‘Someone who writes regularly for an online journal or website’ – that’s the Cambridge Dictionary definition of a blogger, but anyone who blogs will tell you that running a blog involves so much more than that!

Content creator, photographer, chief tea maker, editor and accountant are just some of the hats I wear as a blogger, and some are skills I’ve had no formal training in and have had to learn on the job.

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Managing my accounts and blogging invoices is one of those skills I’ve had no choice but to get on top of, and I won’t lie: I find invoicing and keeping up to date and accurate accounts is a bit of a chore.

If that sounds like you too and you could do with a helping hand in this collaborative post you’ll find 5 easy ways to manage your accounts as a blogger.

5 top tips for managing your accounts as a blogger

1. Use an accounting package to make things easier for yourself

Tip number one is to spend a little money on a proper business accounting software package. They don’t cost much at all and you will be making life a lot easier for yourself. For example, it is far, far easier to create invoices using freshbooks.com than it is to do so using a word-processing package. You can create and send an invoice in less than a minute.

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2. Automate as much as you can

For regular clients, this way of invoicing will save you a lot of time. If you choose the right invoicing package there will be a link embedded into the invoice that can be used to pay it. It is a convenient way to pay, so most payees automatically click these links. Typically, they do so the moment they open the invoice, which means you tend to get paid faster when you invoice in this way – which also improves your cashflow. (If you still struggle with your cashflow, try some of the strategies outlined here).

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3. Be disciplined

At the end of each day, or the start, spend a few minutes doing your accounts. It is better than letting things mount up, which will lead to it taking you far longer to do your book keeping. This is especially the case with your expenses. If you log things as you go you free up time to do something more productive. (And if you struggle with being self-disciplined enough to do tasks regularly, try some of the tips that are shared in this article).

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4. Look at your spreadsheets

Regularly updating your accounts is all very well, but make sure you make time to actually study your spreadsheets too. Who haven’t you worked with for a while? Who would you like to work with again? Contacting former clients to see if they have any more work for you is a great way to boost your blog income.

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5. Stay organised!

By staying organised and using the right tools keeping track of your blog income and invoices is relatively easy. This is good news because once you have accurate accounts to refer to you can easily identify where to focus your future efforts!

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This is a collaborative post.

If you liked this you may also enjoy reading:

7 ways blogging has shaped me as a parent

10 reasons blogging IS a proper job

Why I won’t be using the hashtag #freebie