Brightpearl – a new user’s experience.
I’ve been using Brightpearl for over a year now. It’s a client management system…
KEEP READING!
…that is also an accounting system, and it’s web based.
OK, I used ‘system’ twice up there which usually means it’s a blog by some techie going on about CRMs using phrases like ‘in terms of’, usability blah blah..
Let’s get two things clear. I’m no techie, I’m very new to accounts and managing client info…
The last thing I’d be able to do is write about how this compares to other ‘systems’ available as I have no experience other than Microsoft Accounting 2008 (free and limited trial), Quickbooks (free and limited trial) and my address book.
What I can say is that I simply needed a way to issue quotations and invoices for my business and to keep a record of these for my accountant (who also uses it!).
So those are my qualifications for this. I’ll tell you what I discovered.
I started using Brightpearl to create invoices for a couple of pieces of work I’d done.
Set up a new client (or customer, you get to choose) – easy.
Added my logo because it looks nice and the sign said ‘Click here to add your logo’.
Typed in details of the work I’d done for the client – easy.
Pressed the big green ‘Invoice’ button – invoice created.
Pressed the print icon next to the invoice – invoice printed (could just as easily been emailed straight to the client), with my logo on it! How cool was that!
Saved the invoice as a PDF.
Got so carried away I added another client and did it again.
Why am I typing in client details? Wonder if there’s a way to import them?
Oh yes. From Excel, Outlook, Google, VCF cards, Eventbrite, MYOB and Sage.
Did that then.
Next, I ‘tagged’ the clients: ‘Website leads’, ‘Active clients’, ‘Newsletter recipients’ and the like.
This means I can list, contact, run campaigns with similar people.
Also, I set their status’ to Potential, Interested, Confirmed Lead and the like, each of which have set contact periods.
So if you’ve not been in touch with them in that period, Brightpearl reminds you.
I could go on – maybe I will in a future post.
For now though, let me tell you what I’ve done in a short space of time:
- Sent a Newsletter with integrated Mailchimp
- Viewed graphs & pie charts showing my client sales, activity and accounts
- Personalised the invoices
- Talked to really helpful, knowledgeable people when I needed to find out more
And get this:
- Added Smartforms to my website
Anyone filling in an enquiry form on the site gets added STRAIGHT INTO BRIGHTPEARL as a confirmed lead.
You can see my forms on other pages on this website. Why not fill one in to try it out!
This ‘system’ (it’s far more than that) suits small or large businesses equally.
I’m just a small business, but I’m in control of clients, finance and marketing because this just pulls it all together in one inter-linked package.
Choosing Brightpearl was a sound judgement for me, it’s not often I find a rare product that does everything I need.
Visit the Brightpearl website.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Brightpearl recently forceably upgraded all of their customers and now 3 months later we are still unable to unlock it to our staff to use as the new security model has holes in it that allows all staff to view all sales invoices, which in our case includes sensitive charge rates.
Brightpearl support – which was quite responsive and friendly – now keep us hanging on, promising fixes that never arrive and finally refusing any kind of refund despite the fact we have incurred significant costs in having to manually work around this deficiency.
Sorry to hear of your bad experience Luke but thank you for taking the time to make the comment here.
I do hope that they get a fix for you soon, despite your experiences so far.
Please let us know of any developments.
Hi Chris,
That is one stonking review. I’m looking at Brightpearl as a system to integrate for my own business and I’m interested in any limitations or frustrations you might have had with it so far. Has there been anything you would have liked to have, or found hard to access/ implement? I understand if you don’t want to publish these on the blog, so feel free to e-mail me directly.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Mark.
Hi Mark,
I’ve responded direct as you suggested, however to anyone else reading I’m still using BrightPearl as it suits my business perfectly. I even give my accountant access to it and he completes the tax stuff.
Awesome!