We’re always looking for better ways to do business online. As a small business you want to spend your time interacting with customers, gaining new business and providing a valuable service to your customers. One thing we always hated doing was the accounts payable and receivable areas. Lot of time was wasted creating invoices, chasing up payments and sending reminders. We had so many different systems in play that sometimes it was hard to keep up with workflow and best practices.
We switched from MYOB to Zoho Books and started working online. Yes ONLINE and in the cloud. No longer did we rely on desktop computers, installing software or even coming back to the office or home to sort out invoicing issues. With Zoho Books we are able to work anywhere where there is Internet either in the car, smartphone or online browser. We went one step further implementing Paypal Here, Automated Reminders from Zoho and our own Hosting Platform. We added our own ticket system for helpdesk which all integrates together to form a powerful work-flow process and automated accounts payable function.
Here’s how the whole workflow process works at CMather: Helpdesk or consultant raises an invoice or estimate via Zoho books. This can be triggered in multiple ways such as a smartphone, tablet, online browser, cpanel hosting or from an estimate. Customer details are added and an email is sent to the customer for payment along with the invoice. The customer can then pay for the invoice via Paypal, Bank Deposit or Online Portal. When payment is made Zoho sends an automated email thanking the customer. If payment is late a reminder is sent – automatically. Yes you can adjust the reminders from Zoho. You can even send a reminder reminding the due date is nearing for payment. There is no chasing up as the email is also linked to our internal ticket system which flags the operator to discontinue service or escalate it for further review. After verified payment, the system can send a thank you email and also notify your staff of payment.
Using this simple work-flow, we have never filled a position in Accounts Receivable or Payables. Since the entire process is transparent and automated, invoices and expenses work seamlessly at CMather. Reporting is even a breeze with multiple options, filters and variants in reporting. We use both internal and Zoho reporting to analyse all data including, sales, quotes, expenses and forecasting. The system is also flexible as we have grown with this software package over the years.
This is very basic automation, however can be easily achieved with Zoho and some simple business rules. Zoho Books is a powerful tool for your business and this article relates to automation rather than specific functions within Zoho Books. See here for full features of Zoho Books. Why waste your time chasing up invoices for payment? Isn’t it time you reviewed your accounting procedures to take up new technology and automation to free up time to spend on the business?
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If you have questions regarding our automation process or how your business has used automation to add value to your accounting process, please leave a comment or contact our team. We love sharing our information and hopefully this will help other small businesses to take the dive into online accounting and workflow practices.