Can I track invoices in a spreadsheet?

Yes, at small scale. Once you have more than around 20 active invoices, multiple jobs running at once, or you're regularly forgetting to follow up, a spreadsheet starts costing you more than it saves.

What should an invoice tracker actually show?

Invoice number, client, job, amount, status (sent/due/overdue/paid), due date and the date of the last follow-up. Anything else is optional.

Invoice Tracking for Small Contractors: A Simple System That Works

By Lee Stephens · Founder, Contractor Revenue Hub

Most small contractors track invoices one of three ways: a notepad, a spreadsheet, or "I'll remember." All three work fine — until they don't. Usually the cracks show up the same week a big job lands and a slow payer goes quiet.

A simple invoice tracking system fixes that.

More guides on the Contractor Revenue Hub blog.