If you send an invoice the same day you complete the job, you are 1.5 times more likely to get paid. To do this, you need to have the invoice ready to send or quickly prepare the invoice upon completion.
Making an invoice can be intimidating if your business is new and you’ve never prepared one before. Thankfully, it can become easier when you break it down into steps.
Follow this guide when preparing your invoices, and it will be easier to collect payments.
1. Choose a Method
This step in making your invoice is to decide how you’ll create it. For example, you could make it from scratch in a word document. Or you could create an invoice online with a template service. This method is much easier and faster.
If you need to make more than one invoice, an online service is ideal. You can quickly prepare multiple invoices by duplicating previously made invoices. You can have a single database with payment tracking and automatic follow-ups.
2. Make It Professional
The first step in making an invoice is making it look professional. Start by adding your logo and company name. Choose colours that match your company’s colours if there are colour options.
This gives your invoice a professional look and feels that aligns with your branding. You can decide at this time what you want to name your invoice. Perhaps you call it something other than an invoice.
3. Add Contact Information
The next is to add contact information for you and the person or company you are invoicing. Include all pertinent information such as names, addresses, emails, phone numbers, and any other relevant contact information.
This helps your invoice to look and feel professional. It also makes it easy to ensure you get it to the right person and follow up on outstanding invoices.
4. Include a Due Date
Your invoice needs to have a due date. This tells the recipient when they need to pay you. It helps to also include “due on receipt” on the invoice.
5. Outline Billed Items
It isn’t enough to include the total amount you are billing for. You need to outline the products or services that the client received and needs to pay for.
For the best organization, include the name or number of the item. Then include any descriptions or notes related to each item. Next, have the price per item and the total quantity.
You’ll also need to include any necessary taxes on the total amount charged. If you decide to give a discount, this is also the place to have that.
6. Add Payment Information
If you want the recipient to pay faster, include payment information when creating an invoice. If you send digital forms of your invoices, you can use a “pay here” link. When the recipient clicks the link, it will take them to a payment screen.
They can then choose to pay via credit card or bank account. This will process the payment faster to get your money quicker.
Start Making an Invoice
Now that you have these tips for making an invoice, you are ready to start making your first invoice. Start by deciding the platform you want to make them with. Then you can work your way through the invoice preparation by adding all of the necessary information.
Check out our other business articles for more helpful advice on managing your invoices and accounts payable.
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