Preparing an invoice may sound simple and easy when you talk in terms of pen and paper. But the scope lies far beyond the traditional pen and paper invoices. For preparing a professional invoice, you need to have certain details handy. These include the details of the finished tasks, the amount your clients owe you in place of those tasks, yours as well as your clients’ contact details, and the final date by which you expect your payments.
The question is why you need to undertake such pains to prepare a professional invoice. There are two primary reasons behind it Apart from helping your clients understand the billing for your services conveniently; it also allows you to track your expenses. It helps you maintain a record of all your expenses and retrieve it whenever you need it.
Add Business Information to Invoice Header
Consider including the identification information of your business such as the contact details, its address, logo, and so on. If you are an individual who is operating as a freelancer, you can simply include your name and contact details.
Add Your Client’s Contact Details
To ensure that your invoice goes to the client or the best contact person who works with them, including the contact details of your client. Double-check to make certain that you have entered all the details correctly. That way, either your client would receive the invoice
List the Invoice Information
Listing the invoice information is one of the best ways to track them whenever you feel like doing it. Begin by choosing a numbering system that you are comfortable with and do the numbering of your invoice systematically for avoiding any confusion at the later stages. Also, do not forget to include the dates for a better understanding.
Mention the Terms of Your Payment
For avoiding confusion about payments, it is important that you specify the payment terms with clarity. Mention in your invoice whether you wish to receive the payments on a monthly basis or in any other way. Plus, also mention the medium of payment such as cash, cheque, demand drafts, debit card, etc.
Specify the Services in the form of a List
List all the services or the tasks which you have performed on behalf of your client. For a better understanding, make sure you put it across in the form of a list. Mention the charges for each task separately and then add up the overall cost so your client gets a fair breakup of the amount which they owe you.
Include Applicable Taxes and Notes
Finally, add the taxes along with the details that are applicable to your services. If possible, also include notes to apprise your clients of any additional details.
Final thoughts
So, there you go – follow the steps sequentially without omitting any of the steps to prepare professional invoices and receive payments from your clients on time. If you find it difficult to follow these steps, there is an easy way for you. You can download some handy professional invoice templates here.
