You want to be paid for your work promptly and efficiently, and one of the best ways to ensure that happens is through an invoice.
But what information do you need to include on a basic invoice? How can using a basic invoice template help? And why is a professional invoice important to begin with?
These days, an invoice doesn’t just tell someone the amount of money they owe. It’s also a reflection of you and your brand, with many options for customization. Sure, an invoice is a straightforward business procedure, but it’s also another opportunity to show off your professionalism and uniqueness to your clients.
Ready to find out what you need to include in your invoice, as well as how to make it stand out? Keep reading!
Include the Essentials
There are several key pieces of information that you’ll want to include in your invoice:
- Your name and contact information
- Recipient’s name and contact information
- List of goods or services with descriptions
- Cost of each item or service and the total
- Invoice number
- Payment methods you accept
- Payment due date
There are other things you might want to include on your invoice, depending on the kind of business you’re running or the service you’re offering, such as the specific quantities sold, sales tax, or any additional notes.
As long as you include the essentials listed above, your client should have all the information they need.
Prioritize Readability
One of the most important elements in ensuring you are paid quickly is making sure the invoice is easy to read. This means a client can look at the invoice and immediately find the total cost and when it’s due, as well as how the cost aligns with each item or service.
There are a few ways to make your invoice easy to read (as well as aesthetically pleasing!). To make the most important information pop out, you might make the font larger, change the font color, or put the important information in bold.
When it comes to invoices, more words aren’t always better. Only include the information that’s needed, so the invoice appears clean and skimmable.
Personalize It
While an invoice that contains all the essential information a client needs is good, one that shows personality is better.
A free invoice generator makes it super easy to create an invoice that represents you and your brand. Choose from the many different invoice templates to find one that’s just right for you, and then easily fill it in with your information.
You can even add your own logo or images to it so it looks like you designed it yourself.
Create a Basic Invoice Template with Ease
The most important things to remember when creating an invoice are to make sure it’s easy to read and contains all the necessary information. A basic invoice template makes this process easy and quick, so all you have to worry about is picking out a style that fits your brand.
Once you’ve filled in the invoice and looked it over for errors, it’s ready to be sent! Now that you’re a pro at creating basic invoices, check out the rest of our site for articles full of marketing tips and tricks, finance insight, career advice, and more.
