Invoicing Professionally as a Freelancer

Invoicing Professionally as a Freelancer

By Business Desk

Thursday, June 1, 2017.

Although receiving money for those first freelance jobs is undoubtedly one of the greatest moments of your life, creating and sending invoices to your clients isn’t exactly much fun, especially if you haven’t done it before and your design skills aren’t exactly the best. Unfortunately, sending invoices is an important part of being a freelancer, and it’s vital that any invoices you do send are as professional as possible if you want to make a smooth transaction and win repeat business from your clients.

With that in mind, here are some tips to help you invoice more professionally as a freelancer:

Use Professional Invoicing Software

Generating your invoices with the help of professional invoicing software is probably the single most effective thing you can do to ensure that your invoices look professional and are well-received by your clients. There are lots of great invoicing software packages available on and offline, but you will want to choose one that allows you to create attractive invoices and which enables you to track their progress if you want to be as professional as possible.

Create a Solid Invoicing Policy

When big companies send out invoices, they always include well-thought-out policies, which state, when the invoice should be paid by, which methods of payment are acceptable and whether penalties will be imposed, should a payment be received after the deadline. When you’re creating your own invoices, if you want to appear more professional, and if you want to increase your odds of getting paid on time, you should include your own payment policies too.

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Stand by Your Policies

Once you’ve set your policies and you’ve sent those invoices out, stick to what you’ve said you will do. Clients do not like to be confronted with any changes once the invoice has gone out, so if you do want to rethink your policies, wait until your invoice has been paid and notify clients before they commission any additional work from you.

Charge What You’re Worth

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When you’re a new entrepreneur, it can be tempting to charge a lower amount than the completion or less than you think you’re really worth, in a bid to attract more clients. However, if you’re cheap, a lot of potential clients will begin to wonder why and it could actually end up losing you work. So, don’t overcharge, but work out how much your skills and experience are worth and always charge accordingly.

Make Your Charges Clear

When you’re writing up an invoice, it’s important that you are absolutely transparent. Be sure to include every single service you have provided, along with a breakdown of the charges for each, so your clients know exactly what they are paying for and can maintain their records. Doing so will also help you to maintain your own records as accurately as possible.

Add Your Contact Details

Finally, when you’re creating an invoice, you should always include your own contact details, including name, address, phone number and even email address. If the client knows who you are and how to get in touch with you if necessary, it’s likely you will be paid much more promptly.