) per user per month if paid annually or $25 (USD) per user per month if paid monthly.

All Nimble features are included, up to 25,000 contacts, 1,000 custom fields, and 2 GB of storage space per user. If you require more contacts or storage, upgrades are available.

8. Agile

Image credit: Outils Webmarketing

Many businesses use Agile CRM to automate their sales, marketing, and customer service processes. When we trialed this product, we found it offers the basic tools small businesses need to thrive.

Key features

Here are some of Agile’s key features:

Easy to sync contact information to their platform.
Customizable contact and company fields.
Sorting, segmenting, and targeting tools.

Pros

Affordable software solution.
Contact management is simple.
Easy-to-use interface set up for those new to CRMs.
Automated sales processes making it easier to close deals.

Cons

Only offers one integration feature for their Starter package.
Email capabilities lack consistency and have bugs.
Limited third-party integrations.
Lack of tailored reporting capabilities.

Pricing

Agile offers a free version of their CRM software with three paid plans. All of their plans are billed in USD. They include:

Starter plan: $8.99 per month.
Regular plan: $29.99 per month.
Enterprise plan: $47.99 per month.

9. NetSuite CRM

Screenshot of an Oracle NetSuite CRM dashboard.

Image credit: Oracle NetSuite CRM

NetSuite is a popular and extensive customer management software system. We have found from using this product that accounting, finance, payment gateways, inventory management, and other services are among its specialties.

Key features

Cash flow management.
Tools for monitoring expenses and assigning expenses for certain projects.
Comprehensive dashboard with GANTT charts, profits, losses, tasks, and KPIs.

Pros

Open API for integrations with other software systems.
Offers dashboards specific to each employee.
Estimates are easily turned into invoices.

Cons

It can be a costly small business CRM Australia solution.
Works best for mid-sized to larger companies.

Pricing

NetSuite CRM starts at around $129 per month per user. All their pricing is billed in USD.

10. SugarCRM

Image credit: Medium

SugarCRM is a CRM for small businesses and offers marketing, sales, and customer service automation.

Key features

Some of SugarCRM’s key features include:

Flexible customization.
Intuitive campaign builders.
Marketing and sales automation.

Pros

Support services for tech issues.
Enhanced marketing automation tools.
360-view of every customer’s journey through the sales funnel.

Cons

Integrations with third-party apps are limited.
Dashboards are not user-friendly.

Pricing

SugarCRM offers these pricing plans billed in AUD:

Sell plan: Starting at $69 per month.
Serve plan: Starting at $112 per month.
Enterprise plan: Starting at $119 per month.
Market plan: Starting at $1400 per month.

So, which one should I get?

Choosing a small business CRM Australia solution requires considering features, pricing, and overall fit with your industry. Now that you know your top options, keep the following points top of mind:

Your small business budget for software implementation.
Areas where your business needs additional tools to operate best.
Where automation will benefit your business.
Current growth goals and how to achieve them.

After putting it to the test, Method CRM offers the best features and integrations for small businesses using QuickBooks and Xero.

All the tools you need at an affordable price. Method CRM grows with you, and upgrades are available as you need them.

Reach your next business growth goals with a free trial of Method CRM!

Image credit: Pressmaster via Adobe Stock

The 8 best CRM systems for small business in UK for 2025

CRM, Small Business / By Sarah Iranca

Here are the top 8 small business CRM UK options to streamline how you run your small business.

The 8 best CRM systems for small business in UK for 2025 Read More »

Customer relationship management (CRM) software gives your small business the tools to better your daily operations, from organizing current customers to ensuring you follow up with new leads.

Don’t know where to start when it comes to CRMs? Discover the top 8 small business CRM UK options for 2025 below. But first, let’s go over what a CRM is and how it benefits your small business.

What is small business CRM?

Small business CRM is the central system for managing your customers, leads, and sales process. From finding a potential buyer to closing the sale, a CRM is there to help you along every customer’s journey.

A helpful CRM system also prepares you for future engagements with current customers and new leads.

What does CRM software do?

You may have relied on spreadsheets or a pen and paper to do what CRM software does in the past. However, CRM software is more than just a place to store your customers and leads.

Your CRM software collects data from leads and customers and gives you the tools to categorize, clarify, and act on that data.

Some of the features found in a top-rated CRM system for small businesses include:

Two-way sync with accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero.
Automated lead capture through your Gmail or Outlook inbox.
Marketing and sales reports.
24/7 access to customer portals.
Commissions calculator for your sales team.

Why consider CRM implementation or upgrade?

Consider implementing a CRM to get back hours in your work week and grow your business. Automate your current workflows to save time on menial tasks and reduce the chances of errors or missed opportunities.

Using a CRM benefits your small business as it gives you:

A 360-view of customer data, interactions, and transactions.
Instant data collection, analytics, and report generation.
Access to your lead and customer details through a mobile app.
Integration with third-party apps and accounting software.

How does a CRM help?

A CRM helps your business manage relationships to enhance customer experiences, better sales, and speed up processes.

Not only do you know that your current customers are accounted for, but that leads, and prospects are captured instantly, so you never miss a chance to make a sale.

It’s more than just contact management, as any useful CRM system offers an end-to-end solution to any hiccups in your sales process.

The 8 best CRM systems for small UK small businesses in 2025

We’ve done the legwork by comparing some of the best small business CRM UK software available. Here are your top choices:

1. Method CRM

If you’re looking for a customizable software solution that automates your workflows and saves you hours, Method CRM is the software you’ve been searching for.

This small business CRM UK solution tracks your sales process from the beginning and makes sure you follow up with every one of your leads and customers.

Plus, Method CRM is a powerhouse for workflow automation. This CRM solution works to scale with your business as your needs and processes advance.

Key features

Method CRM offers features for all of your small business workflows. Some of their key features include:

Two-way sync with accounting software such as QuickBooks and Xero.
Customer portals to serve your customers at any time, without a 24-hour support team.
Integrations with Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook, and more.
Manage contacts with a 360-degree view of each customer, their history, and all interactions.
Automatic lead capture for a successful and effortless sales process.

Pros

Easily sync and integrate with your everyday tools to stay up-to-date and connected.
Strengthen your customer service with online, self-serve portals.
Mirror how your business operates with customizable, drag-and-drop workflow automation.
Take advantage of a free trial with full access to tools and an unlimited number of users to help you with your small business CRM UK search.

Get a free hour of customization services with an in-house expert with your free trial.

Cons

Method is currently only available in English.
To get the most out of Method CRM, you must be a QuickBooks or Xero user.

Pricing

Method CRM offers three subscription-based pricing plans billed in USD:

Contact management plan at $28 per month.
CRM pro plan at $49 per month.
CRM enterprise plan at $85 per month.

These plans are available annually or monthly with no contract required.

2. Freshsales

Overview of a "Leads" page on FreshSales CRM software interface. It shows a lead's account information and recent history of calls.

Image credit: Mailshake

Freshworks offers an all-in-one CRM solution with essential features for small businesses that constantly juggle multiple tools and want to automate a few of their workflows.

Key features

Automated lead collection.
Visual sales process view.
CRM data is viewable through their mobile app.
Automated sales and marketing campaigns.

Pros

Stellar team collaboration with integrations with apps like Slack.
Fast and easy integrations with third-party applications.
AI chatbots for customer support.

Cons

Difficult to navigate user interface.
Reporting capabilities are limited.

Pricing

Freshworks provides a free version of its CRM software with limited features. They have three paid pricing plans billed in USD which include:

Growth plan: $18 per month.
Pro plan: $47 per month.
Enterprise plan: $83 per month.

3. HubSpot CRM

Image credit: HubSpot CRM

HubSpot is a small business CRM that offers basic CRM tools that track leads, speed up the sales process, strengthen your website, and more.

Key features

Lead capture.
Contact management and organization.
Support through live chat and chatbots.
Integrations with third-party apps.

Pros

Easy to use dashboard and user interface.
Records every page a customer views to understand their needs.
Internal content management software for website design.

Cons

Their pricing plans are more expensive than other CRMs.
You get locked into a contract.
Hard to change HubSpot CRM templates.
Transitioning from a WordPress website to HubSpot’s CMS is difficult.

Pricing

HubSpot CRM has a free version of its CRM tools, and upgrades can be bought as your small business scales. They have different hubs, including sales, marketing, customer service, etc.

Their Starter plan starts at $50 per month billed monthly or $540 billed annually. They also offer a Professional plan and an Enterprise plan. All their plans are billed in USD.

4. Monday.com

Screenshot of a Monday Sales CRM project overview.

Image credit: monday.com

Monday.com is all about making sure you don’t miss your deadlines. This small business CRM UK software lets you organize your workflows in one visual tool.

Key features

Some of Monday.com’s best features include:

Customizable Kanban boards.
Detailed reports and analytics.
Extensive email integrations.

Pros

Track pre and post-sales processes.
Fantastic for team management and assigning tasks.
Organize tasks by color.

Cons

Not a lot of choices for pre-made templates.
Limited training and education for customizations.

Pricing

Monday.com offers a free version of its software for up to 2 seats. They offer four paid pricing options billed in USD, which include:

Basic plan: $8 per month.
Standard plan: $10 per month.
Pro plan: $16 per month.
Enterprise plan: Contact them.

5. Salesforce CRM

Image credit: Salesforce

Salesforce is a giant figure in the CRM space.

They offer many choices regarding features, customizations, and customer resources. Many businesses use Salesforce to accomplish various growth goals and basic CRM functions.

Key features

Some of Salesforce’s key features include:

Built-in UI/UX features.
Automation tools to lessen manual admin work.
Templates and tools specific to different industries.

Pros

Highly customizable with point-and-click tools.
Flexible and accessible cloud software.
Advanced marketing automation tools.

Cons

Difficult to reach a real person for customer support.
You often need the help of a Salesforce specialist or consultant to benefit from the tool.
Higher costs compared to other CRMs.
Only offers a 14-day free trial.

Pricing

Salesforce offers small business pricing packages for their CRM software billed in GBP. These include the:

Essentials plan: £20 per month.
Professional plan: £60 per month.
Enterprise plan: £120 per month.
Unlimited plan: £240 per month.

6. Zendesk

Screenshot of the Zendesk Sell dashboard,

Image credit: Mopinion

Zendesk is a cloud-based platform that offers useful CRM tools for small businesses. Their focus is on making sure their users understand how to use their tools and features.

Key features

Some of Zendesks key features include:

Many third-party integrations.
Customizable dashboard.
Built-in click-to-dial call and recording
Lead and customer tracking.

Pros

Offers customer analytics and segmentation.
Template creation with auto-fill capabilities.

Cons

Limited sync and integration capabilities.
Lack of training tools to use the software.
Minimal customer support options.

Pricing

Zendesk offers a free trial to test the software before buying one of these billed plans:

Suite Team plan: £39 per month.
Suite Growth plan: £65 per month.
Suite Professional plan: £79 per month.

7. Zoho CRM

Image credit: Discover CRM

Zoho is a well-known small business CRM UK option because of its free version, allowing up to 10 users with limited CRM features.

Key features

Integration with other apps.
Organization tools for customers and leads.

Pros

Customizable form creation.
Stellar customer service.

Cons

Reports are not very detailed or tailored.
Mobile app is not as user-friendly as the web version.
Complicated user interface for those new to CRMs.

Pricing

Zoho offers a 15-day free trial and four pricing plans billed in GBP. They include the:

Free plan: £0 per month.
Basic plan: £39 per month.
Standard plan: £79 per month.
Professional plan: £199 per month.

8. SugarCRM

Image credit: Medium

SugarCRM offers sales, marketing, and customer support automation in one easy-to-use system.

Key features

Some of SugarCRM’s best features include:

Flexibility in customizations.
Highly intuitive campaign builders.

Pros

Great tech support services.
A lot of marketing automation tools.
Maps every customer’s journey.

Cons

Weak integration capabilities.
Difficult to navigate dashboards.

Pricing

SugarCRM offers a few different pricing plans, including the:

Sell plan: Starting at £39 per month.
Serve plan: Starting at £64 per month.
Enterprise plan: Starting at £68 per month.
Market plan: Starting at £800 per month.

So, which one should I get?

Consider the following when deciding on a small business CRM UK solution:

Your current small business goals.
Which growth stage your small business is at.
Your budget for software.
Where automation could benefit your small business operations.

Keep in mind that Method CRM is a small business CRM solution that offers unmatched features and powerful integrations for QuickBooks and Xero users.

Method offers pricing that scales with you and gives you all the tools your small business needs.

With a free trial of Method CRM, you can achieve your growth goals right away!

Image Credit: Seventyfour via Adobe Stock

9 best CRM for small business in Canada for 2025

CRM, Small Business / By Sarah Iranca

Discover the top 9 small business CRM Canada options to transform your workflows and how you run your small business!

9 best CRM for small business in Canada for 2025 Read More »

From organizing your current jobs to making sure you follow up with new leads, customer relationship management (CRM) software gives your small business all the tools you need to manage your day-to-day.

This guide outlines the best CRM for small business Canada options to check out.

Read on to find out what the top 9 best CRM for small business software platforms have to offer. But first, here’s a breakdown of what CRM is and how it benefits your business.

What is a CRM software?

Use a CRM software to:

Track your contacts.
Nurture leads.
Build long-lasting relationships with customers.

The best CRM for small business offer app integrations with other software platforms, so you spend less time on admin work and more time growing your business.

Your CRM is the foundation for your sales cycle and helps customer interactions flow effortlessly.

The best CRM for small business Canada solution goes beyond contact management. CRMs automate your workflows with capabilities that include:

Two-way sync with your accounting software, like QuickBooks or Xero.
Instant lead capture through your Gmail or Outlook inbox.
Automatic follow-up emails and appointment reminders.
Commissions calculator for your sales team.
24/7 access to customer portals.

Small business CRM Canada: When do you need one?

When you decide it’s time to grow your small business by strengthening customer relationships, it’s likely time to evaluate your best crm for small business Canada options.

Especially, since customer retention is crucial for small business growth. A CRM for small business gives you the tools to keep customers happy and returning.

The best CRM software for small business helps you work smarter by keeping all customer and sales activities in one software. Plus, through third-party integrations, connecting all the software you use has never been easier.

What does CRM software do?

The best CRM for small business Canada contenders:

Connect your business workflows.
Provide data and insights anywhere, anytime.
Automate your menial tasks.
Make your workdays as simple as possible.

These solutions capture and organize information from current and prospective customers, all in an integrated system. From your sales staff to your admin team, gain a single view of customer records, sales opportunities, and business operations.

Plus, your team gets tools that help them better collaborate and coordinate.

Why consider CRM implementation or upgrade?

There are many reasons to consider implementing a small business CRM or upgrading your current system. The best crm for small business in Canada is one that improves communication among your employees and customers.

Notably, your small business benefits from using a CRM by having:

A shared hub for customer data, interactions, and transactions.
Automatic data collection, report generation, and analytics.
On-the-go access to your lead and customer details.
Integration with accounting software and other apps for a shared sense of truth across your team.

How does a CRM help?

When your small business gets to a particular growth stage, memory or pen and paper tracking isn’t enough. This is where choosing the best CRM for small business solution comes in to play.

A CRM keeps track of leads and customers, so you never miss a sales opportunity.

Not only does a CRM organize your contacts, but it also records activities and sales to help you develop an effective sales strategy.

Top 9 best CRM for small business in Canada

The best CRM for small business Canada software solution are among the following nine options. Below, you’ll find the key features, benefits, and pricing for each one.

1. Method CRM

Method CRM is your one-stop-shop for automatic lead capture and simplified sales processes. This small business CRM software solution tracks customer history and makes sure you never forget to follow up with your leads and customers again.

Simplify your sales process with Method CRM to turn your leads into customers that keep coming back.

Method is also a leading force for workflow automation, meaning this CRM software for small business grows with you as your needs and processes evolve.

Key features

Method CRM offers tools that go beyond customer management. Some of their key features include:

Two-way sync with accounting software, including QuickBooks and Xero.
Automatic lead collection to make your sales process effortless and win deals.
Customer portals to service your customers anytime without a 24/7 support team.
Contact management for a 360-degree view of each customer, their history, and all interactions.
Integrations with Gmail, Outlook, Google Calendar, and more.

Pros

Automation allows you to create CRM workflows that reflect how your business operates with a customizable, drag-and-drop solution.
Data that’s connected and always up-to-date thanks to deep sync and integration with your everyday tools.
Enhanced customer service with online, self-serve portals.
Enjoy a free trial with full access to tools and an unlimited number of users to help you with your small business CRM Canada search.
Get a free hour of customization services with an in-house expert with your free trial.

Cons

Method is only available in English at the moment.
You must be a QuickBooks or Xero user to fully benefit from using Method CRM.

Pricing

Method CRM offers three subscription-based pricing plans:

Contact management plan at $28 per month.
CRM pro plan at $49 per month.
CRM enterprise plan at $85 per month.

These plans are available annually or monthly with no contract required.

2. HubSpot CRM

Image credit: HubSpot CRM

HubSpot is a well-known CRM software for small business that gives you the basic tools you need for everyday tasks. This CRM solution tracks leads, speeds up the sales process, strengthens your website, and more.

This small business CRM solution has marketing, service, sales, and CMS hubs. It also has an ad management tool for paid campaigns on social media platforms.

Key features

Some of HubSpot CRM’s best features include:

Email and lead nurture.
Contact management and organization.
Support through live chat and chatbots.
Integration with over 300 apps.

Pros

Records every page a customer views to understand their needs.
Easy to use dashboard and user interface.
Internal content management software for website design.

Cons

Can be expensive for some small businesses.
Pricing plan is based on contracts, so you lose out on the flexibility growing businesses need.
It’s hard to modify HubSpot CRM templates.
Difficult to transition from a website made in WordPress to HubSpot’s CMS.

Pricing

HubSpot CRM offers a free version of its CRM tools, and upgrades can be purchased as your small business grows. They split their pricing plans into different hubs, including sales, marketing, customer service, and more.

Their Starter plan starts at $50 per month billed monthly or $540 billed annually. They also offer a Professional plan and an Enterprise plan for when your business is ready to scale.

3. 1CRM

Image credit: 1CRM

1CRM is an all-in-one CRM for small businesses in Canada.

With it, manage your accounts, contacts, jobs, and projects from your computer or mobile device thanks to its cloud technology.

Key features

Some of 1CRM’s best features include:

Automated marketing tools.
Sales forecasting and reports.
Custom dashboards.
Project and job tracking.

Pros

Supported in both English and French in Canada.
Manages and stores large amounts of sensitive data.
Personalized customer service for your small business.
Integration with third-party applications.

Cons

The user experience is not very interactive.
Complicated email marketing setup.
Project management tools are outdated.
Basic-level customization options.

Pricing

1CRM offers a free trial for their cloud service CRM and on-premise CRM.

They offer four pricing plans for their cloud service CRM which include:

Startup plan: $15 per month.
Startup+ plan: $23 per month.
Professional plan: $33 per month.
Enterprise plan: $39 per month.

4. Act!

Image credit: Act!

Act! is a fully customizable CRM for small business with several subscription plans available. They offer a basic CRM solution that you can upgrade as your business scales.

Key features

Some of Act!’s most popular features include:

A 360-view of all your contact activities, interactions, and sales.
Connections with third-party apps like Outlook, Gmail, and Zapier.
Cloud-based or on-premise solutions.
An easy-to-navigate interface.

Pros

Caters to small businesses in a wide range of industries.
Adapts to your business’s current workflows.
Personalized marketing campaign management.
Calls, emails, and other documents are all in one place.

Cons

A short 14-day free trial is available.
Customer support is limited.
Lacks educational material and help with building reports.

Pricing

They offer two pricing plans for their cloud service CRM:

Standard plan: $30 per month.
Expert plan: $45 per month.

5. CentrixOne

Image credit: SelectHub

CentrixOne is a CRM for small businesses looking to stay organized and gain an all-around view of their sales pipeline. They offer a subscription plan for every step of growth in your industry.

Key features

Some of CentrixOne’s best features for small businesses include:

An all-in-one system for contacts and communications.
Marketing automation and ready-to-use email templates.
Access to your customer information from a mobile device.

Pros

Supported in English and French.
Specifically developed for small businesses.
Integrates with Quickbooks Online and Acomba.

Cons

Weak sales team management.
Only a 14-day free trial.

Pricing

CentrixOne offers four pricing plans for their CRM:

Solo plan: $19.95 per month.
Team plan: $39.95 per month.
Growth plan: $74.95 per month.
Enterprise plan: Starts at $99.95 per month.

6. The Fish Tank

Image credit: Sitecore

Organize your customers, sales pipeline, products, and projects with The Fish Tank. This CRM software Canada solution is specifically designed for small businesses to help their daily operations.

Key features

The Fish Tank offers these key features:

Email marketing.
Access to CRM tools through a mobile app.
Social media integration.

Pros

Lead management and interaction tracking.
Keeps all of your contact histories in one place.
Internal chat integration.

Cons

Limited integrations with other tools.
Steep learning curve.
Limtied customer support.

Pricing

The Fish Tank offers a free trial for users to test the software before buying. They also offer a free version of their software. Their paid plans start from $40 per month per user.

7. Copper

Image credit: Salesdorado

If you need a small business CRM system that integrates with Google Workspace, Copper is the right choice. Copper offers a lot of the CRM features that any small business would need.

Key features

Some of Copper’s key features include:

Compatibility with G Suite business tools.
Email open tracking.
Integration with compatible mobile apps.
Reporting and forecasting.

Pros

Good value pricing plans.
Intuitive and user-friendly interface.
Integration with Google Suite.

Cons

Basic customer support.
Little customization compared to other CRMs.
Only offers a 14-day free trial.
Limited to Gmail email accounts.

Pricing

Copper offers three pricing plans:

Basic plan: $29 per month.
Professional plan: $69 per month.
Business plan: $129 per month.

8. Freshsales

Image credit: Freshworks

Freshsales is for small businesses that find themselves juggling multiple tools to run their business. They offer an all-in-one CRM solution with many vital features that small businesses need for growth.

Key features

Automated lead capture.
Visual sales pipeline.
View your CRM data with their mobile app.
Automated sales campaigns.

Pros

Easily integrated with third-party applications.
AI-powered chatbots to chat with customers.
Integration with apps like Slack to improve team collaboration.

Cons

Unfriendly user interface.
Limited report creation capabilities.
Basic customer support.

Pricing

Freshsales offers a free version of its software with limited CRM capabilities. They have three paid pricing plans which include:

Growth plan: $18 per month.
Pro plan: $47 per month.
Enterprise plan: $83 per month.

9. InfoFlo

Image credit: InfoFlo

InfoFlo offers an affordable and easy-to-use CRM software for small businesses in Canada. They offer a monthly subscription for cloud-based CRM software, or an on-premise software for a one-time cost.

Key features

Mobile app to take your CRM on the go.
Sync all Outlook contacts, companies, categories, calendar events, and emails.

Pros

Integrates seamlessly with Outlook.
Offers a free trial.
Choice of a one-time fee versus a monthly subscription.

Cons

Difficult to sync previous data.
Lack of customer support.

Pricing

InfoFlo offers two pricing plans for cloud-based subscriptions and one one-time cost for an on-premise software solution.

On-premise plan: $99 per user with addons for $75 per user.
Cloud Starter plan: $30 per user per month.
Cloud Advanced plan: $35 per user per month.

So, which one should I get?

When choosing the best CRM for small business, it’s important to consider the following:

Your current growth stage and budget for software.
Tools that your business can’t operate without.
Where your business needs automation.
Your small business growth goals.

For QuickBooks and Xero users, the best CRM for small business Canada option is Toronto-based Method CRM, which offers unbeatable features and powerful integrations.

With all the tools you need at an affordable price, Method is a CRM for small business that grows with you and upgrades are available as you need them.

Best CRM for small business FAQs

What is a small business CRM software?

A small business CRM is a customer relationship management platform that caters to small business needs. It can automate tasks such as customer onboarding, sales pipeline optimization, appointment scheduling and more.

It allows you to capture customer information, manage customer relationships and optimize your daily operations.

The best CRM for small business is one that provides features tailored specifically to your company’s size, such as an easy-to-use interface and workflow automation, at an affordable cost.

Is a CRM worth it for a small business?

A CRM is a critical tool for any small business. It provides a comprehensive view of your customers and prospects, allowing you to better serve them and create more personalized experiences. The best CRM for small business owners enables intelligent automation, creates efficiencies and frees up time that can be used to focus on growth.

What can a CRM do for your business?

A CRM does a lot for your business. It allows you to capture, manage and optimize customer data, helping you target more effectively and generate more leads. It also automates tedious tasks such as appointment setting and lead qualification.

On top of that, the best CRM for small businesses will offer features that help you tackle the challenges specific to your business, so you can focus on growing confidently.

Take back control of your business with a free trial of Method CRM!

Image Credit: Flamingo Images via Adobe Stock

The 10 best small business CRMs for 2025

CRM, Small Business / By Shana Cesaire

A small business CRM could be what makes all the difference for your business this year. Find out your options in this blog.

The 10 best small business CRMs for 2025 Read More »

Looking for the best small business CRM to hit your business goals this year? Then, you’ve come to the right place!

In this blog, you’ll learn what a small business CRM can do for you and discover the best CRM solution for your business.

What is CRM?

CRM stands for customer relationship management, which is an essential component of the success of any business.

Managing your customers is the key to scaling your business and sustaining that growth long-term. However, as your customer base grows, it becomes more difficult to keep up and ensure a positive customer experience.

That’s where small business CRM software comes in.

The solution: Small business CRM software

There are several elements to a good CRM for small business, including:

Separating your leads from your paying customers.
Maintaining communication with your contacts.
Keeping up with sales opportunities as they come up.
Ensuring customer satisfaction from first contact to close.

That’s a lot of work to do with only 24 hours in a day. The good news is that small business CRM software simplifies the process to create a smooth workflow.

Why consider upgrading to small business CRM software?

Although it may seem like spreadsheets work for your business now, they are a method of the past.

To keep up with today’s fast-paced world, you need to leverage technology when operating your business. And a CRM is the easiest way to achieve that.

Here are the top reasons why you should consider a CRM for your small business:

Streamline your sales process from first contact to invoicing.
Automate repetitive tasks to save time and increase productivity.
Organize your contacts, ensuring that each one gets the attention they need.
Improve customer retention by delivering exceptional customer service.
Keep your team on the same page using one central platform for data.

This is all possible thanks to the variety of CRM software features.

What does CRM software do?

CRM software assists — and in some cases, fully takes on — your customer relationship management tasks. This allows you to build better relationships with your customers and gives you time to generate more revenue.

A small business CRM simplifies tasks thanks to features such as:

Contact management: Segment your contacts to make sense for your business.
Lead generation: A CRM that allows you to create lead gen forms is a great way to capture demand.
Payment collection: Expand your payment options and make it easier for your customers to pay to strengthen your revenue.
Mobility: A CRM with a mobile app takes your business on the road so that you never miss an update.
Reporting: Pull data into detailed reports for a comprehensive view of your customers, sales, and revenue to improve your business.
Integrations: Connect your CRM to your favorite tools to create an all-in-one platform for your business operations.

Small business CRMs are scaling up

Did you know that 91% of businesses with ten or more employees use a CRM? CRM software has become a must for growing companies.

To continue to push the limits of your success, you need a CRM that enhances your favorite business tools and grows with you.

Better yet, a customizable small business CRM ensures that your software solution keeps up with your growth and stays personalized to your business.

Plugging in third-party integrations

The best small business CRM software takes you beyond just a CRM by combining with other tools to create an all-in-one solution. Through native integrations, you can connect your workflows and accomplish tasks quicker.

Common CRM integration options that strengthen your workflow include:

Accounting software integrations such as QuickBooks or Xero.
Calendars such as Google Calendar and Outlook.
Email tools such as Gmail and Mailchimp.
Popular payment gateways such as Paypal.

Taking CRM on the road

Business doesn’t stop just because you aren’t in the office. In today’s environment, mobility is everything. So taking your business with you on the road is a powerful advantage that a CRM provides.

Choose a CRM that has a mobile app so that you can stay connected no matter where your business takes you.

What’s more, if you have a field service crew who spend most of their time at customer sites, a mobile app empowers them to stay connected with your office team.

Now that you’re a CRM expert let’s explore your options.

Small business CRM players to watch in 2025

Choosing a CRM is a big decision, so you want to take your time selecting the right one for your business.

But with so many solutions on the market, making that decision can be a challenge. The good news is that we’ve done the hard work for you.

Here are your top 10 small business CRM options for this year.

1. Method CRM

Method CRM is the #1 QuickBooks and Xero CRM for small businesses. From lead generation to invoicing and payment, Method CRM connects your processes to save you time and create one smooth workflow.

Key features

QuickBooks two-way sync so that your data is always up to date.
Online customer portal for an improved customer experience.
Lead gen forms for simple lead management.
Mobile app to take your business on the go.
Custom reporting for detailed analytics.
Native integrations with apps such as Gmail, Outlook, Mailchimp, and more.

Pros

Instantly sync your data between Method CRM and QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop.
Convert estimates into invoices with a few clicks to skip the paperwork.
Give your customers additional payment options with payment gateways and a self-service portal.
Build custom reports and reusable templates for helpful insights into your business.
Customization experts at your service to personalize your perfect solution.

Cons

For now, you must be a QuickBooks or Xero user to use Method.
The software is currently only available in English.

Pricing

Method offers a Contact Management plan at $25 per user per month, and a CRM Pro plan at $44 per user per month. However, you can get started today with a free trial.

2. Copper

Image credit: Salesdorado

Your next small business CRM option is Copper. Known for its Google Workspace integration, Copper is a good choice for those who primarily use Google Suites to operate their business.

Key features

Contact list manager.
Integrations with Google, LinkedIn, Slack, and more.
Mobile app.
Pre-built email templates.

Pros

One of the top Google Workspace CRMs.
Services a variety of industries.
The ability to set up recurring tasks.

Cons

Lacks native integrations for email automation.

Pricing

Copper’s basic plan starts at $25 per user per month. They also offer a free 14-day free trial.

3. HubSpot CRM

Image credit: HubSpot

HubSpot is known for their marketing software, but they also offer a free CRM solution.

This is a great option for small businesses looking for a starter CRM, but be aware that scaling with HubSpot comes with a dramatic price increase of up to $1,600 per month for five users.

Key features

Pipeline management.
Deal and call tracking.
Landing page builder.

Pros

Detailed reports on sales activities.
Up to 1,000,000 contacts.
Over 1,000 integrations available.
Affordable basic plan.

Cons

On the free plan, forms and landing pages all have HubSpot branding with no option for removal.
Pricey premium plans.

Pricing

HubSpot’s CRM is 100% free. You can upgrade to their Starter plan for $50 per month, but the Professional plan jumps to $890 per month.

4. Freshsales

Image credit: Mailshake

Next, we have Freshales.

Powered by Freshworks, Freshsales offers features that give you a 360-degree view of your customers to keep track of each stage of the sales pipeline.

Key features

AI-powered chatbots to chat with visitors in real-time.
Customizable web forms.
The ability to track visits to your site.
Predictive contact scoring.
Mobile app.

Pros

The ability to communicate across phone, email, chat, and SMS.
AI-based deal insights.
Create automated sales campaigns.

Cons

Freshsales lacks some of the standard app integrations you expect across small business CRM solutions, such as email marketing tools.

Pricing

Freshsales offers a free basic plan to get started. To unlock additional features, such as AI predictive contact scoring, you need to upgrade to the Growth plan at $15 per user per month or the Pro plan at $39 per user per month.

5. Salesmate.io

Screenshot of Salesmate CRM contact card.

Image credit: Capterra

Our next small business CRM is Salesmate.

Salesmate aims to make providing quality customer service simple while making the lives of your sales teams easier.

Key features

Built-in calling and text messaging.
Customer journey automation.
Sales forecasting and reporting.
Shared team inbox.
Web forms.
Two-way Google Calendar sync.

Pros

Strong email automation capabilities.
A sales activity tracker monitors every step of the sales pipeline.
Starts every day with a personalized message.

Cons

Some users say that the system is occasionally slow.

“At times the product gets slow and takes time to recover. It takes multiple hard refreshes to fix this and their status page is not updated a the time of the incident.”
Review via G2

Pricing

Salesmate’s Starter Plan is $12 per user per month. Their most popular plan – the Boost Plan – is $40 per user per month.

6. Keap

Image credit: Keap

Keap’s software offers a range of solutions, from ecommerce to CRM.

Made for small businesses and entrepreneurs alike, Keap makes it easy to manage your day-to-day operations from one place.

Key features

Automated lead capture.
Automated email marketing.
Mobile app.
Native payment processors.

Pros

Easy migration from Mailchimp and Constant Contact.
Integrates with several everyday apps such as Outlook and Shopify.
Robust email marketing features such as A/B testing, reporting, and analytics.
Built-in appointment scheduling software.

Cons

One of the pricier options.

Pricing

Keap has three plans:

Lite: $59 per user per month.
Pro: $129 per month for two users.
Max: $199 per month for three users.

Keap also offers a free version of their software, but warns that it’s only meant for small businesses just starting out.

7. Bigin by Zoho CRM

Image credit: Capterra

Bigin is a “pipeline-centric CRM” meant to level up small businesses.

Brought to you by Zoho, Bigin is a more affordable CRM that provides a great starting point for small businesses.

Key features

Real-time notifications.
Built-in telephony.
Twitter integration.
Customizable web forms.

Pros

Customizable deal stages and options for multiple pipelines.
Personalized list views and smart filters.
Easily create product lists and apply discounts.
Affordable.

Cons

Overall automation is weak.

Pricing

Bigin’s pricing plans are as follows:

Free Plan: $0 per user per month.
Express Plan: $9 per user per month.
Premier Plan: $15 per user per month.

8. Daylite

Screenshot of Daylite by Marketcircle dashboard.

Image credit: Marketcircle

Daylite is a small business CRM for MAC. This software solution gives you one app to operate your entire business on your MAC, iPad, or iPhone.

Key features

Use Siri to add tasks on the go.
“Insight View” to access hundreds of patterns and details at once.
At-a-glance schedule view.

Pros

Supports CardDAV to have all of your contacts in one place.
Create tasks, appointments, and opportunities from Apple Mail.
Daylite support provides assistance for set up and configuration.

Cons

Must be an Apple user.

Pricing

Daylite costs $39.99 per month or $399.99 per year.

9. Nimble

Image credit: G2

Nimble describes their solution as a “relationship-focused CRM.” This software manages your team so that they can better manage your customers.

Key features

Compatible with Outlook and Gmail.
Customer segmentation.
Personalized email template with tracking, analytics and reporting.
“Today” page for an at-a-glance view of your day.

Pros

The ability to unify your contacts from over 160 apps.
Access to social handles in your CRM.
Automatically ties your team’s tasks, events, and communications together.

Cons

Only compatible with Office 365 and Google Workspace.

Pricing

Nimble is $19 per user per month.

10. Salesflare

Screenshot of the Salesflare Opportunities page.

Image credit: Software Advice

Last on our list of small business CRM options is Salesflare.

What makes Salesflare unique is that their software is made for small businesses selling B2B. At the core of their solution is automation so that your business reaches peak efficiency.

Key features

Email, link, and website tracking.
Sidebar plug-in for Gmail and Outlook.
One central address book.
REST API to connect to your CRM or other systems.

Pros

Automatically gathers contact information into your address book.
Organizes opportunities by importance.
The mobile app has full CRM functionality.

Cons

Some users claim that it isn’t the most intuitive solution.

“The only con of Salesflare is that it’s not the most intuitive software. It took me a while to get used to some of the functions and how they interact with each other.”
Review via Software Advice

Pricing

Salesflare starts at $35 per user per month.

So, which one should I get?

The best small business CRM depends on your needs and the future you want for your business. When choosing a solution, ask yourself:

Which tools do you use that you can’t go without?
Which processes do you want to enhance or automate?
What’s your budget for CRM software?
How much do you expect your business to grow in the next few years?

For QuickBooks and Xero users, Method CRM is hands-down the best choice for robust features and powerful integrations at an affordable cost. Method CRM allows your tools to grow with you and reduces the obstacles to your success.

Start growing your business today with Method CRM! Sign up for your free trial.

Image credit: Brooke Cagle via Unsplash

The definitive guide to asking for payment: How to get paid on time and avoid unpaid invoices

Accounting, Small Business / By Shana Cesaire

When demanding overdue payment from a customer, it’s a challenge to stay polite. Here are some tips to keep your follow-up professional.

The definitive guide to asking for payment: How to get paid on time and avoid unpaid invoices Read More »

Introduction to asking for payment

There are many reasons business owners might incur overdue payments.

For example, a customer might have lost their original invoice or simply forgotten to pay on time. These scenarios are why it’s important to learn how to ask for payment for the products or services that your company provides, including communicating payment terms clearly.

Whatever the reason for late payment may be, as per our expertise, you have to send a payment reminder email to get your customer to settle as quickly as possible. This involves following up on outstanding invoices.

However, sending a late payment reminder email to people is difficult. Especially if you’re worried about sounding rude or demanding to your clients.

In this guide, you’ll learn a few tips for writing a direct yet friendly late invoice email and how to follow up when your customer fails to pay.

Why is it important to ask for payment?

Drawing from our experience, following up on late payments keeps your cash flow healthy and is an excellent way to maintain a positive business relationship.

And through our practical knowledge, when you follow up on late payments, you garner your customer’s respect without jeopardizing your reputation or finances when you hold your customers accountable.

How to ask for payment professionally

To ask for payment politely and professionally from a client for the work completed, you must follow these steps:

Approach your customer for payment at the right time

Letting too much time pass after sending an overdue invoice significantly decreases your chances of getting paid. Politely requesting a payment a day after it’s due is a good idea – you never know when they might’ve just overlooked their outstanding invoices.

Check if your customer received an unpaid invoice

Before figuring out how to ask for payment again, make sure that you indeed have already requested payment.

You don’t want to follow up on an outstanding invoice only to find out you forgot to send one in the first place! This includes requesting a deposit or retainer upfront to secure the agreement. When sending payment reminders, make sure there were no miscommunications or errors on your end. A part of providing detailed invoices is asking the customer if they encountered any problems with receiving original invoice and sending them another copy if necessary.

Provide multiple payment options

Based on our observations, it’s possible that your customer hasn’t paid on time because they struggle to meet your payment options. Our investigation demonstrates that if you encounter this problem frequently, you might want to consider setting up a payment schedule and accepting multiple forms of payment like:

Credit card.
Money order.
Check.
Online payment portal.

If you’re wondering how to request payments, payment reminder emails are the best way to do so. Based on our firsthand experience, a phone call or request for payment via text message are options, but will likely annoy your customer.

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What to include when asking for payment in a message

Our findings show that one of the most important elements in figuring out how to ask for payment is knowing what to include in your request.

When asking your client for payment in a message, make sure to include the following in your overdue invoice email.

A direct subject line: Let your customer know what the email is about from the get-go. Write something like: “Payment for Invoice # [Number].” Providing the invoice number in the subject line makes it clear what payment is overdue.
A copy of the invoice: Save your customer the time finding your initial email by attaching a copy of your original invoice. Make sure this document includes the agreed invoice amount, due date, and project reference. As per our expertise, you can also highlight invoice information as a way of clarifying anything customers may overlook.
Your payment terms: Reiterate your payment terms, including the payment process, accepted payment methods, your late payment fee, and any other relevant payment details. Enforcing late payment fees when negotiating payment arrangements is one of the most effective ways to ensure timely payments.
Your bank account or payment provider information: Don’t leave anything to guesswork – make it easy for your customer to pay you by providing your complete bank account or payment provider information.

Make sure that with each payment you receive, you record the client name and provide a receipt. This way, you ensure that there are no mistakes on your end before you request an overdue payment.

When to send a payment request email to a customer

Our research indicates that one important element to know how to ask for payment is knowing when to ask for payment.

You don’t want to let too much time pass before sending a reminding your customer of an unpaid invoice. Our investigation demonstrates that the best time to send your first reminder is when the invoice is due.

Your next question might be: how often should I follow up with a late-paying customer? Consider sending follow-up emails within regular intervals like:

The day after the invoice is due.
A week after the invoice is due.
Two weeks after the invoice is due.
A month after the invoice is due.

The longer it takes a customer to pay you, the more you’ll have to adjust your invoice late fee wording. Be professional but make sure they know your request is urgent – be firm, direct, and list the consequences they can expect from non-payment.

What does it mean to be rude when asking for your payment?

Based on our observations, part of figuring out how to ask for late payment is learning how to do so in a friendly way.

Talking about outstanding payments is never a comfortable conversation to have. In some cases, professionals will fail to follow up for fear of being rude. So, how do you get over this fear and ask for the compensation you deserve?

Before you send your follow-up email, consider the following:

Is the project fully complete?
Did you discuss your contract terms and methods before starting the project?
Are you asking for the agreed-upon amount?

If you answered “yes” to all these questions, you could justify sending your customer a polite reminder about their payment. When being professional in your request letter, the most important thing to keep in mind is not to make things personal – don’t discuss why you need to be paid on time or how on-payment affects your business. Focus on making a clear demand and providing helpful information.

Dealing with late payments

When dealing with late payments, consult your payment terms. Remember to log the payment in your system, and follow up with your client.

Your payment terms will likely include a protocol for late payments, like one that is interest-based. If so, ensure your customer’s late payment includes this additional fee. Otherwise, you’ll have to follow up again.

Payment follow up email

Are you unsure of how to word your follow-up email reminder? Use this email template for reference.

“Hi there [Name],

We hope this email finds you well. We understand that it may be a busy time, but we wanted to remind you of your outstanding payment on invoice # [number] due [date]. We have attached an additional copy of the invoice for easy reference.

If you have any questions regarding your payment, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are happy to answer any of your questions.

Thank you in advance,

[Your name]”

Our findings show that many companies use an invoice template to save time, but email templates improve efficiency as well. Hopefully this sample letter for payment reminders proves useful for you.

How to ask for payment if you’re still not getting paid?

Your method of how to ask for payment will be different if you have trouble reaching your customer. In the worst-case scenario, you might not get a response from your customer at all. While it can be frustrating, taking a more direct approach can work to your advantage.

Speak to the customer by phone

Drawing from experience, phone calls are harder to ignore compared to emails. If you can get your customer on the phone, they can’t dodge any questions or make up excuses. Plus, they might’ve simply overlooked your invoice email and just need a stronger nudge.

Consider cutting off future work

If you have other ongoing projects with your non-paying customer, pause existing work to reinforce their overdue invoice as an urgent problem. Pausing work can also mitigate the risk of going an additional few months without payment.

Research collection agencies

If a customer still refuses to pay, you may have no other option but to consult a collection agency. However, remember that using a collection agency should be your last resort, and through our practical knowledge, collecting payments this way will likely ruin your business relationship. Also, note that debt collectors will typically keep a percentage of the money they get back for you.

What if your backup plan doesn’t work?

Based on our observations, if none of the above tips work in your favor, now might be the best time to consider legal action. Some legal options for non-payment include:

Placing a lien on your customer’s business.
Going to a claims court or debt collection agency.
Filing a civil case for larger amounts.

For corporate customers, you can also file complaints at institutions like the Better Business Bureau. These organizations specialize in things like speeding up overdue payments.

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Tips and strategies for getting paid on time

Although it’s good to know how to ask for payment in case you do end up in a situation where your customer’s payment is overdue, based on our firsthand experience, it’s best to avoid getting into that situation in the first place.

One of the best ways to avoid chasing a payment that is days or weeks overdue is to make sure your customers pay on time from the beginning. Aside from offering discounts for early payments, here are a few tips for helping your customer avoid missing a payment deadline.

Provide the customer with precise records of your work

Keeping detailed and accurate records of your projects means you’ll always have proof of when you need to receive payment from customers. Using timekeeping software helps you keep detailed track of your billable hours and send these reports to your customers whenever necessary.

Pick a great payment processor

As much as possible, you’ll want to introduce multiple payment options to make it more convenient for customers to pay you. With more options on the table, customers are more likely to pay upfront and have no excuse for non-payment.

Popular payment processors that are easy to deploy and require low transaction fees include PayPal and Stripe, which are available internationally.

These services debit your client’s accounts and credit yours automatically. This resolves customer hesitation over the payment process.

Invoice efficiently

While you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, our findings show that customers are more likely to pay businesses that provide clean and aesthetically pleasing invoices. When invoices are inaccurate and hard to read, customers may become discouraged from settling them or following up to ask questions.

An invoicing tool can help keep your documents consistent and automatically save information for repeat customers. Automated tools can also reduce the risk of human error and provide quick reminder options through email, phone calls, or SMS.

Draw a contract

Our research indicates that invoices are not legally binding, but contracts are. To avoid any issues regarding future invoicing, thoroughly outline your payment policy through a contract agreement. A solid contract should include the following information:

The parties involved (you and your customer).
The scope of the project.
The date for project delivery.
Payment terms and methods.
Penalty fees in the case of late payment.
An outline of potential legal action in case of a dispute.

While a comprehensive contract doesn’t guarantee on-time payment, our investigation demonstrates that it’ll make customers less likely to deviate from your payment schedule.

Ask for an advance deposit

Sometimes, it’s hard to scope out the customers who are willing to pay from those who aren’t.

One of the best ways to determine whether a customer is willing to compensate you fully and on time is to impose an advance deposit or down payment. This amount is up to your discretion, though our findings show that most freelancers and businesses are charging a down payment of 40% and 50% of the final bill.

Once partial funds are deposited into your account, your client is less likely to evade a full payment.

If you think a higher advance deposit might scare away your customers, you can consider decreasing this number or asking for incremental payments when you achieve specific project milestones. It might take some experimentation to find the right balance for your business’ finances.

Download your invoicing email templates for free

Unsure of how to word your payment follow-up email?

Use these free email templates to send invoice follow-ups and payment requests to your customers.

If you don’t see the download form, download template her e.

Get your template

Key takeaways

Knowing how to ask for payment is a key skill for every business owner. When sending a payment reminder letter, you can avoid being rude by using firm yet friendly and professional language. To ensure that you reach the goals you want, take precautions to provide all the information your customer needs to pay you on time.

Are you looking for a better way to keep track of your customers and what they owe you? Method CRM is an all-in-one CRM solution that syncs with QuickBooks. Try it now and make handing out invoices easier than ever!

How to ask for payments FAQs

What is the process for requesting payment?

The process for requesting payment varies between organizations, but it generally consists of the same fundamental steps. To request payment:

Consult your invoice agreement and terms of payment.
Draft a message that outlines the conditions of the invoice and requests payment.
Deliver the message through your client’s preferred means of communication.

What is the most professional way to ask for payment?

The most professional way to ask for payment is through an email or direct letter reminder. Make sure this letter is:

Clear and concise.
Polite.
Timely.

Where do I keep track of payments?

Keeping track of payments is a crucial part of every business. There are a few ways to do so, but the best is to use CRM software like Method CRM.

With Method CRM, you easily keep track of everything that goes on in your business within a single interface, including payment history. Better yet, schedule automatic alerts and reminder emails when an invoice is overdue with Method CRM.

Get paid on time, every time, with Method CRM. See how!

Image credit: Towfiqu Barbhuiya via Unsplash

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