Do you want to get paid promptly and on time? Do you need to maintain accurate records of your finances or are you trying to establish credibility with new clients? Creating a company invoice is a simple way to accomplish these goals, especially if you already have the necessary details and take advantage of existing business invoice templates.
With Invoice Ninja, all you need to do is upload your details and brand identifiers (e.g., logos) and use one of our invoice templates. In just a few steps, you can have an invoice that is ready to send to your customers and clients.
Creating Invoices for Your Customers
To make a professional-looking invoice, follow these eight simple steps:
1. Create Brand Identifiers
Brand identifiers are a great way to make your invoice stand out from the competition, and a solid brand will help you establish credibility and trust with clients. Customers will easily recognize and associate your invoice with your company–identifiers can include logos, headers, taglines, and even the company name and address.
2. Gather Invoice Details
Before you start creating your invoice, make sure to have all the necessary information. This includes the customer’s name and address, a unique invoice number, a list of items purchased or services rendered, the amount due, any applicable taxes and fees, and payment terms. This way, you’ll be able to accurately create and send your invoice without any mistakes.
3. Select an Invoice Template
After you have all the details, it’s time to choose a template. Invoicing software like Invoice Ninja offers free business invoice templates so you can quickly create your invoice without having to design it from scratch. By tweaking the template to match your brand, you can make sure that your invoice looks professional and catches the attention of your customers.
4. Choose the Right Formatting
When creating an invoice, it’s important to pay attention to the formatting. Font size, spacing between lines and items, and alignment are all factors that can affect how your invoice looks. Select a font that’s easy to read, and keep the layout consistent throughout the document.
5. Include Relevant Company Details
Now, it’s time to fill in the details. Start by including your company’s contact information, such as its name, address, and phone number. Then, fill in the customer’s details like their name and address. Include the invoice number, a list of items purchased or services rendered, and the amount due.
6. Specify Payment Requirements and Terms of Service
Once you have all the details spelled out, specify the payment requirements and terms of service–this includes any applicable taxes and fees as well as when they are due. You can also add a note about late payment fees or a discount for early payment. For example, you may charge an extra 5% if the payment is late. This way, customers will be more likely to pay on time.
7. Check for Accuracy, Grammar, and Spelling Mistakes
Before you send out the invoice, double-check that all of the information on the invoice is accurate and that there are no grammar or spelling mistakes in the document. This is especially important when dealing with invoices, as mistakes may reflect poorly on your business.
8. Send the Invoice and Follow Up
Now that you have a professional invoice ready to send, it’s time to do just that. You can email the invoice or print it out and mail it. If you send it via email, make sure to follow up with a reminder to confirm whether the customer received it. It’s also good practice to send payment reminders if the customer hasn’t paid on time.
With Invoice Ninja, you won’t have to go through the exercise of manually following up on the status of invoices as this information is already included in a built-in payment reminder system. You can customize the frequency of the reminders and add personal messages to make sure that your customers pay you on time.
In Summary
Creating a professional invoice and learning how to set up invoices for your business doesn’t have to be difficult. By following these simple steps, you can create invoices quickly and easily with Invoice Ninja. With our free templates, powerful features, and built-in payment reminder system, Invoice Ninja is the perfect tool for any business looking to simplify the invoicing process!