This Canadian entrepreneur put QuickBooks on the Intuit platform to the test

We can easily send invoices to customers and match their payments to those invoices. Helps us stay organized and get a good picture of the business as a whole. Your Payments Agent knows your business and recommends payment strategies, proposing personalized invoice reminders to help you collect payments faster and improve your cash flow.

Step 3: Connect Your Bank and Credit Card Accounts

An invoice is used to collect payment, while a receipt serves as proof of payment. See the differences between invoices and receipts, with examples here. Set up recurring invoices to auto-send every day, week, month, or year. With our free invoice templates, add your logo and colors and create tailored professional invoices within minutes.

Shopify is a leading software solution for small business e-commerce, offering a streamlined way to build, manage, and grow an online store. It combines a customizable storefront, secure checkout, built-in marketing tools, and a robust app ecosystem. The smaller you are, the more you benefit from bundled invoicing, time tracking, payments, and light project tracking. It offers unlimited user licenses and a robust AP automation module. Its collaboration features make it a good choice for teams needing extensive user access. QuickBooks enhances business efficiency and accuracy by streamlining various accounting functions.

How we evaluate small business software

• But the new QuickBooks capability, Customer Hub, allows me to follow leads from initial consultation all the way to getting paid, while also helping me identify repeat customers.
• Say you want to create a new QuickBooks sales receipt every time you receive a new payment in Stripe.
• Get a quick call with an expert to discuss custom solutions for your business.
• For businesses looking to optimize their financial operations, QuickBooks Online offers an array of features tailored to various accounting needs.

Some platforms are plug-and-play, requiring no prior accounting knowledge, while others demand training and financial expertise to maximize their potential. Not all accounting automation software is built for every business. Xero supports multi-user access, making it a go-to solution for businesses looking for scalability and strong automation without enterprise-level complexity. Data drives decisions, and QuickBooks Online acknowledges this through its robust reporting capabilities. By customizing reports, you can drill down into the metrics that reflect your company’s performance and potential accurately.

Unit Economics 101: A Guide for Growing Businesses

However, the use of AI in Bookkeeping and Accounting offers companies faster, smarter and accurately handles your finances reports. For businesses looking to optimize their financial operations, QuickBooks Online offers an array of features tailored to various accounting needs. From managing accounts payable and receivable to generating detailed financial reports, the software provides all the essential tools required to maintain a healthy financial status.

• QuickBooks Online offers various subscription levels, including Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, and Advanced.
• For businesses keen on growth, understanding sales trends is vital.
• The sheer amount of time and money savings plus growth opportunities unlocked through even minimal QuickBooks automation far outweigh the small setup costs.
• Employers have access to unlimited payrolls and can generate W-2 and 1099 forms.
• For small businesses, that means less context switching, fewer browser tabs, and digital teammates to handle repetitive work.

How to Set Up Automated Workflows in QuickBooks Online

This customization is crucial for ensuring that QuickBooks aligns with your business’s operational needs, including tax settings specific to your locale. Xero provides robust budgeting capabilities quickbooks online: automation for small business with seamless integration. It’s important to note that Microsoft Dynamics frequently updates its pricing and features, so consulting directly with sales representatives will provide the most current information. Understanding the pricing structure of Microsoft Dynamics is fundamental for small businesses looking to make informed financial decisions.

The system can handle payment data for independent contractors like freelancers. AP automation produces informative real-time reports for the AP process. With automated workflows, invoices move through the system without bottlenecks. AP automation tools shorten approval times, helping businesses pay vendors on schedule, capture early payment discounts, and maintain stronger supplier relationships. Your accounts payable (AP) process is at the heart of your business operations, but is it as efficient as possible? For enterprises, where every dollar counts, manual AP processes aren’t just costly & outdated; they hold you back from focusing on other processes.

What is accounting automation?

Manual workflows drain resources that could be better invested elsewhere. AP automation vendors reduce these costs with faster, digital-first workflows. With manual systems, it’s hard to track the status of invoices in real time. This lack of visibility makes forecasting difficult, increases the chance of missed discounts, and prevents finance leaders from making timely, data-driven decisions. These top AP automation software solutions cater to various business needs, from small startups to large enterprises.

CRM efficiency is crucial to successful supply chain management  because your customers are at the core of your business, and thus at the core of your supply chain. Using automation tools helps you provide better service and a positive customer experience. Workplace automation tools are designed with rule-based systems that can pull and organize data, interpret that data, and complete tasks based on that information. These advanced solutions can then complete repetitive or data-driven tasks for you, making your business operations more efficient and easier to manage. Speaking of software and technology, what do you need to automate your accounting processes specifically?

Businesses using QuickBooks benefit from the automation of repetitive tasks, ensuring a more seamless and timelier financial workflow. The following features are collectively making it an invaluable tool for businesses seeking enhanced efficiency in their financial operations. ADP is one of the oldest payroll companies and is used by small businesses and enterprises. It offers ADP Run, a payroll-only product for small businesses, as well as an HR platform. ADP Run offers automated payroll processing, compliance management for tax forms, and new hire onboarding. Its HR platform integrates with accounting software, supports benefits administration, and provides a user-friendly employee portal.

The best AP automation accounting systems use vendor verification databases. Automating AP includes an electronic push approval workflow with PDF documents attached. AP automation software gives only authorized personnel like the CFO and Controller access to cash accounts. Use either efficient large batch electronic payment processing or on-demand electronic cash disbursement.

You will learn how to create banking rules within QBO that automatically categorize common transactions, saving you time while keeping your books clean. With Tipalti, JLab’s AP team boosted productivity by 68% and managed 35% more invoices without adding headcount. We highlight the features and pricing of each of these AP automation software products that seamlessly integrate with QuickBooks. By adding new features to QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Online Advanced, you can get your small business to the level of top performer on the Accounts Payable Cost metric.

Sign up for free to use this app, and thousands more, with Zapier. But if you find yourself dreading the tax season more than usual, it may be because you’re not doing enough to stay on top of your business finances throughout the year. While QuickBooks Online can help you manage things like accounting, expenses, and payroll, it works better when you’re feeding it a steady stream of financial information. Terms, conditions, pricing, special features, and service and support options subject to change without notice.

The platform’s real-time data updates further ensure that users have access to the latest financial information whenever they need it, allowing for timely and accurate reporting. QuickBooks Online brings a revolutionary approach to managing the finances of small businesses, embodying efficiency, simplicity, and accessibility. Tipalti AP automation software provides end-to-end accounts payable process automation, including automated invoice processing and global payments.

The platform also integrates with Patriot’s accounting software for bookkeeping. When selecting an accounts payable platform, businesses should evaluate integration with existing ERP systems, scalability for future growth, and vendor reputation. The best accounts payable tools in the market provide automation, real-time reporting, and compliance support.

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) replaces traditional phone lines with internet-based calling. Many VoIP services also offer video meetings, messaging, and call routing—all from one platform. Every day, we help people discover information and services that help their website and business grow. FreshBooks is excellent for client-facing documents and retainers.

Investing in a provider can save time while helping employers stay compliant with federal, state, and local regulations. Most providers also include helpful extras like direct deposit, self-service employee portals, and integrations with tools you may already use. Today’s small business software solutions can automate the tedious parts, keep your operations organized, and free you up to focus on the work that actually grows your business. Running a small business in 2025 means juggling sales, projects, invoices, payroll, inventory, marketing, and customer support—often with a lean team.

From customized profit and loss statements to detailed expense reports, these insights allow you to monitor your business’s financial health continuously. This level of customization ensures you’re not just collecting data, but you’re also gathering actionable insights tailored to your business goals. This guide is here to meet your needs, offering a friendly and straightforward way to navigate QuickBooks Online.

Start with your most painful bottleneck, automate the repeatable steps, and let your software scale with you—not the other way around. HighRadius stands out as an IDC MarketScape Leader for AR Automation Software, serving both large and midsized businesses. The IDC report highlights HighRadius’ integration of machine learning across its AR products, enhancing payment matching, credit management, and cash forecasting capabilities. Evaluate how responsive the vendor is during onboarding and ongoing support. The best accounts payable vendors offer training resources, dedicated account managers, and quick resolution of issues to ensure smooth operations post-deployment.

Sales Trend Analysis

This automation helps teams focus on strategic work and reduces manual tasks. OnPay vs Paychex FlexPaychex Flex is designed for businesses looking for comprehensive HCM solutions. For a clear picture of what you’ll receive for your investment, OnPay is the more straightforward choice. Paychex Flex operates on a tiered pricing model that requires negotiating with sales and comes with extra fees for integrations and premium support levels. For example, businesses that need to process garnishments must upgrade to the middle-tier ‘Pro’ plan and pay additional fees, while OnPay’s base plan includes garnishment processing.