The lowly invoice is one of the most important documents that your HVAC company can produce. Not only is it how you get paid for the work that you do, but it’s an important piece of communicating the job to the client, as well as keeping you accountable for the parts and labor. But an invoice doesn’t have to be overly complicated. While you can certainly create a one-off invoice for each job you do, it helps to have HVAC invoice software that can make short work of those much-needed invoices.
Beyond that, HVAC invoice software can help you get a big-picture view of all your invoicing, helping you better manage your cash flow and the other things that can help you grow your HVAC business. From project efficiency to the real costs that affect your bottom line, HVAC invoice software can ultimately help you do more in less time, freeing you up to focus on the bigger issues that can help you bring in more money.
An HVAC Invoice Overview
When evaluating HVAC invoice software, it’s important to compare the feature set. Some call it HVAC invoice software 101, but it’s really about ensuring that you’re gaining the efficiencies that you need from the software. After all, HVAC invoices need to contain certain types of information, and leaving any of it out could possibly mean having to go back through and make manual edits — something that your HVAC invoice software should never ask of you.
On a basic level, you’ll need to include your company’s information, such as your company name, your logo, the company address, a telephone number, licensing number and your website URL. On the customer side, you’ll need to include the client name, their address and a contact number so that you can easily reach out in a pinch.
Beyond the company and client information, you’ll also need to indicate all the equipment and parts that were used for the project, as well as the cost of each. For larger equipment, that means the unit make and model, as well as a serial number, if available. If any working parts were replaced, a convenient note can illustrate the reasoning.
But don’t forget the labor. It’s likely the largest expense on your invoice, and you’ll want to clearly indicate the work that was done, how long it took and the cost to the client so that they can have a full understanding of the job. It can also help you if you ever return to the invoice in the future and have a question about the expense — it’s all right there.
If there’s a warranty on labor or parts, it should be clearly explained, as well as the total cost to the client and the different payment types you accept. In general, you’ll want to include as much information on your HVAC invoice as you can since it gives the client all the information they need to understand the job that was done.
Maximize Your Business with HVAC Invoice Software
From informing your customers of the ways in which they can pay to improving their grasp on the work that was done, HVAC invoice software is a great way to stay on top of it all. Forget about creating all those invoices manually without an easy way to manage it — HVAC invoice software can help you better manage your business by allowing you to create new invoices in just minutes, not hours.
Not only will that reduce the number of misunderstandings and confusion around your invoicing process, but you’ll also be able to more quickly turn around those important invoices, reducing the time that it takes to get paid while also providing more useful information to your clients.
Additionally, the best HVAC invoice software will also allow you to generate invoices while you’re on the go from your iPad or other mobile device, as well as providing much needed standards to your invoicing process so that even if you’re not around, you know that any invoices will meet your needs and expectations. Without that, you could end up with inconsistent invoices that could be hard to decipher by yourself or clients, drawing even more time away from the work you need to do to run your business.
When you provide consistent invoices via HVAC invoice software, you’ll also be communicating your professionalism to your clients, helping them understand the work that was done and giving them an easy way to contact you if there’s any issue. That can help mean more repeat business, which is one of the best ways to improve your bottom line. To really go to the next level, consider adding a coupon or discount offer on your invoices to help encourage that repeat business.
For more on how HVAC invoice software can help you streamline your business and enable you to do more with less, contact the experts at HVAC Business Solutions. Our software allows you to manage your business and your invoices from your mobile device wherever you are. Schedule a demo to find out more today!
