If you’re launching a service business, one of the first things you need to do — seriously, today — is make sure you can get paid quickly and easily.
The longer you wait to set up a payment system, the more friction your customers face (and the longer it takes to get your cash flow going). That’s why I always recommend starting with Stripe.
Stripe is one of the simplest and most powerful tools for small business owners who need to start accepting payments online.
Watch to Learn About Setting Up Stripe
Why Stripe?
- It’s easy to use
- It integrates with most accounting and CRM platforms
- It gives your customers lots of payment options (credit card, Apple Pay, etc.)
- There’s no monthly fee, just a transaction fee (which is standard across platforms)
Step 1: Set Up Your Stripe Account
Go to stripe.com and click to create an account. You’ll be asked for:
- Name, email, and password
- Email verification
Then you’ll walk through the Activate Payments process, which Stripe makes very clear and step-by-step.
You’ll need to provide:
- Business name and type
- EIN (or SSN for sole proprietors)
- Industry and a short description
- Business address and phone
- Your website URL
- Info about the business representative
- Your bank account info for payouts
- Two-factor authentication (2FA) setup
- Tax settings
Once complete, your account is active and ready to accept payments.
Step 2: (Optional but Recommended) Connect Stripe to Your Accounting Software
While you can create invoices directly in Stripe, I prefer to keep all my financial tracking in one place — so I use Zoho Books to handle my invoicing, reporting, and reconciliation.
Most major accounting tools like Xero, QuickBooks, HoneyBook, and Zoho Books integrate easily with Stripe.
Here’s how to set it up in Zoho Books:
- Go to Settings > Customer Payments > Online Payments
- Click Set Up Now under the Stripe option
- Log in to Stripe to authorize the connection
- You’ll be redirected back to Zoho Books
- You can map Stripe payments to the right account in your chart of accounts
Now when you send an invoice, your customer will see a Stripe-powered payment link — and once they pay, the money goes to your bank and the transaction shows in your accounting tool.
And That’s It
You’re now fully set up to accept payments quickly and professionally. It looks polished to your customers, makes getting paid easier, and connects behind the scenes to your financial system.
Bonus Tip
Stripe also gives you options to:
- Set up recurring payments
- Create embeddable checkout pages
- Offer multiple payment methods like ACH and digital wallets
So as your business grows, Stripe can grow with you.
Bottom Line
Getting paid shouldn’t be hard.
Stripe makes it easy — and when paired with your accounting software, you get a smooth experience for you and your clients.
At TechnoMap, we help small business owners choose and set up the right tech from day one — so you can stop Googling, start working, and get paid faster.
Need help setting up your systems? Let’s chat.
