Sanitized recreation
Billing Operations and Revenue Leakage Audit
Are we billing for the work we do, and only for the work we do?
Service 02 · Invoicing, progress billing, AR, AP and vendors
Do the work, bill it right, get paid on time.
Cash problems often start as process problems: work that is finished but not billed, progress payments tracked from memory, change orders that never reach an invoice, and vendor paperwork chased at the last minute. I set up the invoicing, billing and vendor workflows so getting paid is routine instead of a scramble.
Fixed-scope project. You get one price in a written proposal after the call.
Sound familiar?
This is for you if you are saying:
Contractors and service businesses that bill in stages.
- We finish the work and invoice weeks later.
- Progress billing is a spreadsheet and a guess.
- We are chasing W-9s at year end.
What I set up
- Invoicing workflow: when invoices go out, who sends them, what triggers them, and what they include
- Progress billing and progress payment schedules set up in your tools, tied to milestones or percent complete
- Change orders routed to the next invoice instead of being remembered at closeout
- Accounts receivable follow-up: reminders, payment links and a weekly AR review routine
- Evaluating accounts receivable and accounts payable software against your requirements, then setting up the one you choose
- Bill approval and payment workflows with clear review points
- Subcontractor and vendor onboarding: W-9 and certificate of insurance collection, payment setup and vendor records
- Expense capture with spend tools such as Ramp, so card purchases arrive with the job and receipt attached
What you walk away with
- An invoicing and progress billing workflow your team can follow
- AR and AP tool recommendation with a side-by-side comparison, if you need one
- Vendor and subcontractor onboarding checklist with W-9 and COI collection
- Configured billing, reminders and approvals, tested on real invoices
- SOPs and a weekly AR and AP review routine
How the project runs
Diagnose, design, implement, verify, stabilize.
- DiagnoseFollow a few recent jobs from finished work to cash received, and a few bills from receipt to payment. Find where time and money slip.
- DesignSet billing triggers, progress billing rules, review points and owners. Agree a fixed scope and, if needed, which tools to evaluate.
- ImplementConfigure invoicing, progress billing, reminders, approvals and vendor onboarding in your tools.
- VerifyRun real invoices, progress payments and new vendors through the new process.
- StabilizeSOPs, a weekly AR and AP review routine, and a follow-up check.
Ongoing support is available after a project if you want it.
Tools I work in
I work in the tools you already have where they can support the process. These are tools I have worked in; it is not a list of partnerships, and I do not resell software.
- QuickBooks Online
- JobTread
- ServiceTitan
- Jobber
- Housecall Pro
- Ramp
- PandaDoc
- DocuSign
- Dropbox Sign
- Google Workspace
- Microsoft 365
- Airtable
Where my work stops. This is operations work, not accounting, tax or legal advice. Revenue recognition, sales tax, 1099 filing decisions and contract or lien terms belong with your bookkeeper, CPA or attorney. I set up the process and coordinate with them.
Portfolio
Sample projects on this path
Sanitized sample projects. Fictional companies, illustrative data.
15-Minute Systems Fit Call
Not sure where to start? Start with a 15-minute call.
You do not need to know which service you need. Bring the problem. On a free 15-minute call:
- I learn what you need and what is getting in the way.
- You tell me how you want to solve it: your timing, your tools, how hands-on you want to be.
- I tell you straight whether and how I can help, or who might be a better fit.
- If it is a fit, you get a fixed-scope proposal with the work, the deliverables and one price. No obligation.
Free · 15 minutes · No pitch deck
It is a conversation about fit, not a sales script and not free consulting. If I am not the right person, I will say so.
Book a 15-Minute Systems Fit Call
Contractor with a job costing question? Try the free Job Cost Readiness Scorecard first.
Operator Notes
Related reading
A few straight answers.
What is progress billing?
Billing a job in stages as work is completed, for example by milestone or percent complete, instead of one invoice at the end. It needs a clear schedule, a trigger for each invoice and a way to track what has been billed against the contract.
Can you help us choose AR or AP software?
Yes. We start with your requirements, compare options side by side against them, and I set up the one you choose. I do not resell software or take referral fees for recommending it.
Do you collect W-9s for us?
I set up the vendor and subcontractor onboarding process that collects W-9s and certificates of insurance before the first payment, and the records to keep them current. Your team runs it. 1099 filing decisions stay with your bookkeeper or CPA.
Will this guarantee faster payment?
No result is guaranteed. Customers pay on their own schedule. What changes is that invoices go out on time, are complete, and are followed up consistently.
A note on advice
Kelly is not an accountant, CPA or lawyer. What she provides is operational guidance and implementation based on her personal experience running businesses and operations departments, not accounting, tax, legal or financial advice. For those, please talk with your own CPA, attorney or financial professional.