Easy Billing & Expense Tracking
for Trades & Contractors on the Go!
As a trades person, you need billing and expense tracking software that you can take with you on the road and is easy to use! Many online bookkeeping applications leave trades people out in the cold. Frequently, accounting applications are designed for finance professionals and are too complex for everyone else. Flare’s intuitive, easy-to-use features put you in control. You’ll more efficiently and effectively manage client billing and business bookkeeping, while taking advantage of the financial performance visibility Flare gives you to help you grow profit and improve cash flow.
- Easy-to-use billing, expense tracking and bookkeeping.
- Electronic invoicing and customer portal so you get paid faster!
- Budgeting with budget vs. actual to monitor performance and increase profit.
Features Made for Trades Professionals
Trades Professionals Example Case Studies
All trades professionals benefit from using Flare small business accounting software. Here are just a few examples.
Trevor – Automotive Repair Shop Owner
Trevor runs an automotive repair shop. Before using Flare, he kept sales figures in a book and kept expense receipts in box – handing them over to his bookkeeper about once a month. Business had been good, then, suddenly (it seemed) he was having trouble meeting expenses and was dipping into savings to pay his employees. It was strange, Trevor thought, because he always had a full repair schedule and even had to hire a senior mechanic to keep up with demand.
Then, Trevor Got Flare
Flare showed Trevor where the problems were. By examining expense transactions, he could see that he was paying several costly vendors in the same week each month. He also noted that a few long-term vendors had very short payment terms. By tracking income, Trevor could see that his new, costly senior mechanic was working on too many small, low-earning jobs. In essence, what the mechanic brought in was barely paying his wage. With this information, Trevor was able to make changes to solve his cash flow problems and increase profit. He negotiated longer payment terms with long-standing vendors. He stopped using the new hire for “all” jobs and only allowed him to work on higher-priced repairs – using juniors for low-earning jobs, and, he spread his bill payments out over the month so they wouldn’t all hit the bank at one time.
Trevor chose Flare Cloud Accounting because he could:
- Easily track invoices and payments.
- Monitor cash flow.
- View expense transaction details.
- Identify high-value customers with Flare’s customer value tracking.
- View expenses and expense trends by vendor.
- Invite his bookkeeper to use Flare at tax time.
Karen – Plumbing & Heating Services
Karen is a plumbing and heating contractor. She loves her work because each job is different. Before she began using Flare, she was “winging it”, paying little attention to finances and only seeing her accountant once a year – at tax time. Though she was busy enough, Karen thought she should be earning more than she did. She felt guilty. Here she was – a business person – but she had no understanding of her own business finances and no idea how to earn more. Karen wanted to understand, but once had a bad experience with a complicated accounting package that seemed to be made for accountants , not people like her.
Then, Karen Got Flare
Karen signed up for a free trial and tested Flare for a couple of weeks. She liked how easy it was for her to create and send invoices that customers could pay online. She noticed that they paid faster than before! She also found Flare’s budgeting feature was easy to use and, well, pretty cool. Before you know it, Karen was doing her own books, which was easy because of Flare’s automated features. She set up a connection to her online banking, Flare downloaded transactions automatically and all she had to do was categorize with the help of Flare’s auto-categorization feature. Her books are balanced, she knows what’s in the bank, what she owes and what’s owed to her. More than that, Karen sets income, expense and profit goals that she works toward and achieves. Karen is proud of herself. For the first time in her career, she feels in control of her business’s destiny.
Karen chose Flare Cloud Accounting because she could:
- Use it without having any financial expertise.
- Access it anytime, anwhere – in a coffee shop or on the job.
- Easily send professional invoices that customer pay online.
- View financial performance indicators from Flare’s dashboard.
- Set up a budget in minutes then compare to actuals.
- Invite her accountant to use Flare.
Jacob – New Home and Construction & Renovation
Jacob is a new player in home construction and renovations. He started about 6 months ago and business is starting to pick up. He’s a family man and between work and family, he has no time and money is tight. When he started his business, he did so without a bookkeeper, financial advisor, or any financial planning. His “go for it” attitude was all he needed…or so he thought. Just before getting Flare, Jacob was becoming frustrated by his own disorganization and lack of planning. He knew he had to do something. Paper was everywhere, receipts and invoices cluttered his desk and although he knew what his income was at the end of each month, he had no idea about the real cost of providing his services or how to increase revenue.
Then, Jacob Got Flare
Jacob was nervous when he first got Flare. He hated the idea of bookkeeping and the word “planning” made him tune out. He set up Flare in just a few minutes and found it pretty easy. He wanted to enter transactions manually, and, Flare allowed him to do that. He loved that he could create and send professional invoices and that customers could view statements and pay him from an online customer portal. What he really loves is the confidence Flare has given him. He is managing his own finances! At a glance, Jacob can see the state of his business’s finances from Flare’s dashboard. He can view revenue by customers and prioritize work because he knows which customers and jobs earn him more revenue. Now, Jacob has more time, more income, and more profit.
Jacob chose Flare Cloud Accounting because he could:
- Be more organized, save time and make financial plans.
- Easily perform his own bookkeeping in just minutes a day.
- Invite clients to a customer portal where they pay online.
- Track income trends by customer so he knows who brings more value.
- Track expenses by vendor.
- See all important financial information at a glance from Flare’s dashboard.