Tools of the trade

Not only has the internet opened up an unlimited world of opportunities to start your own business with just about zero risk, it's also filled with services that can make the mechanics of being an entrepreneur easier than ever.

Not everyone is an expert in marketing or manufacturing.  Luckily, there are some great sites out there that can take over some of the more time-consuming, non-billable work for you.  Take for instance that most exciting of tasks- Accounting!

Knowing where you are with cash-flow and staying on top of monies owed to you is key to keeping your business moving, but too many people let this part of the business slide because they are so busy fulfilling the opportunities they're generating.  You can lose money because you're too busy making it to keep track of it.

There are a number of spots on the web that can help out in this regard, one of them is Blinksale.  With very little set-up time, you can be generating, recording, & tracking invoices securely online.  There is a great range of optional services that you can add if you see fit, so you can do anything from send out a few simple manual invoices a month, to setting up  hundreds of auto-recurring invoices.  Blinksale can link with Paypal to make the payment that much more fluid, ie. fast.  You can store, categorize, & reference all of you invoices and see at a glance what's been paid and what's still pending.  And the best part- for the simpler option, it's free.  You can try it out with 3 free invoices a month to get a feel for it, and upgrades from there are pretty reasonable when you consider how much paperwork it removes from your life.

As with everything, shop around.  Blinksale is one of a number of services, but it's a good one to look at if you're spending too much time chasing post-it notes around your office and wondering if you've actually received any of that hard-earned money.  

Comments

[carolyn]

Hi Cameron,

My name is carolyn,im from malaysia.I work with the Engineers.I first saw you on tv`Oprah's Big give'.I like the way how you deal with people ,you're so professional.And i'm impress at reading your article and your experiences.I never knew that someone like YOU existed on earth until i watch Oprah reality show.
Keep up the good work.

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