De Kleine Johannes, one of the last children's bookstores in Belgium.

Luc Vander Velpen, the store's owner, laments that independent bookstores in Flanders face constant challenges, their numbers declining every year. For children's bookstores, which cater to an audience of up to 12, it is even more difficult. One of the last remaining children's bookstores in Belgium, De Kleine Johannes is an institution at the heart of Leuven's literary scene. With a history of 46 years, this independent bookstore has weathered storms and embraced change. Ten years ago, the bookstore's future hung by a thread, until owner Luc intervened, merging two bookstores and focusing on quality and digitized administration to keep the doors open. 

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Digitized billing thanks to Billtobox

"I dare to say we have our administration in order thanks to Billtobox", says owner Luc. 

Bookstores receive hundreds of invoices every month. They used to be all on paper or emailed in PDF. Every year we had to take five to six boxes of invoices to the bookkeeper. It was difficult to manage until the bookstore owner discovered Billtobox . Now all incoming invoices are centralized on 1 platform. Billtobox seamlessly integrated with the bookkeeping system and brought order to the chaos, making their administration efficiency.

In six months, the transformation was complete. Freed from the shackles of paperwork, De Kleine Johannes was able to refocus on its core mission: sharing the passion for literature with the community. As they adapt to a changing landscape, Billtobox remains their steadfast ally, providing streamlined operations and a renewed focus on what matters most: books.

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