Months ago when I was looking for a solid accounting/billing/finance system for my consulting & coaching business, I figured I’d just go with what I knew… Quickbooks. But when I told a friend about my decision, he told me to check out Freshbooks. So I did. For free. I used it for a few months (for free), got hooked, and now I’m a happy paying customer. Here are the specifics why every small business should check out Freshbooks:

1. Super easy to set up your new account
2. Web-based & secure… I was able to generate an invoice and email it during a plane ride to visit a client a few weeks ago
3. Their try-before-you-buy model has been very well thought out. They let you keep a free account until your fourth client gets added to the system. So, you can add unlimited expenses, run reports, generate invoices for up to 3 clients unlimited, etc… all for free. By the time you add your fourth client, it’s easy to justify the low monthly cost. Again, their adoption model has been very well thought out.
4. Can accept payments via check, credit card, Paypal, etc.
5. Invoices look professional… clients can log in, view their invoice, print, pay, etc.  Makes me look like a champ.
6. A fast-growing online community that provides answers to your questions, ideas, etc.
7. Customer service that rocks!  Upon exiting the system, you get prompted with a survey.  One day, I took the survey and mentioned how much I enjoyed the service and their model.  The next day, I received contact from a support rep asking my shirt size and mailing address.  He wanted to send me a ‘thank you’ for my comments.  Three days later, I received a package shipped from Canada where they are based.  Sure enough… inside was a hand-written letter and a Freshbooks T-shirt! (See picture below).  The only other place where I’ve seen support folks connect with customers like that is at Zappos.
8. Integrations with 3rd party apps… like ShoeBoxed.com… so I never have to enter another expense receipt – ever!

If you ever get tired of your current accounting/invoicing/billing/financial system… or you’re just starting out and want to do it right, I highly recommend Freshbooks!