Ignite Spot Accounting Services was founded in 2008 for one specific reason: to make businesses profitable. They specialize in small business accounting support and emphasize closing the gap between a CEO and a business’s accountant. Using BILL has enabled them to spend less time chasing down transactions and more time providing visibility and guidance that helps their clients thrive.

The challenge: Lack of control and visibility into day-to-day operations hindered big picture guidance

Before BILL, Ignite Spot was doing AP and AR manually. Its mission was hindered by the cumbersome task of consolidating different bank websites and systems to create cohesive reports. While clients gained a more comprehensive view of their finances, they lacked control and visibility into their day-to-day operations. 

If the process was complicated for invoices, it was even more difficult when it came to expense reports. The process of closing the books was fraught with dozens of hours of data entry, receipt chasing, and transaction hunting. 

Having to chase down information across different systems–and even request physical receipts from clients–meant that Ignite Spot was focusing on reacting to one crisis at a time instead of reviewing the big picture with their clients. 

The solution: Everything in one place with BILL Accounts Payable and BILL Spend & Expense

Unifying AP, AR, spend, and expense allows Ignite Spot to quickly consolidate reports for their clients. With BILL Accounts Payable and BILL Spend & Expense on one platform, Ignite Spot can spend less time worrying about approvals, payment tracking, reimbursements, and receipts, and more time focusing on what matters for their clients. 

Accounts Payable creates more visibility and alignment into each payment, which helps business owners remain proactive and informed about their cash flow. “With BILL, the business owner has control over what moves and when,” explains Dan Luthi, Partner at Ignite Spot. This makes it easier to explore monthly spending so clients can be more proactive about their cash flow.

Instead of doing four to five times the work and scrambling to get everything done on time, Ignite Spot now finds themselves closing the books of clients who use Spend & Expense on time, every time. 

Adds Luthi, “Spend & Expense allows us to completely change the way we interact with clients to the point where we are adding value to the conversation about how their business can grow.” 

“BILL Spend & Expense allows us to completely change the way we interact with clients to the point where we are adding value to the conversation about how their business can grow.”

“In terms of time savings or time efficiency, using BILL is almost exponential,” summarizes Korbyn Gallegos, Controller at Ignite Spot. 

The firm benefits: Improving cash flow control

In addition to using BILL for their clients, Ignite Spot also implemented the solution for their own billing. BILL eliminates the work of sending out payment reminders, and many clients are more proactive in scheduling monthly payments within BILL. 

Luthi explains “We use BILL for AP and AR for the firm and our clients. It’s a no-brainer since it creates a lot of efficiencies and a cleaner process flow. We also auto-invoice every month and many clients will authorize automatic payments. It’s great for cash flow!”

“We use BILL for AP and AR for the firm and our clients. It’s a no-brainer since it creates a lot of efficiencies and a cleaner process flow.”

Ignite Spot also uses Spend & Expense internally for recurring expenses like software subscriptions and can immediately send their employees money any time it’s needed. Plus employees have the added benefit of uploading receipts even when traveling.

Catherine Owen, Executive Assistant at Ignite Spot, found herself over the firm’s accounts payable immediately after joining the team. Without a background in accounting, she was nervous and uncomfortable trying to set up a new system. But, as she says, “I quickly learned that BILL Spend & Expense is extremely user friendly. I love the interface. I didn’t have to do a lot of training. It’s very functional and easy for someone to pick up on.

The client benefits: Making clients’ lives so much easier

It was an Ignite Spot client that initially referred the firm to BILL … and then they “fell in love with it.” Now the firm requires clients to use BILL which is a welcome requirement for their clients. According to Luthi, Ignite Spot’s clients love BILL “because it makes their lives so much easier.” 

Luthi provides an example that illustrates this point: “We recently launched a client who was adamant that he didn’t want digital AP and AR. We explained BILL to him, its audit process and simplicity of payments, and he completely changed his mind. He went from ‘I want paper only’ to ‘OK, we are going all in on BILL.’”

Continues Luthi, “With BILL, the business owner has control over what moves and when, while we can enact approval workflows.”

From reactive to proactive, productive conversations with clients

BILL’s integrated solutions enable Ignite Spot to truly deliver on their mission of building a better relationship between accountant and client, empowering small businesses to take control over their finances and grow. 

“BILL gives us peace of mind and saves us a lot of time. If we didn’t have BILL, we’d probably have to hire at least three more employees. It’s an essential part of our technology stack,” summarizes Luthi. 

“BILL changed our methodology and approach to how we were communicating with clients. Now instead of being reactive and chasing and harping on people each month it has turned into a proactive conversation about cash management solutions for the company.”

In short, “BILL changed our methodology and approach to how we were communicating with clients,” says Luthi. “Now instead of being reactive and chasing and harping on people each month, it has turned into a proactive conversation about cash management solutions for the company.”