Why paper invoices are like a bad date

A few weeks ago, I needed to get something at a nearby mart quickly. Got in there and after picking what I needed, there was a rather long queue just before checkout.

Without my phone (I left it at home to charge), I resorted to looking around the mart to keep my brain occupied.

Not too long after, a young beautiful lady came right up to me and joined the queue, then asked in the sweetest voice I’ve heard (I daresay better than Celine Dion’s)… “are you the last person on the queue? please I’m behind you and I need to get something quick to add to my basket”.

I politely muttered… “no problem”. 

In the time she had gotten her extra pack of biscuits and returned to the queue, two more people had joined the line.

I explained to them–politely– that she’d been there before and needed to get something quick.

And for the next 10 (or was it 15? can’t remember really) minutes we spent in the queue, we struck up an interesting conversation which ended with me getting her number at the back of one of my mall receipts.

Awesome, right?

Well… not all stories have happy endings.

You see, I did not remember to call her when I got home and only discovered the number in my pocket almost 7 days later!

By this time, I could only make out 5 of the 11 numbers… as the inferior ink had washed off while in my pocket.

And now, I may never see her again. And all of this because I did not have my phone to get her number.

I’m sure you’re thinking…But how does any of this relate to paper invoices?

It’s simple… the same way her numbers washed off (thanks to inferior ink), businesses who still use old-fashioned, paper-based invoices face similar challenges compared to those that incorporate electronic invoicing.

The smart businesses however have realized it is time to dump that old-fashioned method and move on to the future of invoicing: electronic invoicing. 

Just like a bad 5-figure phone number experience, paper invoices are outdated, unreliable, and can cause a lot of headaches. This is why switching to electronic invoicing is the best decision you’ll ever make.

Here are just a few of the many benefits of electronic invoicing:

1. No more waiting for physical mail. With electronic invoicing, you can send and receive invoices in a few seconds. No more waiting for the postman to deliver your invoice, only to find out it got lost in the mail.
2. No more searching for lost invoices. With electronic invoicing, all of your invoices are stored–securely– in one place and easily searchable. No more digging through stacks of paper trying to find that one invoice you need.
3. No more human error. With electronic invoicing, you can easily find any errors and make sure all of the information is correct before sending it out. No more sending invoices with typos or incorrect amounts (we’ve all been there… especially adding an extra zero in the wrong places).
4. No more trees killed. With electronic invoicing, you’ll save a lot of paper and help save the environment.
5. No more boring content. With electronic invoicing, you can add some personality to your invoices. You can even include emojis, GIFs, and memes to make invoicing more fun. No more boring invoices that put you to sleep.

With Workstedi, you can create invoices, receive payments, set up a digital bank account, and receive reviews and feedback from customers.

So, why settle for a bad date when you can have the love of your life? Dump those paper invoices and switch to electronic invoicing today. Your future self (and your business) will be better for it.