Usually designers do not enjoy managing financial side of a business but they cannot ignore the fact that maintaining finance is an imperative part of freelancing and a design company. Clients’ invoice is an inseparable part of the financial side. Mentioned below are some valuable invoicing tips that would be very helpful for designers and freelancers.

Select an online invoicing app or software

You would find ample online invoicing app that are the outcome of designers’ and freelancers’ mind. These online apps can be found in a various range of prices, while some are free of cost. The prices of online apps are directly related with the features, the prices rise usually with the addition of more features.

In addition to this, some software options are also available for you. If you choose an online invoice software for invoicing, it not only saves your time but allows you to have better organization on your invoices and receivables. The plentiful choice of options, help you to find an app or software that contains all the features you are looking unlike those which you do not require. You may opt to purchase invoicing software at one time fee, in order to manage infinite numbers of invoices and clients and avoid monthly or yearly fees of online apps as well.

Keep away your clients from unpleasant surprises

It is imperative that your clients should have knowledge of your policies and when they will be invoiced for the services. Any surprises on the invoice like amount due, the payment terms or hourly fee, would more likely delay your payment or stop your payment by the client. Thus, it is advisable to avoid surprises in the invoice. Make sure to keep your clients at bay from any unpleasant surprise in the invoice.

Set your policies

Usually all the invoice payments are made on time but there are some designers who have to go through with the ordeal of late payments or completely no payments most of the time. At such a case, you should determine your policies on invoicing and payments.

Consider the following points for policies

• Days given to clients for late payments.
• Late fees charged in case of late payments.
• Types of payment to be accepted by you.

However, one should be open for exceptions in the policies.

Put your contact information in the invoice

Make sure to put your contact information in the invoice which includes- your name, company’s name, address, phone number and e-mail id. This is important because there may be a number of people that look after the invoice before it is paid, if it is passed to an account payable department they might have some question about the invoice. Therefore, include your contact details so that they can easily get in touch with you. It would consequently result in late payment, if they face any problem in contacting you. Besides this, client also likes to keep your contact information for legal or record keeping purpose.

Include the recipient’s contact details

Besides putting your contact information in the invoice, you should include recipients’ information as well. This is very important for any legal issue like you are not receiving payments. It would be difficult for you to claim for your money if you do not have sufficient details of the recipient.

Mention the due date

All the invoices should mention the due date because in the absence of a due date it is difficult to charge late fees or to prove that the client has not paid on time. Due dates are also helpful even when the client pays on time because it helps the client know about your expectations and when he should process to make payment.

Have a system of numbering

Designers keep sending invoices frequently which make it difficult for them to keep a track on them in the absence of numbering system. Though some online app or software include the numbering by default or allow you to customize the invoice numbers. Numbering system not only allows you to record payments easily and accurately but helps in tracking down the late payments. Besides this, it will be easier to maintain clients’ records.

Mention methods of payment that are accepted

It is important to make your clients aware about the methods of payment. Some designers like to receive money by checks while others choose online credit card payments. In case you prefer checks then the client must know to whom they should make out the check. The client should be aware of methods of payments to get you the money.

Send invoice by e-mail as an attachment

Sending invoice by e-mail as an attachment is a faster and easier process as compared to fax. You can send your invoice to clients in a PDF attachment, it is the easiest way to receive and view the invoice.

Make sure you send invoice to appropriate client

It is crucial that you should know to whom you are sending the invoice. You need to be more careful if your client is not a small business, since sending the invoice to a wrong individual would delay the process and there are possibilities of the invoice being lost or ignored.

Make a record of the payments received

Sending out invoice is just the beginning of the process. You are also required to record the payments as they are received. This helps you to check who has paid you and how many outstanding invoices or past due are left.

Make sure to mention if it is a partial payment

Since most of the web design projects have more than one invoice or payment, it is advised to mention it on the invoice. It avoids confusion and disputes which might invite difficulty in collecting payments. Hence, a clear communication also helps and necessary in business.

Address all problems

If you find that you client has an issue or problem with invoice or charge, make sure to address it as soon as you can. Do not waste time to see if he would make the payment or make an effort to resolve the issue.

Author Bio

This post is shared by Invoicera, an online billing software which is specifically designed keeping simplicity and online invoicing convenience in mind. You can also follow them over Twitter and Facebook.