Business Invoicing Made Easy With Online Software

Example of invoice. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As a business owner I find one of the most difficult tasks, that I need to do on a regular basis, is to send out business invoices. Hunting down customers and actually  performing the work is never really a problem. It's finding the time to send out my invoices. 

There are many ways to produce your invoices. The old fashion way of manually creating your invoices allows you to only produce just so many in a certain time frame. But manually doing it can lead to error. Then there is invoice software you can install on your computer and lastly, there is online invoice software.

Having a dedicated invoice software solution to manage your billing today is a must. I have tried many invoice software packages, one of them is Zoho Invoice. Zoho Invoice is a flexible and high-powered office program that’s more than capable of keeping the bills straight.

Features of Zoho Invoice

Zoho Invoice lets business owners create professional invoices for customers and track payments at the same time all from one easy and intuitive interface. Business owners can either use Zoho’s own templates to create invoices or they can create custom forms using their online invoice software. Zoho Invoice also features zPost integration for sending U.S. mail invoices, payment management with PayPal and Google Checkout, an iPhone app for mobile billing and more.

Manage Invoices Online

Create, track and export your invoices online. Automate recurring invoices and design your own invoice using our invoice template and brand it with your business logo.

Track Expenses

Get an accurate picture of your financial position by recording expenses. Invoice the reimbursable expenses such as travel to your clients and get them reimbursed.

Project Time Tracking

Manage time sheet entries online. Log staff hours, add tasks for a project and start tracking time using our timer. View time sheet breakdown by project, by task or by staff.

Maintain Business Contacts

Seamlessly maintain all your business contacts. Import/export your contacts and contact persons. Track the invoice e-mails you have sent to your contacts.

Transact Globally

Zoho Invoice has multi-currency and multi-lingual capabilities. Create and send invoices/estimates to your clients in their native currency and language.

Accept Payments Online

Receive online payments from your clients using popular gateways like Paypal. Track customer over-payments and advances by creating credit notes.

Dashboards And Reports

Gain critical insights into how your business is doing. See what sells most, who are your top paying customers and the average time your customers take to pay.

Invite, Share And Collaborate

Invite users and share your workload as Zoho Invoice supports multiple users with different permissions. It helps your business to be more productive and efficient.

Who is This Online Invoicing Software For?

For anyone who needs competent expense billing software, Zoho Invoice is the perfect solution to the problem. Thanks to their various levels of service and pricing, Zoho is used by solo freelancers, corporate employees and everybody in between. The platform is designed from the ground up to be scalable, so it can handle anything you throw at it.

Plans and Pricing

With three different pricing plans from Free to Professional, Zoho has something for everyone:

• The Free account features unlimited invoices for up to 5 separate customers.
• The Standard plan is a mere $15 per month and allows up to 3 users to deliver unlimited invoices to as many as 500 customers.
• Zoho’s Professional package is $30 per month but boasts support for unlimited customers, user accounts, invoices and projects.

Is Zoho Invoice Easy to Use?

Whether you’re configuring a payment gateway, sending off a snail mail bill or tweaking a template to design a custom invoice form, Zoho Invoice couldn’t be easier to use. Even users who’ve never worked with an invoice management program before have been quite vocal about how easy it is to get started with Zoho. Despite its power and flexibility, Zoho has a fairly shallow learning curve as far as invoice software is concerned.

Customer Service

Aside from its stellar performance and reasonable pricing scheme, Zoho Invoice is best known for its comprehensive customer service and technical support. Their online help guides, FAQs and API documentation are second to none. Furthermore, their live technical assistance staff can be reached toll-free at any hour during the business week.

Final Word

When it comes to invoicing software, you’ve got a lot of options. Zoho Invoice makes the decision fairly simple by delivering what is arguably the best invoice management suite on the market. It’s not often that one finds a program that’s a true “no-brainer”, but Zoho appears to be the real deal. For all of your invoice management needs, Zoho is your best bet.

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A Complete Guide to Earning Extra Money for Retirement

Many people worry about their retirement and they start planning ways to earn extra money. Such attempts should ideally begin in one’s 30s and 40s.

Numerous ways can be used to earn some extra money for retirement. All of the strategies will demand some preliminary planning and research. Some require constant involvement and monitoring while others result in passive income that will be obtainable on a regular basis. Choosing the one that is right for you depend on your skills and your retirement needs.

Investment in Property

Investment in property is one of the oldest and most efficient ways to save some money for your retirement.

The trick towards gaining money this way understands the property market, finding a lucrative idea and selling it at a higher price than the original one. The real estate market tends to experience peaks and falls and you will have to choose the property to buy very carefully.

Consulting a real estate agent is the best way to approach the issue, in case you lack an idea about the market. 

Make Money Online

Internet provides diversified income generation opportunities. Some of the best ways to make money online include:

• - article and content writing
• - setting up your own blog or website
• - affiliate marketing
• - selling items on online shopping portals
• - building an online consultancy business
• - searching for online investment opportunities

When you decide to benefit from the final option, it would be very important to study, to understand the investment options and to avoid Ponzi schemes. Forensic accountants can help you understand such opportunities and stay away from scams. Otherwise, you risk losing a lot of money and starting an investigation that will cost you both time and money.

A Ponzi scheme is the most common online scam. In this case, a pyramid structure is created. Investors at the top of the pyramid make an income from the contributions of the next levels of investors. When you enter such a scheme, you will probably have to invest some funds but you will never see the returns.

Monetizing Favorite Hobbies and Activities

Even if you have no idea how to invest money and how to increase the initial funds you entered in a particular activity, fund or investment portfolio, you can still make some great money for retirement.

Monetizing your hobbies is possible during your younger and your retirement years, as well. This means launching your own home-based business and selling handcrafted items. Here are several great ideas for monetizing the activities you enjoy the most:

• - Selling handmade greeting cards
• - Launching your own cooking newsletter or recipe website
• - Starting a home-based baking business
• - Selling art pieces
• - Selling photographs or photographing events

Passive Income Ideas

The best ideas for extra retirement money involve passive income generation. As the name suggests, you will need to do some preliminary work and just collect money once everything gets established.

The easiest way to guarantee steady passive income is property rental. This is why you should consider an investment in real estate. Even if you refrain from selling a home or an apartment, you can make money from it on a monthly basis.

Passive income generation is also possible through your website. Participating in affiliate programs and selling products through your website will guarantee you some income, especially if your website is popular. You will either make money each time someone clicks on an ad or you will earn a percentage of each sale that resulted from a referral from your website.

Writing an eBook and selling it through a popular online store is another great way to earn passive income for your retirement.

Be careful, study opportunities and avoid schemes when trying to gain and save money for your retirement. Avoid easy but questionable opportunities. You can earn a great retirement income; just take some time to do your homework in advance. 

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How Best to Manage Your Bank Account Through Retirement

a cheque. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When you finally reach and surpass the age of fifty, hopefully you understand your personal finances. Still, handling your finances can take a respectable amount of time, and planning for retirement is, for most, people a confusing prospect. You should compare current accounts to see which one can provide the necessary tools to help you. Luckily, the Internet provides a number of tools to assist those older than 50 manage their money more easily and effectively. Here are some great tools to employ.

Online Banking Websites

Everybody passed the age of 50 recalls a time when all your banking was done out of a checkbook. The sole way to get any information was to go to the bank or to wait for your monthly statements to arrive in the mail. You would carefully read your checkbook statement and use it to manage your monthly budgets. Banks now have websites that provides their customers instant access to account information. By using these tools, it is possible to keep a check on how much money is in your account. These online resources allow customers to transfer money between accounts and even to other people. Incorporating these tools into your day-to-day financial dealings can save many trips to the bank. All banks have somewhat different online features, finding the best bank account with the features you need will make your online experience go smoothly.

Online Bill Pay

Most people pay bills by check or through the mail. Now, banks are allowing customers to pay online, which saves both postage and time. In addition, these sites also allow people to set up automatic bill payment schedules. People often travel more after reaching the age of 50, and avoiding the hassles of paying bills while traveling can be a tremendous relief. Some companies are even offering discounts to those who pay their bills online, and for those who are looking to help the environment, online bill pay can help eliminate unnecessary paper usage.

Online Planning Tools

Planning for retirement can be a major hassle; the financial calculations can be difficult, and many have to adjust their lifestyle when retirement comes. Still, there are a number of online tools that are far easier to use than financial calculators. These tools give information in a manner that is easy to understand, and many tools can even offer hints and suggestions to users. When meeting with a financial advisor is useful for most, these tools can eliminate the need for some meetings. Financial experts can even offer advice about using these tools more effectively.

Network With Other People

Internet discussion boards can be a great resource for those searching for financial advice. Almost everyone who's passed the age of 50 has some knowledge of managing their finances, and many communicate in online forums to share their knowledge and tips with each other. Ranging from retirement advice to saving money on bills and food, these tips can help people spend as little as possible. These small savings add up, and a lot of people use them to enjoy the retirement of their dreams.

At and beyond 50, the demands placed by children often drop, and many can begin to taste independence for the first time in years. With some detailed planning, those who are 50 or older can use online tools to enjoy the lifestyles they would like to live.

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Simple Steps To Getting A PPI Refund

Payment protection insurance serves as a helping hand if you are unable to repay the borrowed amount due to illness or unemployment. They policy is also mis-sold by making lenders along with mortgage loan or credit card. The customer pays a huge amount without the knowledge of being insured with a PPI policy. Many PPI policies are mis-sold by the lenders so make sure that you get the right policy that serves your need. Talk with the lender and find out whether your credit has covered this policy. If you are one among the people who are suffering with this mis-sold issue then it’s the time to refund your ppi claim. 

Check out your claim: Firstly, it is important to know whether you have a PPI cover or not. If you feel that you are paying huge charges for your credit, contact the lender and ask for the credit reports. Analyse your payments. Take the help of the lender company and know whether you have the right to refund the compensation.

Know its status: If you owe the policy, find out its status. This can be done by gathering documents, files and statements regarding your finances. Go through the reports and know the amount you have deposited. If you think that the lender gave you a faulty cover then keep the documents safe with you and demand for your payments.

Identify how it is mis-sold: Before claiming the refund find out the way it has been sold.

• Did the lender explained you about exact terms and conditions of your policy 
• What is the exact cost of your policy 
• Were you forced to take the cover? 
• Know about your payment duration. 

Take the help of claiming companies: Plan for claiming the policy by yourself or by consulting the any PPI claims management company. These companies will do the work on your behalf and reduce your burden.

Wait till the process completes: It takes certain time to get back your compensation. Wait patiently till the time arrives. Meanwhile contact the claiming company and know about its progress. Go through their plans and statements.

Take the advantage of ombudsmen: Ombudsmen offer free services regarding these issues. They can reclaim the policy on behalf of you. You can claim the policy even if your debt has been paid off. It does not affect your credit score and you can claim different policies at the same time though they are offered by different banks.

Learn from the experienced people: Millions of people faced this problem and got the solution. Web sites such as consumer action group is popular where you can get the help from the people who has solved this problem.

Complain: make a complaint to the lender about the refund. Then your bank will intimate you whether they are responsible for this complaint or not within a specific time. If you feel that the creditor has not responded properly then take the help of financial ombudsman or the court.

Follow these simple steps and claim for the amount you deserve. Utilise the consumer’s right and get the instant refund from those financial institutions.

Author Bio:
My name is Maria. I am a tech writer from Manchester. I am into Finance, Technology, Travel, and Health :). Catch me @financeport

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Medical Negligence - What You Need to Know

The need for medical attention leaves everyone vulnerable. The public must be able to trust the healthcare community and must have confidence that when something goes wrong, there will be accountability. Claims of negligence in the healthcare industry should never be made lightly as they are taken seriously by the medical field and the legal system. However, when negligence does happen, patients should fully understand their rights under the law and should know how best to have their case represented. 

An attorney’s role in medical negligence 

A claim for this kind of negligence must first be investigated by an attorney. While many claims are fairly straightforward, it is important to establish the type of negligence as well as to work to determine who is negligent. In some cases, it is a member of the direct care staff (doctors, nurses, surgeons) but in other cases, a healthcare organisation such as a hospital or nursing home may be the negligent party. Establishing the time line for events as well as understanding the claim inside and out allows an attorney to assess the case and develop a strategy for the legal claim. 

Quite often, lawyers who specialise in medical negligence cases work on a “No Win No Fee” basis. This works to the advantage of the claimant as they incur no out-of-pocket expenses before or during the trial. If the claim is rejected, the claimant loses nothing. The lawyer and their office only get paid when the claim itself is paid by the negligent party. This system also gives a level of confidence to the clients as they know the legal office will be working hard to win, and would not take on a case they felt could not win at trial. 

Although these legal professionals work with a trial in mind, they also make every attempt to have the case settled as quickly as possible. Lawyers and legal teams for doctors, surgeons, other healthcare professionals and hospitals are typically willing to discuss settlement options in order to avoid a lengthy trial. Again, this willingness to cooperate works to the advantage of the injured party. Achieving a fair settlement shortens the overall time for the claim and makes it easier for the injured party to get on with their own life. 

Easy resolutions and just compensation are entirely possible with the right strategy

Because of the negotiation involved with settlements as well as the legal challenges which must be met, cases concerning medical malpractice or negligence are best handled by qualified legal teams. The stress of a trial can be difficult for victims, and these legal teams are prepared to take the stress and worry off of the victim's shoulders. They can handle initial interviews, research, investigations and preliminary work before the trial. 

As they prepare the case, they can engage in settlement negotiations with the negligent party which can help to avoid trial. Should the case go to trial, this same team of legal professionals can navigate their way through the court system and, of course, strive for a positive outcome. People who feel they have a valid claim for this kind of negligence should always consult with an attorney so they understand their rights and how best to achieve justice. 

Nina has written on a number of different topics as a freelance writer. She has written on various aspects of consumer right and patient advocacy, including issues revolving around medical negligence. Kelly conducts her own research and writes freelance web content for a wide variety of clients.

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Instant Access Savings Accounts – A Better Way to Manage Your Savings

If you are living in Britain, it won't take you long to appreciate the fact that money slips out of your pocket earlier than you can imagine. Expenses from all corners seem to be attacking and making you cough up your hard-earned money. No wonder that the Pound seems to be a Monopoly currency. Fortunately, there are savings accounts to help people to save some money for their future. However, you should be very careful in choosing your savings account and take the following factors very seriously for the purpose. 

Interest Rates:

Whenever selecting a bank for a savings account, the first thing you should look to is the interest rate. There is simply no use of opening a bank account which does not offer handsome interest on your savings. 

Withdrawal Process:

Most banks won't let you simply withdraw money from your savings account. In fact, this is what savings account for: They keep you from instantly accessing your money. Many banks also impose penalty on each withdrawal. However, some banks also offer instant access saving accounts. Basically, these are savings accounts that do not impose any penalty on withdrawal. Instant access savings accounts could be either online or otherwise. The online ones could take relatively longer to process withdrawals.

However, some instant access savings accounts offer only a limited number of penalty-free withdrawals. 

Initial Deposit and Minimum Amount Required for Account Maintenance:

Different banks have different requirements for opening savings accounts. Some ask you to deposit at least a specified amount, which is in some cases a huge amount, whereas others may ask you to make sure that there is always a specified amount available in your account. Since banks differ remarkably on this front, you may choose from a wide range of options on your initial deposit amount and minimum maintenance amount. But you should note that most banks offer higher interest rates against accounts which require a reasonable initial deposit and minimum maintenance amount. You shall have to balance interest rates against the amount you can easily put in your savings account. 

Is There Any Bonus? 

Some banks offer bonus interest on their savings account. The result of this is that you get a decent amount of extra money in form of these bonuses. The effect of these bonus-interest awards becomes more noticeable after compounding over years. 

Is There Any Complicated Documentation Required?

Most banks have simplified their account-opening procedures and have done away with the need for any complicated documentation procedure. However, there are some banks that still require you to fill in a good number of forms for opening an account. You need to understand that it is now obsolete to treat the future clients as the clerks in your office. Therefore, there is nothing extraordinary if your bank asks you to tell them just a few details and they shall have your account opened. In fact, this is how most online bank accounts work. All you need to do to open these is to provide just a few details and that’s it.

To conclude, choosing the right savings account is one of the most important decisions for you to make. If you make a mistake at this front, you shall put yourself in a position where you will keep losing interest money over your savings. Therefore, be most careful when choosing a bank to open your savings account with!

Denzel Zurich studies microeconomics and helps people to make better choices to save and spend their money. He has also written on the utility of instant access savings accounts.

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