After starting a business, most people can’t wait for when the customers will begin streaming in, but are they usually ready? Do they know how to write invoices they can send to the customers once they sell their service or product?
If you’re wondering how to create an invoice, then you’ve come to the right place. Invoices are a significant part of all businesses, and you, therefore, need to know how to write or produce them for your customers.
Even with the best work management tools to help someone generate invoices, it is still a tall order for many people. Let’s take a look at the basics of writing an invoice.
What Is an Invoice?
An invoice is a business document a seller sends to a customer detailing the service provided and the payment amount. Therefore, you will expect the invoice to briefly describe the service or product the seller provided to the customer.
They are essential for any business since they will detail the cash received or pending for all the transactions.
Writing an Invoice
Step 1: Get a Template
Before you can write an invoice, you will need a template. You can’t write an invoice on a blank piece of paper if you want your customers to take you seriously. For that, you can visit invoice template for UK businesses and get a free template to use.
After getting your template, you are ready to proceed to the next step.
Step 2: Add the Business and Customer Information
The invoice should have your contact details or address and that of the customer you will be invoicing. That applies whether it is an individual or another company.
Step 3: Describe the Goods or Service You’ve Provided
This will enable the customer to know what they are paying for. Therefore, you don’t need to write overly long or detailed descriptions. They can be only a few words as long as the customer understands. Add the description of the goods and service while detailing the quantity and cost of each of them.
Step 4: Add the Dates
An invoice needs to have a date for when you created it or delivered the goods.
Step 5: Add Up the Total Charges
Add up the total for each item on the invoice and write it at the bottom. That will tell the customer what they need to pay. You could also add the payment terms, if any.
With that, you will have successfully written an invoice. It seems like a long process. Fortunately, with the advancement of technology, it is easy for you to automate the invoicing process and reduce the work you will need to do.
How Do You Send the Invoice?
The best way to send an invoice would be via email if the customer provided one. With the increased automation in the business space, it is easy to send invoices. If you are a flexible business, you can use any social media messaging system to send the invoice. Informal companies can even send the invoice via WhatsApp.
Final Thoughts
Writing an invoice isn’t a complicated affair, especially with the latest automation tools. We hope what we have outlined here helped. Also, there are so many samples online that will help you craft the perfect invoice.
