
Every business, big or small, has to send out a commercial document (known as an invoice for that transaction) to request for payment for a product or sale provided. Whether you are a freelancer who takes on projects or freelance gigs on a regular basis, or you own a small business that sells certain products to customers, you will be needing to generate your very own invoice, over the course of time.
If you want to make things easier for you and to have a uniform invoicing format, here are some tips you can follow when it comes to generating more professional-looking invoice templates:
- Go digital. While the traditional mode of paper-generated invoicing is still in use by some business, the latest trend and tools adhered to in almost every industry these days is to opt for an invoice generator that is accessible digitally and online. Not only does it allow you to go paperless and therefore more environment-friendly, but it is also more efficient to create invoice templates in digital format.
- Label and brand it. There are three things you can indicate at the top page of your invoice template. The word invoice, your business name (in bold format), and your company logo. Doing so creates a much more professional impression to the client receiving your billed transaction.
- Indicate your contact details. Aside from your business name and logo, you should also include your updated contact details at the top of the page. This lets your clients know that you are open for invoice-related inquiries and other future transactions.
- Be detailed. In every transaction, make sure you clearly specify the terms of the service you provide. If you sell things online, indicate the items included in each sale. In your generated invoice template, have a line for each service provided (or each product sold) and another space to indicate necessary details. It could be your hourly rate, the price per unit sold, or the tasks included in the service you provided for your client.
- Mind the dates. If you want to create a professional image for your business, it is important to be careful about transaction dates. As such, make sure your invoice template includes an invoice date (which indicates when the document was generated) as well as a due date (to politely remind your client on when the payment is due).
- Provide an Invoice number. To help both you and your client stay organized, you can create a unique and sequential invoice number and indicate it at the top part of the page. This is a good practice as it helps you both easily keep track of all your projects and transactions.
- Get correct client details. For freelancers and businesses, especially those with several clients with recurring projects, this is an important part of your professional invoice. Avoid a crucial invoicing mistake and make sure that the details of who you are billing to are correct to avoid confusion and any misunderstanding.
- Maximize the notes. Aside from indicating payment details at the notes section of your invoice, you may also use this part to send out your message of thanks. A little gratitude goes a long way and is highly appreciated by clients.
Include other charges and details. Whether it is the local tax law applicable to your business type, or the discount you currently applied to the transaction, your client will find it more professionally-appealing if you are transparent to the very last cent.