Looking for the Best Contractor Billing Software? See Why This Business Owner Chose Helcim

When Asif learned about Helcim, he was still a teenager studying at university, and chanced upon seeing Nic, Helcim CEO, speak at a presentation about his love for helping small businesses. Now chasing his dream of owning and growing a family-owned contracting business from the ground up, Asif shares his challenges, motivations, and encouragements to other small business owners in the industry, while partnering with Helcim to trim business expenses, simplify his customer billing process, and accept multiple payment options.

It's all about family

Comfort Union is a family-owned company that offers exceptional residential and commercial heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical services to customers. The name pays tribute to the father-and-son duo of Khan and Asif. Khan has decades of experience in the trades and is a professional engineer who is Red Seal-certified. He started his career in the heating and cooling industry as an HVAC engineer in 1995. He also spent 20-plus years in gasfitting, pipe fitting and sheet metal fabrication.

Khan and Asif wanted to create a company that is about bringing people together, sharing a vision of pursuing opportunities, serving others and showing empathy—all while making life more comfortable along the way. This philosophy is the foundation of Comfort Union.

How did you get started in business?

We started April last year, as a soft launch, and we got up to full speed in September. My father and I always worked together growing up, and he showed us all how to use tools. He was an HVAC technician before becoming an engineer, and that's where I learned all the ins-and-outs of the trade. Many years later, post-covid, after losing jobs and what not, we thought we'd put a team together offering home services, and here we are!

What's the best part of the job for you?

I really love working with my family and with my friends too, and doing that while delivering exceptional services to our customers is the number one goal here. We like to practice our technical skills, and that's what we deliver.

Trying to diagnose a problem in a new home is very challenging and every day is something different. People want zoned walls, smart automation rules, things like that, and trying to design something for customers - I really like that part of my work, and being able to brainstorm with the exceptional people on our team to find something that works for the customer too.

What made you choose Helcim over other payment processing or invoicing software for contractors?

Growing up, I knew about Helcim from seeing ads, and seeing Nic speak about his love for small businesses on university campus. When we started Comfort Union, Helcim was always at the back of my mind, even after seeing and trying other payment processors, and it turned out to be the best option!

When I think about Helcim, the first thing that comes to mind is transparency. I really think that is a company you can trust, and that they have people within the business who are fighting for your best interests in terms of payment processing. Because of the strong brand and message, I knew that Helcim has been fighting for the best interest of the merchant from day one.

Did you try any other billing software or invoicing software for contractors before trying Helcim?

Yes. Before using Helcim, we were not able to accept payments other than e-transfers, so we tried a couple of the other big brand payment processors and invoicing software for contractors. We found that they were too difficult to use and had high rates, in comparison to Helcim which was both easy to sign up with and use.

If we're talking about 1.8% per transaction versus 3% - it means a lot of money at the end of the month. You can redeploy those savings into marketing, ads, acquiring new customers, or even buying more materials and equipment.

What should others look for in a point of sale system, billing software, or invoicing software?

Transparency is a big deal, and other should look for any monthly fees, rental fees, contracts or other hidden fees in the fine print. How you feel about the company is important, and you'll feel the difference when you talk to Helcim, who have a great customer service team that's always backing you up.

Along with transparency, another key would be to find something uncomplicated, with software and hardware that are easy to use, and useful features like invoice software, point-of-sale equipment, and flexible pricing that can unlock savings for your small business.

What are the red flags in payment processing or invoice software?

My biggest red flag is contracts. No one wants to be locked up for many, many years in a changing landscape not knowing which direction the business is going yet, and companies that want you to sign up for something like a three year contract is not ideal. On top of that, they'll slap in a monthly subscription fees, and other types of fees like deposits, PCI fees and rental fees, and they'll build a sheet out with nice and fancy logos - it doesn't make you feel any good about payment processing.

Comparing that to Helcim, we had none of that - the only fee we got was the one-time fee for the terminals, no subscription fees or anything. Even if I didn't know about Helcim, I would be comfortable trying it, because they offer much lower rates than some of the other names in the business.

Why is Helcim, in your opinion, better than other payment processors?

A lot of tools out there have too many options. If you're a home services or construction business, you don't need that many crazy things, you just need payment and invoicing features that are easy to use, that work, and that are aligned with your business.

One of the best tools are the Hosted Payment Pages, which we could not self-deploy with other payment gateway options, and had to contact other processors' support team to be able to set up. Helcim's straightforward, drag-and-drop graphical interface made them easy to implement in a couple of minutes on our website for customers to pay online.

The key things that Helcim gives you are transparency, great customer service, easy to use products, and a team that's always backing you.

What are the Helcim products you use the most?

For our day-to-day operations, the Helcim terminals are used to collect payments in person. We've found that we don't really need to charge them for a week, and they connect to our iPads and the app very easily.

We use Hosted Payment Pages for online payments such as pre-auths or deposits, and the best part is, customers can input their own credit card numbers and invoice information by themselves online without any extra assistance.

We also use Helcim's invoice software to send and create invoices, quotes, and estimates, from time to time. Helcim's invoicing software also easily integrates with the terminals and Hosted Payment Pages, making the whole experience seamless and easy to use.

Do you know how much you have saved annually with Helcim?

We have saved tons! I actually trust Helcim so much that I haven't really looked at many of our business statements, but from the few I have looked at, we seem to be saving quite a bit compared to the other payment processors and invoicing software we have tried.

Along with saving on processing fees, we are also saving by not paying any monthly fees or contracts that other payment processors and invoicing software for contractors are charging.

How would you pitch Helcim to other small businesses like yours?

I'd say there's no need to shop around for the best point-of-sale, payments or invoicing software for contractors, but if you do, you'll feel the difference with Helcim. We've been able to save half a percent or a percent on processing fees, which doesn't sound like a lot, but makes a big difference because HVAC and plumbing services are high ticket items. These savings have allowed our business to grow from soft launch in April to full launch in September, reinvesting those funds into digital ads, customer acquisition, and buying materials for our business.

I know that this company is fighting from day one for the interests of the merchant, and that transparency on pricing builds trust. Helcim also has great people behind the systems, with a support team that's always backing you.

Looking for the best invoicing software for contractors? Try Helcim!

If you're one of the many in the home services industry or in the construction business, and you've been scratching your head looking for the best invoicing software for contractors, online payment solutions or payment gateway options, look no further than Helcim. Our accurate billing software allows you to accept payments in multiple currencies no matter the payment method, whether your clients pay online or in-person. Even if your clients pay using tap (like Apple Pay), bank transfers or physical credit card payments, you'll take advantage of our affordable pricing rates with our Interchange Plus model.

Your invoice management and billing process made easy

Our dedicated invoicing platform lets you create personalized invoices and customizable templates in just a few clicks, simplifying business processes and saving time. Our invoicing software lets you simplify client communication and your payment process, allowing you to collect payments directly from the same page as your professional invoices when you invoice clients, either directly from your customer's bank account, or via debit and credit card. Our invoicing software can also improve your overall invoicing process, by chasing overdue invoices with automatic reminders for your customers - allowing you to save time on admin and get paid quickly.

Helcim Fee Saver - process credit card payments for free in your invoices

Pass on your credit card processing fees to your customers and clients to accept credit cards at no cost (0%), exclusive to Helcim online invoicing software. For a complete overview of all of our invoicing features, and a step-by-step guide on how to send invoices, watch our below playlist of videos.

More than just an invoice software and online payments - Helcim loves helping small businesses grow!

Your Helcim account doesn't just let you create invoices and accept credit cards: it also gives you full access to advanced features completely free of charge. These include a client portal for easy client management, reporting tools with financial data and transaction history, mobile apps compatible with both Apple or an Android mobile device, and integrations with accounting software, allowing you to save time and money by simplifying your financial processes. You also get free access to an entire online payment toolkit, increasing your businesses cash flow and financial health.

You can have all these sterling capabilities with a free Helcim account, with no monthly fees, no contracts, and no hidden fees. Small businesses on average save 25% on processing fees using Helcim.

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