When working on freelance platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr, it is common that the platform provides you and your clients invoices on every purchase. However, we all know that working on these platforms is only half the job of service professionals. For clients you meet, you need to manually provide an invoice. While some clients might not bother asking for one, many will and you need the quickest way to generate one when they do. Here is how to create invoices for freelance clients in seconds and why you ought to provide one.
I frequently collaborate with contractors and freelancers while running my own small firm. And I’m continually astounded by the sheer number of new freelancers who don’t comprehend the fundamentals of freelancer billing, such as how to send an invoice or make it simple for clients to pay you for your job.
I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised because the majority of independent contractors studied to become marketers, designers, journalists, or professionals in other fields.
They simply didn’t cover freelancer billing in any of their courses.
What is an invoice
An invoice is a document issued by a seller to a buyer outlining details regarding a purchase. This can come as a printable document, fax, or an issued paper. An invoice typically outlines the product or service ordered, the amount due, and payment terms. As a service professional, knowing where to get your invoice done fast saves you time and helps you close deals faster.
Why you need to provide an invoice for clients
There are multiple reasons and benefits for you and your client when you provide invoices. An invoice serves as a legally binding document that proves a client ordered a service or product. As a freelancer professional miles apart from your client, you can still take legal action if the terms of a sale aren’t met. An invoice in cases like this offers proof of your claim.
Invoices can also help you track your monthly and annual sales. If you don’t provide invoices, you probably have to manually calculate your earnings if you hope to know how you are scaling in revenue. An invoice provides accurate data on how many sales you are making for your personal record. This also helps calculate taxes and helps your clients know how much they are spending on your service.
How to create an invoice for freelance clients
There are quite a few ways to create invoices for your clients. You can opt for invoice templates provided by basic tools such as Excel, Google docs, or Microsoft word. Whichever method you choose, simply visit the template page and search for an invoice template. You will have a number of designs to choose from before entering sales, business, and client details. This is a great way to create free outstanding invoices for beginners. Although, these methods offer very few customizations and take a lot of time. For a faster and more customizable invoice, we recommend using online invoice providers such as Paystubsnow.
How do I create an invoice on my own?
Opening a word document and entering the business name, the services provided, the cost of the services, and the terms of payment can be all it takes to create an invoice. Invoicing software is frequently used to streamline the process.
How can I create a straightforward invoice?
It’s not difficult to create a straightforward invoice, and you have several possibilities. You can use a free invoice template that you can download and use, or you can enter your information into an online generator to produce an invoice on your behalf.
Because you normally can’t bill tons of hours to create invoices, the goal is to keep your procedure quick and straightforward (more on that later).
What should be included on a bill?
You’re not the only one who doesn’t know exactly what goes on a freelancer invoice. Actually, it’s fairly easy. As a freelancer, you must at the very least include the following in your invoices:
- Invoice
Although it may seem apparent, putting the phrase “Invoice” somewhere prominent, strong, and at the top of the page will increase the likelihood that your invoice will be paid. People are more likely to process a bill quickly if they are informed that it is due.
- Company name
Your name should appear on every invoice. If you work alone as a freelancer, just use your name. This should be your company name if you operate a business or are a member of a team.
- The name of your client’s company
When billing a client, be sure to provide the client’s entire name. Simply use the client’s name on the invoice if you are working for an individual.
- A summary of the services provided
Give a detailed breakdown of the services you provided to your client in the main section of the invoice (use a table or bullet points to do this).
- Price of the services provided
Include the price next to each item in the list of services. If you choose not to break out each item, you can just mention the total amount for all services.
- Terms of payment (when and how to pay)
Put payment terms (such “Due on Receipt” or “Net 30“) and clear payment instructions prominently visible on your invoice. Any uncertainty about how and where to pay your invoice will be eliminated by using a solution like Freshbooks or Bonsai.
Do you charge for the time spent billing?
Now that you are familiar with the fundamentals of freelancer billing, let’s move on to some more complex issues. Should you charge your clients for the time it takes to prepare an invoice, for instance?
Billing for invoicing time is acceptable if you have included these costs in your first proposal or informed your client of them. The time you spend managing bills would be eliminated if you just divided administrative charges among your clients.
Naturally, if you decide to utilize software like Freshbooks, where you can create invoices in less than 60 seconds and the system then follows up with clients and manages the invoices for you, significantly reducing the amount of billable hours lost to invoicing time, this becomes less of a problem.
The same holds true for billing for meetings and other errands. It’s fantastic if the client approved of it or if you informed them about it. If not, don’t charge for it.
How to create an invoice with Paystubsnow
Creating an invoice with Paystubsnow is fast and easy. Simply visit the make a free invoice generator page and enter the necessary details. This typically includes your business logo if you have one that we recommend you do, your business and client information, tax type, discount type, and description. Once that is done, click submit and enter the destination email.
FAQ
Benefits of invoice
From the onset of any business, even as an independent service provider, providing an invoice comes with major benefits for you and your client. You get to get accurate records of your earnings and your employer or contractor gets details of what they are paying for. An invoice is also set as a legally binding document regarding details of a sale or purchase.
Where to get a free invoice template
You can get basic invoice templates from tools like Google Docs, Msword, and Excel. For more sophisticated invoice templates that will take you less time to make and offer superior quality, opt for professional invoice template providers.
What are invoices used for
An invoice is a legally binding document used to outline the details of a purchase. An invoice serves as accurate documentation of how much your business is making which can be helpful for tax filings. For buyers, it ensures they are paying the right quote for a product or service.
Can I create my own invoice?
While it is normal and possible to create your own invoice as a small business or an independent professional, large businesses typically use invoicing companies or software.
How to make a professional invoice for clients
Creating a professional invoice for clients isn’t as complicated as you might be thinking. Instead of opting for basic invoice templates, use invoicing companies to create professional and authentic invoices in seconds.
