It’s a statistic that should make every small business owner’s stomach turn: Aussie businesses are owed over $115 billion in outstanding invoices.

For startups and small operators, even a few unpaid invoices can cause a ripple effect – slowing growth and delaying payroll, not to mention making everyday operations more stressful than they need to be.

But what if better invoicing habits could help you get paid faster and reclaim control of your cash flow?

The 3 big invoicing mistakes business owners make

According to Joshua McNicol, Director of Growth at business payments and financial services platform Zeller, there are three major invoicing mistakes he sees time and time again – and they’re all fixable.

“The first is manually invoicing,” he says. “Literally using a spreadsheet or handwritten invoices – there’s no way to digitise it, no way to track it, no way to automate it.”

The second mistake is creating friction that makes it harder for customers to pay: “If you’re asking a client to manually log into their banking app, copy and paste your details and transfer funds, you’re inviting the risk of mistakes. Compare that to enabling your customers to pay invoices the minute it pops up on their smartphone or in their inbox with an embedded credit card payment link.”

The third big issue? Letting invoicing become an after-hours administration task.

“Keeping on top of invoices is one of the biggest ways you can maintain your business cash flow,” McNicol says. “But when it becomes something business owners do after-hours or at the end of the week or month, they delay getting paid.”

Easy wins: How to get paid faster (for free)

Good news: fixing your invoicing process doesn’t need to be an expensive overhaul. Search ‘online invoices Australia‘ and you’ll see plenty of free tools out there.

One that can dramatically speed up the process is Zeller Invoices, an invoicing solution that lets business owners and finance managers create and send invoices in less than 30 seconds via email or SMS.

“Our data shows us that if you send an invoice to a customer via SMS, you’ll get paid 43 per cent faster than when you’re sending it via email,” McNicol says. “And if you make sure there’s a credit card payment link, you’ll get paid up to 75 per cent faster.”

Why? It’s all about convenience. If customers can open your invoice on their phone and pay it instantly with a few clicks of a button, they’re much more likely to do it then and there.

Get paid faster: Zeller Invoices provides free invoicing software for small businesses. Image: Zeller.

Why manual invoicing costs more than just time

In addition to slower payments, manual invoicing comes with a number of hidden costs.

“If you’re still invoicing manually, you’re not capturing a digital record of your items going out, your services being provided and your cash inflows and outflows,” McNicol says, adding that at tax time or during financial reporting periods, that makes things way harder for you and your bookkeeper.

Online invoicing tools automatically record what’s paid, unpaid or in draft. And that kind of visibility makes the entire financial side of your business much more efficient.

But it’s not just about efficiency – McNicol says it’s also about professionalism and business reputation: “When you can add your business logo and design your invoices professionally, customers see you as a more trustworthy and secure business, so you’re more likely to get paid faster.”

How Zeller Invoices streamlines the process

Zeller Invoices is a mobile-first solution that lets business owners send invoices straight from their smartphone, wherever they are. “You can create and send invoices when you’re on the go, as soon as the job’s finished,” says McNicol.

“It can be sent directly to a customer – to your client’s smartphone or their email inbox – and it comes with an embedded credit card payment link, so it gets you paid faster. It then allows you to completely take in all of that invoice input and process everything online without any ongoing monthly or annual subscription fees.”

Try these 3 online invoicing tips to supercharge cash flow

Once you’ve got a tool in place, it’s time to build better invoicing habits. McNicol recommends three habits that can make a big difference:

1. Set up automatic reminders: Zeller Invoices lets you schedule follow-ups for unpaid invoices, so it’s an easy way to stay top-of-mind with customers.
2. Request deposits upfront: If you’re buying goods or committing time upfront, a deposit invoice helps lower your personal risk and shows you’re serious.
3. Design professional invoices: Use your logo, choose clean templates – it increases trust and speeds up payments.

Every business is different, but one thing is universal: getting paid faster makes everything else easier.

So, if you’ve been chasing down late payments or just want a more professional invoicing system, tools like Zeller Invoices can get you there – without eating into your margins.

Sign up for free to Zeller Invoices now.

WATCH: How to send an invoice with Zeller

This article is brought to you by Business Builders in partnership with Zeller.

Feature image: AdobeStock