Invotrak: The Online Invoicing Blog

In addition to all the new things we’ve added to Invotrak, this most recent update also has a new Feedback link on the right.  When you’re logged into the site, you’ll see this button.  Clicking it will bring you to our new UserVoice page.

In our quest to make the process of invoicing less painful and more streamlined for the people who have to do it on a regular basis, we’re looking to get more of your input.  In fact, as part of our most recent update, a feature we snuck in was the ability to completely customize the emails that are sent out to your clients.  A feature that was requested by a user of ours.

We’d like to get your take on Invotrak.  Tell us what you need in an invoicing service, and we’ll do what we can to help.  One caveat: not all ideas or suggestions will be implemented.  Some things just aren’t right for Invotrak.  But there are many other things that we can do to improve, and we want to know.

We’re making invoicing better, and we’d like your help.  Check out our UserVoice page and let us know what you’d like to see in Invotrak.  Thanks!

We’ve been on a roll lately with Invotrak, and right on the heels of client accounts, we now have a revamped invoice generator, complete with templates! In addition, we’ve streamlined the process of creating invoices from timesheets, and even added company logos for good measure!

Creating an Invoice
As a recap, creating an invoice in Invotrak is very easy. Simply go to the Record Invoice page on the Invoices screen, and enter the invoice details (amount, when it’s due, etc). Once you’ve recorded this invoice, you can then enter each of the line items using the handy line item tool on the right.

When you’ve got all the components of your invoice entered, the next step is to generate a stylish PDF. Click on the Generate Paper Invoice link, and tweak the settings as you like. Free account holders are restricted to the Basic Business template, but upgraded account holders can choose from any of the template styles (including several that incorporate your logo).

When you’re happy with your settings, click the Generate PDF link at the bottom. After a moment, a PDF will popup with your invoice, in the template style you chose!

Invoices from Timesheets
If you bill by the hour, then you’re going to really save time using Invotrak’s timesheets feature. As you go about your work, enter your hours and a description of the work performed into the Timesheets section. Then, when you’re ready to invoice, click the Review Timesheets link at the top. Filter out the timesheets you’re interested in, and select them. Use the Create Invoice tool on the right to assign the selected timesheet entries to an invoice (or create a new one if you like).

Each of your timesheet entries will be attached to the invoice as line items, along with the time worked and an hourly rate. You can even change line items later if you like (such as times when your hourly rate changes).

Now that you have your invoice, use the Generate Paper Invoice feature to create a stylish PDF of the work you did!

Here’s a video showing how to create an invoice from timesheet entries:

Company Logos
But wait, there’s more! Invotrak now allows you to upload your company’s logo to attach to your invoices, and it’s very easy to do! Just go to the Settings screen inside Invotrak and click on the Logo image. Upload a JPG or PNG file of your company’s logo, and Invotrak will do the rest!

Check out the video to see how to add a logo in Invotrak:

When creating an invoice, some of the templates have space for logos. If you have a logo uploaded, Invotrak will automatically place the logo on the invoice. You’re invoices have never looked better!

We hope you like the new additions to Invotrak, but we’re always looking to improve. Be sure to let us know what you think, and keep an eye on this blog for more updates.

Happy new year everyone! We thought we’d get the new year started off right by introducing a new feature for Invotrak subscribers: client accounts!  You can now create accounts just for your clients, giving them access to view invoice and timesheet information you’ve recorded.

Let’s say you have several clients, Big Company and Little Company.  For both, you’d like to give them access to see the status of invoices you’ve issued to them.  In addition, you don’t want Big Company to see any timesheet entries you make.  Setting this up is very easy:

First, go to your Settings page and click Add User (it’s in the right column inside the Account Access box).  On the next screen, enter the email address of the person you’d live to give access to, and choose Client as their role.  Another drop-down box will appear allowing you to say which client this account belongs to (let’s say Big Company first).

Once you click the Add User link, an email is sent to that person with details on how to login and a password they can use.

Second, click on the Clients tab at the top of the page, and select the company you just assigned the client account to (say Big Company).  You’ll notice that in the right column of this screen there are additional details about access.  You can also choose to set whether the client has access to view timesheet entries or not (for Big Company, uncheck the box).  When you uncheck or check this box, it updates automatically on the server, though you should always double check by leaving and returning to the page.

That’s it!  Your client can now access the Invotrak records you’ve recorded for them, and see the status of their invoices and your timesheets whenever you like.  A couple final notes:

• Clients can’t make any changes to anything you’ve recorded.  They can’t recorded any invoices or timesheet entries, or make any changes (like adding payments).
• By default, client accounts are given access to your timesheet information.  If you don’t want clients to see your timesheet details, make sure you go to the Clients tab, select the appropriate client, and uncheck the checkbox on the right (called “Allow timesheet access”).
• You can remove and enable/disable client accounts just like any employee or admin account.
• A single client can have multiple client accounts (for instance, one for a manager and one for an accountant).

We hope you like the new Client access feature.  If you’re an Invotrak subscriber (Basic, Premium, or Unlimited), you can add as many client accounts as you like.  And be sure to let us know what you think – we add new features based on user feedback.