Free Invoice Template Download

Free invoice template downloads are the fastest way to speed up invoice creation. A ready-made template allows you to churn out invoices at a breathtaking pace. Your choices depend on your platform of choice, but most popular platforms have the tools you need to get the job done.

Instant Invoice Creation Using Free Invoice Template Downloads

Let's face it. Creating invoices is one of those chores you just want to get done ASAP. You want to be able to do it with as little hassle as possible. One way to do that is by using a ready made template. Using a template leaves you with the task of filling in the blanks. If you don't already have a template you will want to find a free one online and adapt it to your needs. Try to find a free invoice template to download that is as close to your industry as possible.

Commercial Invoice Samples

There are many similarities in invoices across different industries. However, there are also thing that are different. When looking for an invoice template for your business you need to make sure it meets your requirements. Look for commercial invoice samples from your industry. The closer you can get to your industry the less work you will have to do to adapt it. Google is a good place to start.

Google Invoice Template

Ever heard the phrase; "Google is your friend!" If you have a Google account even more so. With your Google account you can create documents on Google Drive. You can even create documents from templates created by others. When you choose to create a document from a template you will be led to a search screen. Just searching for the word invoice yields hundreds of results. So, you should be able to find something applicable to your industry.

Free Invoice Template Downloads With Google Docs Invoice Templates

As mentioned in the previous paragraph there are hundreds to choose from. They are not downloadable templates per se, but nevertheless very useful. Google Drive documents, and thus templates, are by default cloud based documents. That means they are available online. The big advantage of this is that they are available to you anywhere with an Internet connection. Functionality might not be at the same level as with your favorite desktop solution though.

MS Word Invoice Template

Fortunately, at least if you're using MS Office there are a ton invoice templates you can download. A search for invoice templates at Microsoft's templates site yields many results for several versions of MS Office. I'm sure the same will be the case for other popular Office suites. So, you are now stuck with the choice between breaking new ground with the cloud based Google Drive solutions or sticking to your old desktop Office suite. Both are valid choices for different reasons.

I hope the above will help you find the free invoice template downloads you are looking for. As you can see all common, popular platforms have templates you can go and use. Make sure you pick a template that suits your business and your industry.

Online Invoice Generator A Viable Alternative?

Courtesy of stock.xchng - Going for online invoice generator software?

Everything seems to be moving to the cloud these days. It is no surprise giving this development that so many online invoice generators are popping up. Why shouldn't you move this part of your business into the cloud? The advantages are numerous. You can often do it much cheaper than with commercial software. In fact, online invoice generator software is often free! Before moving everything online it's important to look at the pros and cons. It's no good switching software just because it sounds like a good idea. Your job, or at least one of them, is to know whether or not it is a good idea.

we will then look at 5 different online invoice generators and discuss the main selling points of each one. Finally, the most important part of this article in my opinion. The requirements you need your invoice software to meet.

Free Or Paid Online Invoice Generator

There is an old saying:

There is no such thing as a free lunch.

It's true. That doesn't mean you can't find invoice software you don't have to pay for. Most of it will, in that case, be financed through advertising. If you can live with that there are a lot of good free options, as you'll see later. The feature level of the free online invoice generators vary a lot. You have to test them to make sure you get what you need. Even if you have to pay for a subscription, which will typically be less than $10 a month, it will usually still be far less expensive than purchasing commercial software. The cost is one of the advantages of going with online software.

Why Choose Online Invoice Generator Software?

When I first started discussing cloud based software with my colleagues one point came up that is incredibly strong. By placing your software in the cloud based environments you make it somebody else's problem. It is no longer your problem to make sure that it works. If you think about it that is just such an unbelievable advantage. There is no maintenance, again somebody else's problem. It is accessible anywhere you go that has an Internet connections, these days that's pretty much everywhere. In most cases it is far cheaper than investing in commercial invoice software. So, what's not to like? Making it somebody else's problem means you live by somebody else's rules. In this case, it is hardly a problem, but if it is a problem for your business, then online software is definitely not the way to go. It differs depending on which product you choose.

5 Online Invoice Generator Products

What are your options? Right here you will see 5 popular options for online invoice generator software. The list is no where close to being extensive. And only the main points of each solution is shown here. I highly recommend you take a closer look at each one. They are not listed in order of preference.

• Billable.me - no sign up required. Fill in the fields and print or download.
• Invoicera - a solution with customizable templates and lots of features.
• Invoicebubble - a free solution with Paypal integration.
• Invoicejournal - a solution with commercial features that is free to use.
• Billpdf - a free solution with no log in.

The 5 solutions differ in various ways as you can see. Some can be used for recurring invoices, others can't. I highly recommend that you test them yourself and look for others as well.

Online Invoice Generator Requirements

Let's face it, invoices aren't the most complicated things in the world. Having said that, it is important that you go for something that does what you need it to do. Some have commercial features, some don't. The question is what you need. Accessibility is also an important factor. If you're doing a lot of invoices you want your system of choice to be easy to use. Do you need online archiving facilities? If you print your invoices and save a physical copy you might not.

There are many really good reasons to consider online invoice generator software. Fortunately it isn't very expensive, which is probably also one of the reasons you're considering it. Remember to make sure that it has all the features you need! I can't stress too much how important it is to make an educated decision.

Open Source Invoice Software

You wound up on this page because you or your company are looking into the possibility of switching to open source invoice software. You are probably looking for software that doesn't include hefty licensing fees. However, you need to ensure that you don't do so at a loss of functionality or usability. The system needs to be able to handle all the tasks you are performing today, including importing and exporting large amounts of data when necessary. There is even a chance that you need to be able to integrate the software with 3rd party systems. You are asking yourself. Can open source software do that? This article will not direct you towards a specific open source invoice software system, but it will help you ask the questions you need to ask to get the system you need.

There can be little doubt that the cost of open source systems will entice many to consider them. Licensing costs can be a real burden and you don't get that with open source software. However, you need to be aware of the hidden costs. While open source systems are free to use there is still a price attached. You need to implement the system, which can cost far more than the licensing fees you are paying today. When it is first implemented, however, you will have a system that operates at a very low cost. Why not free you ask? Simply put you and your employees need to be educated in the use of the new system. The worst thing you can do is letting your employees loose on the system without being aware of the functionality of your new system.

Even Open Source Invoice Software Has The Functionality Of Enterprise Systems

One of the great fears when considering open source systems is functionality. Can you really expect an open source system to have the same functionality as an enterprise system. OpenOffice, a free office suite, is a great example of an open source system that does have enterprise systems. Indeed, several OpenOffice features have been adapted by, among others, Microsoft Office. It is proof that going open source doesn't necessarily mean sacrificing functionality. Having said that it is important that you test the features. Fortunately, it won't cost you a lot to test it since it is free. If you find that the current features are as you require it is worth checking things like feature update frequency and feature support. Since you are looking at open source invoice software there probably isn't an official support outlet, but it's worth looking for forums and communities supporting the system.

Considering how much time most of us spend in front of a computer each day it's important that we protect ourselves from computer related injuries. It's important to make sure that any system you use in your company takes this into account. Invoice software is often quite data entry intensive. Make sure data entry is as easy as possible requiring as few mouse clicks as possible. One of the things you should consider is the tab order of the fields. What that means is that each time you press the tab button to get to the next field it must take you to the next logical field. This is just another way to decrease the amount of mouse clicks you need to make. The system should be able to perform mass data entry, such as imports from spreadsheets or databases.

Open Source Invoice Software Integration

This is a really big deal. Working with invoices and other financial data you want to minimize the amount of manual data entry to an absolute minimum. First of all, automatizing it is better for your employees health. More important, however, is automatic data integration will minimize the human error factor. The last bit alone can save you a fortune. At a minimum any invoice software you choose should be able to import data from databases and spreadsheets. Third party system integration with CRM systems and other financial systems will be a huge bonus as well.

Switching to an open source invoice system is a very big decision. You are probably mainly considering it due to the serious costs associated with enterprise systems. Just make sure you remember the hidden costs of implementation and training. However, you should not consider switching before being absolutely certain the system will live up to your requirements. You can get open source systems that are as good or even better than enterprise systems. There is no reason to settle for anything less!