Cloud Accounting Startup FreshBooks Brings Invoicing On-The-Go To The iPad

FreshBooks was founded with the idea of moving accounting from boxed software into the cloud, making it easier for small businesses to take control of their finances with a SaaS-based business model. Now it’s making its service even more accessible, with an iPad app for accounting on the go.

The FreshBooks iPad app enables all the features that one might expect from the cloud-based accounting platform, including the ability to create and manage invoices, estimates, expenses, and projects all in one place. Users can also take photos of expense receipts and attach them to invoices directly within the app, view time sheets for projects, and check the status of receivables. The app also will allow users to update their accounts while offline and have them automatically synced when they have connectivity.

The app was created after the successful launch of the FreshBooks iPhone app, which came out in late summer. The idea is to make the service as accessible as possible, to streamline the process for small businesses to manage accounts and get paid back more quickly. Rather than having to wait until they get back to an office to log expenses and submit receipts for client work, users can now enter important accounting changes from wherever they are.

In addition to its own native apps for iOS devices, FreshBooks also has an API that allows third-party app makers to integrate with its cloud-based accounting system. That API is used by more than 60 different add-on apps that have hooked into FreshBooks, but this brings a native workflow to FreshBooks clients.

FreshBooks has more than 5 million users, with paying customers in more than 130 countries worldwide. The company is based in Toronto and has about 100 employees.