The Problems Consultants Face with Invoicing
Time Tracking Chaos
Consultants bill hourly, but tracking time across multiple clients in spreadsheets is error-prone. You either under-bill (losing money) or over-bill (client disputes).
Retainer Management
Monthly retainers require tracking hours used vs hours remaining. Manual tracking leads to forgotten invoices, scope creep, and awkward client conversations.
Multi-Phase Projects
Large consulting engagements span months with milestone payments. Tracking which phases are billed, paid, or pending gets messy fast without dedicated software.
Expense Reimbursement
Travel, software, research costs—consultants incur expenses on behalf of clients. Itemizing and getting reimbursed shouldn't require separate invoices or manual receipts.
Proposal to Invoice Gap
You send a proposal, client approves, then you manually re-create everything in an invoice. Double work that wastes hours and introduces errors.
Professional Presentation
Consultants charge premium rates. Clients expect professional invoices that match your expertise—not generic Word templates with Times New Roman font.
How BillMe Solves Consultant Invoicing
Built-In Time Tracking
Track billable hours directly in BillMe. Start/stop timers for each client, categorize by project or task, and convert time entries to invoices in one click—no spreadsheets.
Retainer Tracking
Set up monthly retainers with hour caps. BillMe tracks hours used vs remaining, auto-sends invoices every month, and alerts you when hours are running low.
Proposals that Convert
Create professional proposals with scope, timeline, and pricing. When the client approves, convert to an invoice instantly—no manual re-entry required.
Milestone Invoicing
Break large projects into phases (discovery, strategy, implementation, etc.). Schedule invoices to auto-send when each milestone is complete.
Expense Reimbursement
Add expenses to invoices as separate line items (travel, software, research, etc.). Attach receipts as proof. Clients see exactly what they're reimbursing.
Premium Branding
Custom logo, colors, fonts, and professional templates. Every invoice reflects your brand and expertise—no generic templates that scream "amateur."
Accept Payments Online
Clients pay via credit card, ACH, or bank transfer with one click. No waiting for checks in the mail—money hits your account in 1-2 days.
Automated Reminders
Set payment reminders to auto-send when invoices are due, 3 days overdue, 7 days overdue. Professional, polite follow-ups without manual work.
Client Dashboards
Give clients a portal to view all invoices, track project progress, approve proposals, and make payments—all in one place. Transparency builds trust.
Consultant Invoicing Workflow with BillMe
5 Steps from Proposal to Payment
Send Proposal
Create a professional proposal with scope, deliverables, timeline, and pricing. Client reviews, approves electronically, and you're ready to start work.
Track Time
Use built-in timers to track billable hours as you work. Categorize by project phase or task type. All time entries are saved automatically and ready to invoice.
Create Invoice
At the end of the month (or milestone), convert your time entries to an invoice with one click. Add any expenses, adjust if needed, and send to client via email.
Client Approves & Pays
Client receives invoice email, reviews the detailed breakdown of hours and expenses, and pays online via credit card or ACH. Payment confirmation is instant.
Automated Follow-Up
If payment is late, automated reminders go out on your behalf. No awkward phone calls. Most clients pay within 7-10 days with reminders enabled.
BillMe vs Other Consultant Solutions
| Feature | BillMe | Generic Invoicing Software | QuickBooks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learning curve | ✓ 5 minutes | 30-60 minutes | 2-4 hours (accounting features) |
| Time tracking | ✓ Built-in timers | ✗ Separate tool | ✓ Separate module |
| Retainer management | ✓ Automated tracking | ✗ Manual | Manual tracking |
| Proposals to invoices | ✓ One-click convert | ✗ | ✗ |
| Expense reimbursement | ✓ Attach receipts | Basic line items | ✓ Full expense tracking |
| Milestone billing | ✓ Automated | ✗ Manual | Manual setup |
| Client portal | ✓ View, approve, pay | Basic payment page | ✗ |
| Payment processing fees | 2.9% + 30¢ | Varies (usually higher) | 2.9% + 25¢ |
| Monthly cost | $12/month | $15-30/month | $30-50/month |
| Setup time | 5 minutes | 20-30 minutes | 1-2 hours |
Why Consultants Choose BillMe Over QuickBooks
QuickBooks is powerful accounting software, but consultants don't need full accounting—they need fast, professional invoicing with time tracking. BillMe is built for consultants who want to track time, create invoices, and get paid—without navigating complex accounting menus.
Hourly vs Project-Based Billing
BillMe handles both hourly and project-based billing seamlessly. Track time for hourly clients, use fixed-price invoices for project work, and mix both on a single invoice if needed (e.g., "Phase 1: $5,000 fixed + 10 hours consulting at $200/hr").
Retainer Best Practices
Most consultants offer monthly retainers (e.g., "20 hours/month at $150/hr = $3,000/month"). BillMe automatically tracks hours used, shows remaining balance to clients, and alerts you when hours are running low—so you can upsell additional hours or pause work before exceeding the cap.
Real Consultant Results
"I used to spend 2 hours every Friday tracking time and creating invoices. Now it takes 15 minutes."
— Rachel M., Marketing Consultant (8 active clients)
"Retainer tracking alone is worth $12/month. I used to lose track and under-bill by 5-10 hours every month."
— David K., Business Strategy Consultant
"Getting proposals approved and converted to invoices in one click saved me hours. Clients love the transparency."
— Lisa T., HR Consultant
Try BillMe Free for 14 Days
No credit card required. Set up your first retainer, track some hours, and create your first consultant invoice in under 5 minutes. See why thousands of consultants trust BillMe to get paid on time.