Leverage an invoice to get paid faster

Fact: Freelancers can’t pay their bills with exposure alone.

That won’t stop certain people from landing in your inbox with so-called “opportunities” with the “potential” for future payment. Fortunately for you, there are innumerable clients willing to pay a fair rate for your work (in cash money, no less).

Even-better fact: Invoices are a path to payment.

Creating, sending, and following up on invoices is key to your success as a freelancer. While you must focus on your craft—being a writer, designer, consultant, advisor, and everything in between—you can’t abandon admin work.

In this playbook, you’ll:

💸 Learn why invoices are so important and what they can do for your business.

💸 Learn how to invoice correctly to get paid faster.

💸 Create your own professional invoice starting with our template.

💸 Do an analysis to see if an invoicing software will save you time and money.

💸 Learn how to handle clients who haven’t paid.

We’ll guide you through every step of the way and by the end, you’ll have an invoicing protocol that you can customize to fit your needs, enhance your business, and streamline the path to payment.

An invoice does more than just tell a client how much you’re owed

At face value, an invoice helps you get paid which sustains your freelancing career. However, many aspects contribute to the purpose of an invoice.

An invoice also ensures:

• You get paid on time. One of the potential pitfalls of freelancing is fluctuating income, but a proper invoicing process mitigates this. This ensures money will be in your account before your bills, if you need to set aside money for quarterly estimated taxes, or if you’re prepared for the holidays or other commitments that come around.

• You get paid the correct amount. If you’re underpaid, it may take a few days for the client to reprocess the difference follow-up. If you’re overpaid, you may pay transaction fees to send money back. Invoices always include taxes, discounts, or other cost adjustments not included in the contract to ensure you get paid the correct amount.

• The client pays you the right way. Invoices can share details that may not be included in the contract like the correct banking information for direct deposits, a link to your payment portal, and more.

• You look professional. Being a solopreneur or small freelance agency doesn’t have to mean flying by the seat of your pants. Invoicing the right way solidifies you as a legit business, which helps you secure better clients and higher rates.

Select a client you currently work with and haven’t billed yet. By the end of this playbook, we’ll have created a beautiful and professional invoice to send them. First, we need to gather some basic information including:

• Their name, address, contract info

• The service you’re providing for them

• The price of the project

Input that information into the workbook.

The pros of invoicing software

The cool thing about freelancing is you can start up your operation at no cost. One way you can achieve a net-zero investment is by creating invoice documents manually. However, you also have the option to invest in a free or paid invoicing software subscription.

An invoicing software is a good option for freelancers who:

• Loathe invoicing and want to spend as little time on it as possible.

• Find the process of invoicing overwhelming and need assistance.

• Struggle to keep track of their clients and frequently don’t get paid on time.

Stay tuned for a full guide on invoicing software options for freelancers - including free and paid services - plus how to choose the right one for you. 

Recap 

• Learned the purpose of an invoice beyond face value.

• Kicked off your invoice creation process.

• Began to consider if invoicing software is the right decision for your needs.