Next to sound judgment, Pearls are the rarest things in the world

Brightpearl – a new user’s experience.

I’ve been using Brightpearl for a few months now. It’s a client management system…

KEEP READING!

…that is also an accounting system, and it’s web based.

OK, I used ‘system’ twice up there which usually means it’s a blog by some techie going on about CRMs using phrases like ‘in terms of’, usability blah blah..

Let’s get two things clear. I’m no techie, I’m very new to accounts and managing…
Amongst the things I’d like to make clear are that I’m no techie, I’m very new to accounts and managing contacts from prospect through to repeat clients.
I also like Monty Python.

The last thing I’d be able to do is write about how this compares to other ‘systems’ available as I have no experience other than Microsoft Accounting 2008 (free and limited trial), Quickbooks (free and limited trial) and my address book.
What I can say is that I simply needed a way to issue quotations and invoices for my business and to keep a record of these for my accountant (as and when I find one).
So those are my qualifications for this. I’ll tell you what I discovered.

I started using Brightpearl to create invoices for a couple of pieces of work I’d done.
Set up a new client (or customer, you get to choose) – easy.
Added my logo because it looks nice and the sign said ‘Click here to add your logo’.
Typed in details of the work I’d done for the client – easy.
Pressed the big green ‘Invoice’ button – invoice created.
Pressed the print icon next to the invoice – invoice printed (could just as easily been emailed straight o the client), with my logo on it! How cool was that!
Got so carried away I added another client and did it again.

Why am I typing in client details? Wonder if there’s a way to import them?
Oh yes. From Excel, Outlook, Google, VCF cards, Eventbrite, MYOB and Sage.
Did that then.

Next, I ‘tagged’ the clients: ‘Website leads’, ‘Active clients’, ‘Newsletter recipients’ and the like.
This means I can list, contact, run campaigns with similar people.
Also, I set their status’ to Potential, Interested, Confirmed Lead and the like, each of which have set contact periods.
So if you’ve not been in touch with them in that period, Brightpearl reminds you.

I could go on – maybe I will in a future topic.

For now though, let me tell you what I’ve done in a short space of time:

• Sent a Newsletter with integrated Mailchimp

• Viewed graphs & pie charts showing my client sales, activity and accounts

• Personalised the invoices

• Talked to really helpful, knowledgeable people when I needed to find out more

And get this:

• Added Smartforms to my website
  Anyone filling in an enquiry form on the site gets added STRAIGHT INTO BRIGHTPEARL as a confirmed lead.

This ‘system’ (it’s far more than that) suits small or large businesses equally.

I’m just a small business, but I’m in control of clients, finance and marketing because this just pulls it all together in one inter-linked package.

Choosing Brightpearl was a sound judgement for me, it’s not often I find a rare product that does everything I need.

Visit the Brightpearl website.

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Tagged as: Business, Invoices, Recommendations

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