CNC is hosting a free workshop next week for businesses who want to switch to electronic invoicing systems.
"Electronic invoicing leads to quicker approval and payment cycles, improved vendor satisfaction, fewer lost or missing invoices, and a more efficient financial process," said Zelda Craig, CNC's industry liaison. "While the majority of small businesses rely on a paper invoicing system, global invoicing standards are rapidly moving towards electronic invoicing."
The workshop is aimed at independent consultants, and small- or medium-sized businesses that are currently using Word or Excel documents to generate invoices for their customers. Three of the simplest and most cost-effective E-Invoicing solutions will be reviewed and a guide to selecting the right service for your business will be provided.
"Large companies are insisting their suppliers adopt e-invoicing solutions in an effort to streamline approvals and make their payments processes more efficient," said Craig. "Some governments, such as Mexico and Brazil, are leading the way by making e-invoicing a regulatory requirement. In northern B.C., most companies don't require e-invoicing from their suppliers, but many of them are already specifying a preference for it."
The idea for the workshop actually came out of a conversation with one of those business people, Cassidy Dahl, the former owner of a BathMaster franchise and current owner of High Caliber Contracting.
In discussions with Craig, Dahl explained that when he tried out the Invoice2Go program, it made transaction verification documents easy. With the added benefit of a smartphone app, Dahl found he could issue an invoice from anywhere, including his clients' kitchen.
Craig had her own experience with e-invoicing so she quickly understood Dahl's views.
"I started using FreshBooks earlier this year to simplify my time tracking, invoicing and payment processes," she said. "It looks more professional, it's easy for me to flag payment issues, and my year-end was a snap compared to previous years."
The workshop is a partnership presentation between CNC and the National Research Council. It is free of charge. The session will be held on Wednesday starting at 6 p.m. in Room 2-314. Online preregistration is required at: www.eventbrite.com/preview?eid=9300627427.
