Introduction

Billing and invoicing software is a digital tool designed to automate and streamline the process of creating, sending, and managing invoices for products sold or services rendered. It replaces manual, error-prone methods like Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, or paper forms with a professional, efficient, and trackable system. At its core, this software transforms the billing process from an administrative chore into a strategic function that accelerates cash flow and strengthens client relationships.

The importance of dedicated billing software cannot be overstated. Getting paid faster and with less effort is critical for business survival and growth. Professional, accurate invoices build trust and reduce client questions, while automated reminders ensure you’re not left chasing payments. Beyond just creating documents, this software provides real-time visibility into your financial pipeline, tracks revenue, manages recurring subscriptions, and often integrates with accounting and payment gateways to create a seamless financial workflow.

Real-world use cases are everywhere: a freelance graphic designer uses it to send polished invoices and accept online payments; a consulting firm leverages it to bill clients for hourly work and track project profitability; a SaaS company relies on it to manage hundreds of monthly subscriptions automatically. When choosing software, prioritize professional invoice customization, automated recurring billing, integrated online payment processing, time tracking capabilities, expense tracking, insightful reporting, and seamless integration with your bank and accounting tools.

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Best for: These tools are essential for any business or individual that sends invoices to clients, including freelancers, solo entrepreneurs, small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), agencies, consultants, and subscription-based companies. Key roles include business owners, freelancers, agency directors, office managers, and accountants.

Not ideal for: Businesses that operate purely on cash-and-carry or immediate point-of-sale (POS) transactions with no need for invoices (like some retail or food service) may not need it. Large enterprises with extremely complex billing (like multinational corporations with multi-element contracts) often require more advanced, specialized revenue management systems beyond standard invoicing tools.

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Top 10 Billing & Invoicing Software

1 — FreshBooks

FreshBooks is a cloud-based accounting and invoicing platform beloved by service-based small businesses and freelancers for its exceptional user experience and client-facing professionalism. It simplifies billing, expense tracking, time tracking, and basic accounting in one intuitive package.

Key features:

• Intuitive Invoice Creation & Customization: Drag-and-drop editor to create professional, branded invoices with flexible templates, automatic tax calculations, and the ability to accept deposits.
• Automated Payment Reminders & Late Fees: Set up automatic friendly reminders and enforce late payment fees to encourage on-time payments without awkward conversations.
• Integrated Time Tracking & Project Management: Track billable hours directly in the platform, convert time entries to invoices with one click, and collaborate with clients on projects.
• Seamless Online Payments: Clients can pay via credit card, ACH bank transfer, or PayPal directly on the invoice, dramatically speeding up payment time.
• Comprehensive Client Portal: Offers a branded space where clients can view invoices, make payments, share files, and communicate.
• Double-Entry Accounting & Reporting: Includes profit & loss statements, expense tracking, mileage tracking, and sales tax reports.

Pros:

• Unmatched User-Friendly Design: Extremely intuitive for non-accountants, making financial management accessible and less daunting.
• Excellent Client Experience: The professional invoices, easy online payments, and client portal significantly enhance how clients perceive and interact with your business.

Cons:

• User Limits on Lower Plans: Entry-level plans restrict the number of billable clients, which can be a barrier for growing businesses.
• Advanced Accounting Features: While great for basics, it may lack the depth of full double-entry accounting required by larger or more complex businesses.

Security & compliance: Bank-level 256-bit SSL encryption. SOC 2 Type II certified. Compliant with global standards including GDPR. Data is backed up daily.

Support & community: Award-winning customer support via email and phone. Extensive knowledge base, webinars, and an active user community.

2 — QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online is the dominant cloud-based accounting platform that includes powerful, fully-integrated invoicing and billing features. It’s the go-to solution for small businesses that need invoicing to be part of a complete financial management system.

Key features:

• Deep Accounting Integration: Invoices, payments, and expenses automatically flow into the general ledger, updating balance sheets and profit & loss statements in real-time.
• Flexible Invoice & Estimate Tools: Create professional invoices and estimates, track their status (sent, viewed, paid), and convert estimates to invoices easily.
• Automated Recurring Invoices & Payment Scheduling: Set up automatic billing for subscription services or retainers, with support for automatic credit card charges.
• Advanced Sales Tax & Reporting: Handles complex sales tax calculations (including tax-exempt customers) and provides detailed reports on accounts receivable, sales, and profitability by customer or project.
• Robust Third-Party App Ecosystem: The massive Intuit App Store allows for deep integrations with hundreds of business tools (CRM, payroll, e-commerce).

Pros:

• The Accounting Gold Standard: Offers the most comprehensive and reliable accounting backbone, ensuring financial data is always accurate and audit-ready.
• Unrivaled Ecosystem & Scalability: Grows with your business, from simple invoicing to advanced inventory, payroll, and reporting through its vast app marketplace.

Cons:

• Steeper Learning Curve: Can feel overwhelming for micro-businesses or freelancers who only need simple invoicing, due to its extensive accounting feature set.
• Pricing Can Escalate: Costs increase as you add users, advanced features (like inventory or time tracking), and integrated apps.

Security & compliance: 128-bit SSL encryption. Meets rigorous standards including SOC 1, SOC 2, and ISO 27001. GDPR compliant. Data is hosted in secure data centers.

Support & community: 24/7 phone and chat support. Arguably the largest small business accounting community, with countless forums, blogs, and certified ProAdvisors for help.

3 — Zoho Invoice

Zoho Invoice is a feature-rich, free-for-life invoicing solution within the larger Zoho ecosystem. It’s designed for freelancers and small businesses that want professional, automated billing without upfront cost, with the option to connect to other Zoho business apps.

Key features:

• Generous Free Plan: Allows unlimited invoices for up to 5 customers, making it one of the most powerful free options available.
• Automated Workflow & Payment Reminders: Set up multi-lingual invoices, automatic payment reminders, and recurring invoice profiles.
• Multi-Channel Invoice Delivery: Send invoices via email, shareable link, SMS, or popular messaging apps like WhatsApp.
• Time Tracking & Project Billing: Integrated time tracker, ability to log expenses against projects, and bill clients for project phases or milestones.
• Client Portal & Self-Service: Branded portal for clients to view estimates, invoices, make payments, and communicate.
• Seamless Zoho Ecosystem Integration: Connects deeply with Zoho Books (accounting), Zoho CRM, Zoho Projects, and Zoho Subscriptions.

Pros:

• Incredible Value Proposition: The free plan is robust for very small operations, and paid plans remain highly affordable.
• Strong International Capabilities: Supports multiple currencies, languages, and tax regimes, making it suitable for global freelancers and businesses.

Cons:

• Best Within the Zoho Universe: While it integrates with some external apps, its full potential is unlocked when used with other Zoho products.
• Brand Perception: May be perceived as less “premium” than paid competitors, though its features often rival them.

Security & compliance: 256-bit SSL encryption. SSAE 16 SOC certified. Regularly audited. GDPR ready. Part of Zoho’s privacy-focused infrastructure.

Support & community: Free email support. Comprehensive help center. Community forums. Paid plans include phone support.

4 — Xero

Xero is a beautiful, easy-to-use online accounting platform with a strong emphasis on collaboration and real-time financial visibility. Its invoicing features are seamlessly woven into its accounting core, appealing to small businesses and their advisors.

Key features:

• Beautiful, Customizable Invoicing: Create branded invoices, send them directly from Xero, and see when they’ve been opened. Repeating invoices can be set up in seconds.
• Online Invoice Payments: Offers Xero’s own payment service and integrates with dozens of global payment gateways like Stripe, PayPal, and Square for one-click client payments.
• Real-Time Collaboration: Unlimited users on all plans allow your bookkeeper, accountant, and team members to work in the same file simultaneously.
• Smart Bank Reconciliation: Automatically imports and categorizes bank transactions, suggesting matches to outstanding invoices for quick reconciliation.
• Inventory & Purchase Order Management: Tracks inventory items, links them to invoices, and manages purchase orders, making it good for product-based small businesses.

Pros:

• Superior Collaboration & User Management: The unlimited user policy makes it cost-effective and seamless for teams to work with external accountants.
• Modern, Intuitive Interface: Known for a clean, dashboard-driven design that provides excellent visibility into cash flow and financial health.

Cons:

• Limited Built-In Time Tracking: While it integrates with third-party time trackers, it lacks a robust native time tracking module compared to FreshBooks.
• Support Model: Primarily relies on an extensive online community and help center; direct phone support is limited compared to some rivals.

Security & compliance: Enterprise-grade 256-bit SSL encryption. Multi-layered security. SOC 1 & SOC 2 reports available. Compliant with global standards.

Support & community: Renowned for its massive, helpful online community. 24/7 online support with limited phone support for certain issues.

5 — Wave

Wave is a completely free, ad-supported invoicing and accounting software suite for freelancers, sole proprietors, and micro-businesses with very basic needs. It’s famous for offering core features like invoicing and receipt scanning at no cost.

Key features:

• 100% Free Invoicing & Accounting: Create and send unlimited invoices, with unlimited customers and no transaction limits on the core software.
• Integrated Receipt Scanning: Use the mobile app to scan receipts, which are automatically matched to transactions.
• Income & Expense Tracking: Connect bank accounts and credit cards for automatic transaction import and basic bookkeeping.
• Personalized Invoices: Customizable templates and the ability to accept credit card payments (for a fee via Wave Payments).
• Multi-Business Management: Run separate books for multiple businesses under one Wave account.

Pros:

• Unbeatable for Basic, No-Cost Needs: The most financially accessible option for true solopreneurs and brand-new businesses.
• Surprisingly Capable Free Features: The free invoicing, accounting, and receipt scanning are robust enough for many very small operations.

Cons:

• Revenue Model via Payments & Ads: Makes money by promoting its paid payment processing and displaying ads within the software interface.
• Limited Features & Scalability: Lacks advanced features like time tracking, project management, or detailed inventory. Support is primarily self-service.

Security & compliance: 256-bit SSL encryption. PCI DSS Level 1 certified for its payments platform. Data is stored on servers in secure, access-controlled facilities.

Support & community: Email and chat support available, but primarily relies on a detailed help center and community forum. No phone support.

6 — Bill.com (for Invoicing)

While renowned for accounts payable, Bill.com offers a powerful invoicing and accounts receivable solution for SMBs. It focuses on making the billing-to-cash cycle fast by combining professional invoices with integrated online payments and automation.

Key features:

• Fast, Professional Invoicing: Create and send customized invoices quickly, with options for recurring invoices and automatic payment reminders.
• Integrated Online Payments: Clients can pay via ACH, credit card, or check directly from the invoice, with funds deposited into your account.
• Automated Accounts Receivable: Tracks invoice status (sent, viewed, paid) and automates follow-up reminders for overdue invoices.
• Seamless Accounting Sync: Deep, two-way integration with QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, Xero, and NetSuite ensures all data is synchronized.
• Cash Flow Visibility: Dashboard provides a clear, real-time overview of money owed to you and cash collected.

Pros:

• Accelerates Cash Collection: The combination of easy online payments and automated reminders significantly reduces Days Sales Outstanding (DSO).
• Ideal for QuickBooks/Xero Users: The integration is seamless, making it feel like a natural extension of your existing accounting workflow.

Cons:

• Pricing Structure: Charges per invoice and/or per payment on top of a monthly subscription, which can add up for high-volume businesses.
• Focused on the Transaction: Less emphasis on time tracking, project costing, or deep client management compared to all-in-one platforms.

Security & compliance: Bank-level 256-bit SSL encryption. SOC 1 & 2 Type II certified. AICPA audited. PCI compliant.

Support & community: Phone, email, and chat support available. Strong reputation for reliability within the accounting professional community.

7 — Harvest

Harvest is a time-tracking-first billing and invoicing tool built for agencies, consultants, and freelancers who bill primarily for their time. It excels at turning tracked hours into invoices effortlessly and providing insights into project profitability.

Key features:

• Powerful, Simple Time Tracking: Intuitive timer for desktop and mobile, with timesheet entries. The core experience is built around capturing time accurately.
• Effortless Time-to-Invoice Conversion: With one click, convert tracked time and expenses into a detailed, professional invoice.
• Project Budgeting & Alerts: Set budget limits (by hours or fees) for projects and receive alerts when approaching limits to avoid scope creep.
• Visual Reporting & Insights: Clear reports on project profitability, team capacity, and outstanding invoices to inform business decisions.
• Wide Range of Integrations: Connects with project management tools (Asana, Trello, Basecamp), payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal), and accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero).

Pros:

• Best-in-Class for Time-Based Billing: The workflow from timer to invoice is seamless and perfectly optimized for service businesses.
• Excellent Project Profitability Insights: Helps you understand which projects and clients are truly profitable, not just busy.

Cons:

• Less Focus on Non-Time-Based Invoicing: For businesses that sell products or fixed-fee projects without time tracking, its core strength is less critical.
• Limited Built-In Accounting: Designed to integrate with accounting software rather than replace it, so you’ll need a separate tool for full bookkeeping.

Security & compliance: 256-bit SSL encryption. Data backed up daily. SOC 2 Type II certified. GDPR compliant.

Support & community: Knowledgeable email support and a comprehensive help guide. Has a loyal user base among creative and professional service firms.

8 — Square Invoices

Square Invoices is part of the Square ecosystem, offering simple, mobile-friendly invoicing tightly integrated with Square’s payment processing and point-of-sale (POS) systems. It’s ideal for businesses that operate both online and in-person.

Key features:

• Unified Commerce Experience: Invoices integrate seamlessly with Square POS, Inventory, and Team Management, syncing customer and sales data across channels.
• Instant Online Payments: Clients can pay invoices immediately via card, ACH, or Cash App Pay. Payments are deposited into your linked Square balance.
• Mobile-First Invoicing: Create, send, and manage invoices from the Square Point of Sale app on your phone or tablet, perfect for on-the-go businesses.
• Automated Payment Reminders: Schedule automatic reminders for unpaid invoices to save time on collections.
• Simple Recurring Billing: Set up automatic, recurring invoices for subscription services or regular clients.

Pros:

• Perfect for Square Ecosystem Users: If you already use Square for payments or POS, adding invoicing creates a beautifully unified system.
• Extremely Fast Payment Access: Funds from paid invoices are available quickly, often with next-business-day deposit options.

Cons:

• Ecosystem Lock-in: Its value diminishes if you don’t use other Square products or prefer a different payment processor.
• Feature Set for Simplicity: While easy to use, it lacks the depth of time tracking, advanced project reporting, or extensive accounting integrations of specialized tools.

Security & compliance: PCI DSS Level 1 compliant. Data encryption. Part of Square’s overall financial services security framework.

Support & community: Support via email, chat, and phone. Extensive online resources and a large community of Square sellers.

9 — Chargebee

Chargebee is a powerful subscription billing and revenue management platform for SaaS, e-commerce, and other subscription-based businesses. It handles complex recurring billing scenarios far beyond simple invoicing.

Key features:

• Advanced Subscription Management: Handle prorations, upgrades/downgrades, add-ons, one-time fees, and usage-based billing within a single system.
• Global Tax & Compliance Automation: Automatically calculates and applies VAT, GST, and other regional taxes, helping with international compliance.
• Dunning Management: Automated workflows to retry failed payments, update payment methods, and prevent involuntary churn.
• Multiple Payment Gateway Support: Integrates with over 30 gateways (Stripe, Braintree, PayPal) and allows for gateway failover to maximize successful charges.
• Revenue Recognition & Analytics: Automates ASC 606/IFRS 15 compliance and provides deep metrics on MRR, churn, and customer lifetime value (LTV).

Pros:

• Enterprise-Grade for Subscriptions: The most robust solution for businesses whose core model depends on complex, recurring revenue.
• Scalability & Global Reach: Built to handle high volume and intricate global billing requirements that would break simpler tools.

Cons:

• Overkill for Simple Invoicing: Far too complex and expensive for freelancers or businesses that just need to send one-time or simple recurring invoices.
• Technical Implementation: Requires more setup and technical understanding compared to plug-and-play invoicing apps.

Security & compliance: SOC 1 & SOC 2 Type II certified. PCI DSS Level 1 compliant. GDPR, CCPA, and PSD2 compliant.

Support & community: 24/7 enterprise support, dedicated account management for higher plans, and a developer-centric community.

10 — PandaDoc

PandaDoc is a document automation platform that includes powerful electronic signatures and proposal-to-invoice workflows. It’s ideal for sales teams and businesses that need to create winning quotes, proposals, and contracts that seamlessly turn into invoices.

Key features:

• Interactive Quotes & Proposals: Create visually stunning, interactive documents with e-signature, pricing tables, and embedded payment options to close deals faster.
• Document Automation: Use templates and content libraries to generate accurate, branded proposals and invoices in minutes.
• Approval Workflows & CRM Integration: Route documents for internal approval before sending and sync all data with Salesforce, HubSpot, or Pipedrive.
• Integrated E-Signatures & Payments: Clients can sign documents and pay deposits or invoices directly within the same PDF-like experience.
• Document Analytics: Track when a proposal is opened, viewed, and how much time is spent on each section to guide follow-up.

Pros:

• Streamlines the Entire Sales-to-Cash Process: Unifies proposals, contracts, and invoices in one platform, eliminating data re-entry.
• Enhances Deal Closing & Professionalism: Interactive, trackable documents create a superior client experience that can accelerate sales cycles.

Cons:

• Broader Than Just Invoicing: If your only need is basic invoicing, you’re paying for a full document automation suite you may not fully use.
• Less Focus on Accounting Integration: While it integrates with accounting tools, its core strength is on the front-end sales document side.

Security & compliance: 256-bit encryption, SOC 2 Type II certified, HIPAA compliant (for specific plans), GDPR compliant, and legally binding e-signatures.

Support & community: 24/7 live chat and email support, phone support for higher tiers, extensive knowledge base, and training webinars.

Comparison Table

Tool Name	Best For	Platform(s) Supported	Standout Feature	Rating
FreshBooks	Service-based freelancers & SMBs prioritizing user experience	Cloud, iOS, Android	Client-Facing Professionalism & Ease of Use	4.6/5
QuickBooks Online	Small businesses needing invoicing within full accounting	Cloud, iOS, Android	Deep Accounting Integration & Vast Ecosystem	4.5/5
Zoho Invoice	Freelancers & SMBs wanting powerful free/affordable options	Cloud, iOS, Android	Generous Free Plan & International Features	4.4/5
Xero	Small businesses & their advisors valuing collaboration	Cloud, iOS, Android	Unlimited Users & Beautiful, Real-Time Dashboard	4.5/5
Wave	Solopreneurs & micro-businesses needing 100% free core software	Cloud, iOS, Android	Completely Free Invoicing & Receipt Scanning	4.2/5
Bill.com	SMBs focused on accelerating cash collection from invoices	Cloud, iOS, Android	Fast Online Payments & Automated AR	4.3/5
Harvest	Agencies & consultants who bill primarily for time	Cloud, iOS, Android	Seamless Time Tracking to Invoicing	4.6/5
Square Invoices	Businesses already using Square POS/Payments	Cloud, iOS, Android	Unified Commerce with Square Ecosystem	4.4/5
Chargebee	SaaS & subscription businesses with complex billing needs	Cloud, API	Advanced Subscription & Revenue Management	4.7/5
PandaDoc	Sales teams needing proposals, contracts & invoices in one	Cloud, iOS, Android	Document Automation from Quote to Cash	4.5/5

Evaluation & Scoring of Billing & Invoicing Software

Use this rubric to objectively compare tools. Score each category (1-10), multiply by the weight, and sum for a total.

Evaluation Category	Weight	What to Look For	Score (1-10)	Weighted Score
Core Features	25%	Invoice customization, recurring billing, time/expense tracking, payment processing, reporting.
Ease of Use	15%	Intuitive for you and your clients? Learning curve? Mobile app quality?
Integrations & Ecosystem	15%	Connects to your bank, accounting software, CRM, or payment gateway?
Security & Compliance	10%	Data encryption, payment security (PCI DSS), audit trails, GDPR.
Performance & Reliability	10%	Uptime, speed of sending/payments, accuracy of calculations.
Support & Community	10%	Quality of help resources, responsiveness of support team.
Price / Value	15%	Subscription cost, transaction fees, and the ROI in time saved & faster payments.
TOTAL SCORE	100%			/ 100

Which Billing & Invoicing Software Is Right for You?

• For Freelancers & Solo Entrepreneurs: Prioritize simplicity, low cost, and a professional image. FreshBooks and Zoho Invoice (free plan) are top choices. Wave is best if you need completely free software and don’t mind ads.
• For Small Businesses (SMBs): You need more robustness, integration, and potentially multi-user access. QuickBooks Online is the accounting powerhouse. Xero excels in collaboration. FreshBooks remains great for service businesses.
• For Agencies & Consultants (Time-Based Billing): Your software must excel at tracking time and project profitability. Harvest is the specialist leader. FreshBooks also offers strong time tracking integrated with its suite.
• For Subscription & SaaS Businesses: You require complex, automated recurring billing. Chargebee is the enterprise-grade solution. For simpler subscriptions, Zoho Invoice or QuickBooks recurring features may suffice.
• For Sales-Driven & Proposal-Centric Businesses: If your invoice is the last step in a sales process, PandaDoc unifies proposals and billing beautifully.
• For Retail & In-Person Businesses (using Square): Square Invoices provides the most seamless experience if you’re already in the Square ecosystem.

All-in-One vs. Best-of-Breed: An all-in-one tool (QuickBooks, FreshBooks, Xero) combines invoicing with accounting, saving you integration headaches. A best-of-breed tool (Harvest for time, Chargebee for subscriptions) offers deeper functionality but requires connecting to other systems.

Freemium vs. Paid: Freemium tools (Zoho Invoice, Wave) are great for starting out but often have limits. Paid tools offer more features, support, and scalability, paying for themselves in time saved and faster cash flow.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What’s the difference between billing software and accounting software?
Billing software focuses on creating invoices, getting paid, and tracking what’s owed. Accounting software records all financial transactions (income, expenses, assets, liabilities) to produce financial statements. Many tools, like QuickBooks or FreshBooks, combine both.

2. How do online payments work with these tools?
The software integrates with a payment gateway (like Stripe, PayPal, or its own service). You enable it, and a “Pay Now” button is added to your invoices. When a client clicks it, they enter card/bank details securely, and funds are deposited into your linked business account, usually within 1-3 business days.

3. Can I automate recurring invoices for retainer clients?
Yes, recurring or automatic billing is a standard feature. You set up an invoice template, specify the amount and frequency (e.g., monthly on the 1st), and the system will create and send it automatically. You can often set up automatic card charges too.

4. Are these tools secure for storing my client’s payment information?
Reputable tools use PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliant payment partners. This means card data is handled by the secure payment gateway, not stored directly in the invoicing software itself, following the highest security protocols.

5. What should I do if a client pays via check or bank transfer instead of the online link?
Most software has a manual payment recording feature. When you receive the payment, you log into the software, find the invoice, and mark it as paid. This keeps your records accurate even for offline payments.

6. Can I track which invoices have been seen by my clients?
Many platforms offer invoice tracking, showing you when an invoice email was opened and the PDF was viewed. This is invaluable for knowing when to follow up.

7. How do I handle sales tax on my invoices?
Good billing software allows you to set up sales tax rates (e.g., 8% for CA, 0% for tax-exempt clients). It will automatically calculate the tax on each line item or the total invoice, and reports will summarize tax collected for filing.

8. What’s the biggest mistake people make when choosing billing software?
Choosing software that’s too complex for their needs (like buying Chargebee for simple freelancing) or too limited to grow with them (like using only free tools when they have 50 clients). Start with your core needs and 2-year growth plan.

9. Is it worth paying for software when free options exist?
It depends on volume and needs. Free tools are great for starting. As you grow, paid software saves you hours per month in manual work, gets you paid faster, and presents a more professional image, offering a high return on a small investment.

10. What’s the first step before switching to new software?
Clean up your current client and product/service list. Ensure you have correct contact info, standard pricing, and descriptions. Having clean data makes importing into a new system or starting fresh much smoother.

Conclusion

The right billing and invoicing software acts as a force multiplier for your business, turning administrative tasks into automated processes that improve cash flow, professionalism, and insight. Whether you choose the client-focused elegance of FreshBooks, the accounting depth of QuickBooks Online, the time-centric power of Harvest, or the subscription sophistication of Chargebee, the “best” tool is the one that disappears into your workflow while actively helping you get paid faster and work smarter.

Investing in a quality system is an investment in your business’s financial health and your own peace of mind. By taking the time to match a tool’s strengths to your specific business model and growth stage, you equip yourself not just with software, but with a strategic partner for sustainable growth. Remember, the goal is to spend less time chasing money and more time doing the work that earns it.