Want more free time to chase new business or enjoy time with family? Find a recordkeeping system that works for your equine business. 

There are countless options for storing client information, generating invoices, logging received payments and tracking expenses. Most systems include a dashboard that quickly summarizes outstanding and past due invoices, income and other important business metrics. Having all this information in one place streamlines ensures that unpaid invoices don’t fall through cracks and saves hours of time during tax season gathering documentation.

Most recordkeeping software today is available as a cloud-based and/or mobile app system. That makes keeping it update is easier than ever. The biggest challenge can be selecting a system that’s the right fit for your barn and starting the entry process.

Here’s a few tips for selecting a service:

• Choose a system that alleviates “pain points” in your business. If its invoicing, choose software that simplifies that process. If it’s tracking horse history, opt for a system that specializes in that.
• Take advantage of the free trials and test a few options to find one you’re most comfortable using.
• Price is always a consideration, but select software that is capable of expanding with your business. A program might offer features that you don’t need now, but think long term about how your stable might develop. It’s better to pay a little more up front for a solution that can grow with your business than have to start over from scratch when the business is too big for the software.

Once you have selected your software, the most important step is to get all of your information out of drawers, boxes and files and get it put into the software database.

Tips for getting started with data input:

• Enter client contact and horse history data over a six- or eight-week timeframe to make input more manageable.
• Ask the client to enter their contact information. Most customers respond well to that and like the level of professionalism. As a bonus, when the customer enters the information, it reduces the chance for spelling errors in the person’s name, email, phone number and mailing address.
• Keep paper forms on hand for easy input if you have owners who prefer not to enter the data themselves.
• Once the time has been taken to input the basic information, start using the software. The more it is used, the more time savings you will realize.

With recordkeeping software, you can spend less time on paperwork, get paid faster and efficiently schedule appointments, often from the palm of your hand. Technology can help you take your business to the next level.