I’ve been meaning to write the post for several weeks now.  I’m finally doing it.

Early on as a part-time freelance videographer, I began the search for a solution that would handle my invoicing and accounting needs.  I looked at QuickBooks, but I discovered that was more geared for larger operations.  As a one-man-band, I needed something that was simple and easy.

So I stumbled on Billings 3. And I’m really glad I did.

Developed by Marketcircle based in Toronto, Billings 3 handles all of my key needs.  First, like many freelancers, I need to track billable time.  When I’m editing a project or designing a motion graphic, I need to be able to track how long I spend on each task.  With its menu bar timer, Billings makes it easy for me to track the time I spend on those tasks.  I can also pause the timer if I have to take a phone call or get a cup of coffee. Billings even recognizes periods of inactivity and can automatically pause the timer just in case you forget to!

Secondly, Billings 3 offers a powerful invoicing tool. Though it’s very simple to use right away, it’s powerful enough to grow with you as your needs change.  It ships with several pre-designed invoice, estimate and statement templates so you can get started quickly.  It even allows you to create your own layouts using its design module.  Although Billings 3 ships with some great looking templates, you may wish to design your own templates to match your company’s branding.  That’s no problem because Billings accepts PDFs.  I simply designed an invoice in Photoshop, saved it as a PDF and imported it into Billings.

Another great thing about invoicing in Billings 3 is that it’s super easy to send an invoice.  When you setup a working slip and complete a task, Billings automatically adds it to the client’s invoice.  When you’re ready to bill your client, you simply click the “Send Invoice” button.

You can email your client, print the invoice and even send reminder statements.  Before you send it, you can even personalize it with a short note.  Even cooler, if you need to bill a client regularly, Billings 3 allows you to send recurring invoices so you don’t forget to bill a client.  This could be especially useful for web designers who help maintain a client’s website on a monthly basis, or an attorney who works on retainer.

Billings 3 also gives you a powerful set of reporting tools designed to help you know who owes you, and how much.  During tax season this year, I found the reporting tools to be especially helpful while preparing my taxes. I simply generated a quick report of the years income vs expenses and printed the report for my records.

Finally, one of the coolest things about Billings 3 is the ability to sync with its companion iPhone app (sold separately on the App Store).  Billings Touch gives you the ability to track time, mileage, and expenses on the iPhone. With the paid app, you even get the ability to send invoice directly from the iPhone.

One criticism I have about the invoices in Billings Touch is the lack of options or capability of designing custom invoices.  You’re stuck with only 3 options.  For that reason, I only send invoices from Billings 3 and use Billings Touch to track time and expenses when I’m away from my Mac.

Billings 3 is one of the best solutions I’ve found for tracking time and invoicing clients.  It’s simple to use and since it takes only a few minutes to create invoices and statements, I can do what I do best and let Billings handle the rest.

UPDATE: Marketcircle has plans to release a multi-user version of Billings.  Visit their website for more information.