[Zoho Books] Add retainer invoice functionality

I'm opening up bidding for Zoho Partners to guide me through the process of transitioning from Zoho Books to Zoho One. Below is everything I have, am dealing with, am in need of, and want to solve. If there's something missing, please let me know in the comments, and I'll both answer it in that comment, and add it to this scope. Please DM me with proposals (can be a link to the document you use, or just a .pdf of the proposal). I had hoped to get this sorted out with Zoho directly, but they're still not responding, and I've got business to attend to. Also, if you're reading this and there's another software that would solve these problems for me, please do let me know! What I've looked into so far, and the findings for it: [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wlO3ZmwVQaJvHhp8C52jbdYXOU7sLLz8rDyzU7hlfJs/edit?usp=sharing](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wlO3ZmwVQaJvHhp8C52jbdYXOU7sLLz8rDyzU7hlfJs/edit?usp=sharing) I'm looking for proposals that: Include your company info (website or portfolio is fine) Your experience with Zoho as a whole, and with this specific transition Your total price (Time, money, things I need to provide, so on) in the format you prefer to work in (Flat rate for X scope, per hour, etc). Answer these questions: 1) Will Zoho One solve the problems I'm facing with Zoho Books? \- The cost isn't a huge concern; Zoho One looks to be about $39/month for a single user (that's me for now), where the next tier of Zoho books (which fixes the issue of retainer invoices, and nothing else) is $50/month. 2) What's the transition from Zoho Books to Zoho One? \- Can I simply export stuff from Zoho Books and import into Zoho One? \- Can Zoho One take my current Books (account, profile, date set in the company server) and pull that into my Zoho One? Features needed: Bookkeeping \- Automatic Bank Feeds Invoicing \- Standard \- Retainer Payment gateway \- A way to accept card payments from customers \- - Cannot be Stripe or Square (Stripe took funds from me incorrectly, still in dispute, Square denied me saying I'm too small) Timekeeping \- Basic, manual entry is fine. I need to track time and expenses to projects \- I currently do this in Zoho Books \- Something with a timer/clock in/out option would be nice, too. My current workflow for starting a new customer project (This is what I want software that works well to do for me): **DRbD Current Workflow - Cx project** *My current workflow for getting a customer from a lead to project completed.* # Lead: # Customer fills out form on my website (website withheld so I don't get in trouble for 'advertising') Currently using a wordpress site, Ninja Form I receive an email in my GMail inbox with their information I review the information: Is their project address within my usual project area? Is their request within my wheel house? If not, I reply to that email letting them know my findings. If yes, I: Create new customer I have to manually copy/paste their info into my customer list  Create new project I really want my services (items/products) to all be available in every project, not having to manually create them in each project Create new estimate Site visit for estimate ($75) “DRbD will come out to site, meet with client, review project details, create a scope, gather pictures, measurements, and other relevant details, and answer related questions to the project, the company, and the methods. DRbD will provide a complete estimate package (Labor, materials, other) with planned steps and details to Cx for their consideration. For this, Cx agrees to pay $75 upon receipt of the complete estimate.” Send estimate to Cx.  I DO need them to accept/agree to pay this before I schedule the appt I do NOT need them to pay this up front (though I am open to changing that) Cx responds with acceptance, questions, or denial I need a notification that Cx has responded IF Cx accepts, I need to move forward with scheduling I handle all scheduling/calendar with GCal, so I need your platform to sync with GCal I go meet with Cx, look over project, take notes, measurements, pictures, etc I need a way and place to put all of those into your platform so they’re in one place for anyone to access I put together a complete estimate package Services by step (Trade) - (Task) # of hours for that task, description of task As many as needed for that estimate Materials - List as attached (attach .pdf) OR manually type out materials Materials from supply - Type out list  Additional items as needed Rentals of equipment My own From rental company Additional costs or fees Permits outside contractors Review, finalize, send to Cx # Start a new project Cx accepts estimate * I need a notification thereof * Estimate converted to retainer invoice * First invoice (mobilization) is for: * All materials * All fees * 50% of labor * Invoice Cx, Cx pays * I get notified  * Order materials  * I need a way to indicate what has been ordered and what has not inside your platform * Also need a way to have the materials list(s), order(s), etc (.pdf documents) in your platform * Schedule work  * Again, sync with GCal so customer can see and accept invite there # Work the project Pictures, timekeeping, and daily reports for project all inside your platform Able to bill project invoices against retainer invoice to show cash flow Invoice weekly, or at end of project, whichever comes first # Close the project: Final invoice Gather feedback Ensure everything is completed to Cx satisfaction # Keep the books: I need to categorize and track my transactions Reconcile bank accounts Attach .pdf files of my receipts to each transactions * Expenses AND refunds!!! # Current stumbling blocks: Horrible overseas customer service * Rude, nasty, disgusting foreigners that would rather argue, fight, lie, and blame than resolve any issue. * They ignore all details provided and then repeatedly ask for the same details. * They gaslight the customer into being the ‘bad guy’ instead of just working on the issue(s) Constant problems with the software * Broken or missing features * Features in use go missing sometimes Outdated KB * The knowledge base often has screenshots and directions from older versions of the software, pointing to options that are not available, making it difficult to use in troubleshooting. When I get a lead through my website, I have to manually copy the information into my CRM * I want a form that puts the information directly into my CRM, and categorizes into divisions: * Facility Management * General Consulting * Woodworking (stuff I make/build in the shop for Cx) * Carpentry (wood working I do in the field) * Renaissance man (Custom/specialty projects) When I create a new project, I have to manually add project tasks for every project, or, import from another project. I also have to add rates for each task. * I want my projects to use my items/products/services items so everything matches up nice When I’m categorizing my transactions in bookkeeping, even when they’re ‘auto recognized’, I still have to manually check and adjust them. I’ve built a huge library of rules for each bank account, and that’s been dozens of hours of work that is finally starting to pay off.  I can’t add receipt images to refunds in the same step as categorizing. * I want to be able to add attachments to any transaction at the time of categorizing.