5 Reasons for Small Business to Outsource Invoice Processing

Before going into why invoice processing services are essential for small businesses, it will be relevant to understand a few concepts so that the core of this write-up can be better understood. First, what is a small business?

The definition varies between countries as per stipulations laid down by respective Governments. For example in the USA, the official definition of small businesses is normally fixed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) which fixes the norms for determining small business parameters.

However, by the rule of thumb, the primary basis is usually the number of employees in an organization. It is fifteen as per the Australian Fair Work Act 2009 and the criterion set by the European Union and less than five hundred for many USA SBA programs. Other areas of classification include the quantum of sales, assets, and profitability.

Ownership patterns can range from corporations, partnerships to sole proprietorships. Typically, small businesses have minimal marketing budgets with the owner taking on the bulk of administrative tasks such as accounts and tax management to reduce expenses and build up capital reserves for investing in future growth and expansion.

One of the key areas that have to be given special attention by small businesses is the processing of invoices. Now, the lifeline of any small business is a quick turnaround of funds. With limited capital at disposal, the higher the inward and outward remittances the greater the Return on Investment will be.

However, the catch here is that as an owner of a small business, you have to oversee a large number of operational factors that directly contribute to business development without having any time to follow up on invoice receipts and payments. This is the primary reason why engaging invoice processing services is the best option for small businesses.

Here are 5 reasons for small businesses to outsource invoice processing activity for sustainable business growth –

1. Get your invoice processing right

Timely payment of invoices is the key for small businesses. Default on payment and your reputation are at stake, late inward receipts can be a disaster for your working capital requirements.

An outsourced agency will keep track of all receipts and payments. Upload the invoices and the agency will scrutinize them to verify their accuracy. These will be uploaded in your system through highly secured transfer protocol. Monitoring of the dates and ensuring timely payments and receipts will be done by them.

2. Increase business efficiencies

It is natural that you can plan ahead once you can forecast the inflow and outflow of funds with a great deal of accuracy. This is what an outsourced agency for invoice processing will help you achieve, thereby increasing your business efficiencies. Consistent monitoring by these services ensures that any invoice entered in the system is closed and dealt with as per fixed time frames.

3. Benefit from advanced software

Invoice processing agencies use advanced software for this activity whereby the speed of and accuracy of processing is guaranteed. You get the benefit without having to invest heavily or set up the required software in-house. All data whether in electronic or paper form is captured with precision and is then transferred to your system.

Specialized recognition technology guarantees that all fields of the invoice like date, amounts, vendor ID, due date and specific instructions are accurately noted. Being precise at this stage is crucial as it will help eliminate any controversies in payments or receipts in the future.

4. Track invoices on a real-time basis

You have so much on your hands as a small business owner that it is almost impossible for you to keep track of your invoices. This is where processing services can ease your concerns. Every invoice processed by them is date stamped so that at any point of time you can track the due dates and plan your finances accordingly.

Apart from this you also get to know the authority that sanctioned payments and the total vendor payment liability of your company at any point in time. Your advantage is that you get updated reports and hence can monitor invoice payments almost on a real-time basis.

5. Advantage of centralized processing

For small businesses monitoring of hundreds of vouchers is a major problem more so as they are spread out over different departments to which they pertain to. But by having one establishment that processes all invoices, right from scrutinizing them, entering them in the systems and following up on receipts and payments you have better control over your invoices. This is apart from freeing up your limited staff to take care of other priority work.

These are some reasons you’d do well to follow with regard to availing professional invoice processing services.

Read Also: How To Solve Common Invoice Processing Issues?

If you are looking for qualitative invoice processing services, Cogneesol is the right landing spot. We have all the required infrastructure and trained manpower resources to keep your invoice process on track. For more details about our services, contact us at [email protected]