Set up your Hiveage account

This is the top 10 list of things you should set up in your account before doing anything else. 

A. Go to “Settings”:

1. Complete your Business Profile: fill everything out as all this needs to go on your invoices
2. Choose your System Preferences: set your default formats for currency, dates, time, mileage etc.
3. Enter any tax amounts you charge: click on the Taxes, Discounts and Shipping section and be sure to check off “Enable Taxes” and then enter any tax types you charge.  Now every estimate and invoice you create will automatically show and calculate your tax component.
4. Add service categories or products: click on Saved Categories and start building a list of the services or products you sell.  This allows you to instantly add them to any estimate or invoice via a drop down.  Examples include: consulting, graphic design, copywriting, website development, landscaping, parts, SEO audit. 
5. Add your logo: click on Account Customization and be sure to upload your logo so it appears front and center on every estimate and invoice
6. Customize your outgoing emails: click on Account Customization and then select the Notes and Emails tab and be sure to customize the Send Invoice, Send Estimate and Payment Receipt emails.  Our default emails are “OK” but these emails should sound like they come from you.  

B. Go to the “CRM” tab:

7. Add a few clients: click on the “New” button and add a few clients to your account.  This will allow you to select any client just simply starting to type their name into an invoice or via a drop down.  Be sure to add yourself in there so you can send yourself an estimate or invoice to check everything out.

C. Send your first invoice:

8. Create an Invoice and send it to yourself:  Click on the “New” button from the dashboard and build yourself an invoice and see how easy it is now that you have everything set up. Click “Save” (so you don’t lose it!) and then choose “Send Invoice” from the “Options” drop down menu. Then check it out at your end to see how awesome it looks. Note: To view the invoice just like a customer would, be sure to log out of your Hiveage account before opening the email. You can also use the Preview Invoice option for this.
9. Create an Estimate and Approve it:  Do the same thing as #8 but create a new Estimate vs an invoice. Send it to yourself, and click on the “Approve” button.  Don’t forget to log out of your account before opening the email.
10. Enter a payment for an invoice: From your Invoices tab, click on any invoice and then click the blue “New Payment” button (at the bottom of the invoice), and fill in the payment details in fields that open up. Click “Save” and watch the status of the invoice change to paid. Your client will also automatically receive your “Payment Receipt” email letting them know you got paid.

There you go! That’s your Top 10 things to do to get started.  

Bonus:  As a bonus step, click on the Integrations from your Hiveage dashboard and connect with a payment gateway so you can offer your clients online payments.