New freelancers are often surprised at how much 'business' actually goes into their day-to-day.
From discovery calls with new leads to following up on invoices, there’s a lot to stay on top of.
When collecting payments from clients—as I'm sure you've found out—there are many different tools to choose from, but the most important thing is to use something that gives your clients different payment options and requires minimal effort.
I personally use Stripe and love it. You can send your client an invoice with a custom payment page simply by entering in their email, invoice amount, and payment terms.
The nice thing is that it gives your client different options to pay - such as credit card or ACH - and they don't need to create any accounts to submit payment. It can also be helpful for international freelancers as it supports over 100 currencies.
You can also set invoices to be a subscription that automatically sends out each month, which can be useful for retainer clients.
And I connected my business bank account so that when any payments are made, the money is deposited in my account shortly after.
Lastly, I love the amount of data and reports that Stripe provides - it gives you good insights into your business which lets you make better, more profitable decisions:
Some other ones that I've often seen used are: Bonsai, Quickbooks, and Wave. The accounting softwares that have built-in invoicing tools can be freelancer-favorites because all of the data is already integrated, making bookkeeping just a little bit easier.
But overall, you want as little friction as possible when accepting payments (for both you and the client).
Don't overcomplicate it - find a tool that fits with your workflow and stick with it.
💰 Have a question about money or creative business?
