Invoices are a necessary evil. It's not fun to create an invoice and send it out to your customer, but it is necessary for running a successful business. The bad news is that managing invoices can take up valuable time. Not only do you have to make them, but you also need to collect on them as well. This takes even more time and energy away from your core focus: your business!

Fortunately, there's software that can help streamline the invoicing process and make it easier for you to manage all of your accounts receivable (or A/R). Invoice software allows you to automatically create invoices, send them electronically, and keep track of what needs to be followed up on. There are three main types of invoice software:

* Cloud-based - You can access this type of invoice software anywhere. All you need is internet connection and a device with an internet browser.

* Hosted - With hosted invoice software, everything is stored on the company's servers instead of your own computer or server space.

* Local - If you want complete control over all aspects of your business data, then local invoice software is ideal for using on your desktop computer without any monthly fees or subscription costs.