If there’s one thing we see time and time again, it’s this:
You’re busy running your business, invoices and receipts are coming in from everywhere… and bookkeeping ends up becoming something you “get round to later”.
Then later turns into a pile of emails, missing invoices, and a bit of stress when we ask for information.
The good news is, there’s a very simple way to reduce this burden.
And once it’s set up, it works in the background without you needing to think about it.
The Simple Shift: Automate Your Invoice & Receipt Flow
Instead of manually forwarding invoices or uploading receipts, you can:
- Automatically send supplier invoices straight from your inbox
- Keep everything organised in one place
- Reduce the need for back-and-forth with us
- Make your bookkeeping more accurate and up to date
For most clients, this simple setup saves 1–3 hours per month, and removes the mental load of “I need to send that to my accountant”.
This can be done by:
- Setting up auto-forwarding rules in your email
- (Even better) creating a dedicated accounts email address
What This Looks Like in Practice
Before:
- Invoices sitting across multiple inboxes
- Forwarding things in bulk at month end
- Missing documents we have to chase
- Delays in getting your numbers
After:
- Most invoices flow in automatically as they arrive
- Data is captured in real time
- Minimal (or no) chasing from us
- Up-to-date, reliable financials
Why We Recommend This to All Clients
At Orenda, we’re not just here to prepare your numbers after the fact.
We want your numbers to be:
- Accurate
- Timely
- Useful for decision-making
The biggest blocker to that is usually incomplete or delayed information.
This one change removes that blocker almost entirely.
It’s one of the simplest, highest-impact improvements you can make to how your finances are managed.
Option 1: Auto-Forward Invoices from Your Inbox
Both Dext and Hubdoc give you a unique email address.
Any invoice sent to that email will automatically appear in your bookkeeping system for us to process.
What this means for you:
- Reduced manual uploading
- Reduction in mental load of remembering to send everything
- Reduced missing invoices
What this means for your records:
- Cleaner records
- Faster bookkeeping
- Better, more timely insights
How to Set Up Auto-Forwarding
If you use Outlook
You can create a rule so that any invoice email is automatically forwarded.
Basic steps:
- Go to Settings (top right)
- Click Mail → Rules
- Select Add new rule
- Choose conditions such as:
- Subject contains “invoice” or “receipt”
- Or from specific suppliers
- Set the action to Forward to your Dext or Hubdoc email address
- Save the rule
For full guidance, you can follow Microsoft’s official guide here.
If you use Gmail
You can set up automatic forwarding using filters.
Basic steps:
- Go to Settings → See all settings
- Click Filters and Blocked Addresses
- Select Create a new filter
- Add criteria such as:
- “invoice”, “receipt”, or supplier email addresses
- Click Create filter
- Choose Forward it to your Dext or Hubdoc email
- Save
For full guidance, see Google’s official guide here using the section ‘Forward messages that match your filters’.
Please note if you use Gmail you may need a verification step to allow auto-forwarding to Dext/Hubdoc, if that is the case just pop us an email on [email protected] and we can support you with this verification step.
Option 2 (Recommended): Create an “Accounts” Email Address
If you want to take this one step further and make things even easier…
Set up a dedicated email such as:
Why this works so well:
- All supplier invoices go to one place
- Nothing gets lost in your main inbox
- You can give us access (if you’d like us to manage it for you)
- It creates a clean, scalable system as your business grows
How to use it:
- Ask suppliers to send invoices directly to this address
- Or set up auto-forwarding from this inbox
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Setting rules too broadly so irrelevant emails are forwarded
- Forgetting to include key suppliers in your setup
- Not testing the rule after setting it up
- Not updating suppliers with your new accounts email address
Taking a few extra minutes to get this right at the start makes all the difference.
Why This Matters (More Than You Might Think)
This isn’t just about making our lives easier.
It’s about giving you:
- More accurate numbers
- Less admin
- Fewer last-minute requests
- Better visibility over your business
This is one of the most impactful “quick wins” we implement with clients, and it consistently transforms how smooth their bookkeeping feels.
Quick Setup Checklist
If you want to get this in place quickly, here’s a simple checklist:
✔ Find your Dext or Hubdoc email address
✔ Decide whether to use your main inbox or create an accounts email
✔ Set up forwarding rules (Outlook or Gmail)
✔ Test it with your invoices
✔ Update your key suppliers
A Small Setup That Makes a Big Difference
Most clients who set this up say the same thing:
“I wish I’d done this sooner.”
It takes around 15–20 minutes to get everything in place, and it can save you hours every single month.
Need Help?
If you can, we recommend setting this up this week while it’s fresh.
You’re very welcome to follow the steps above and do it yourself.
But if you get stuck, or you’d like us to sense-check your setup or walk you through it, just drop us an email at:
We’re always happy to help.