If you’re a freelancer or business owner, then you’re likely all too familiar with handling finances and the stress that accompanies this responsibility. As stressful as it might be, you have a vested interest in the efficient and competent management of finances, as your personal success is at stake.
Naturally, managing finances is a highly complex affair. However, there are a few foundational skill sets that are immensely useful and absolutely essential.
First and foremost, you need to know how to maintain a thorough and clear system for invoicing clients. An invoice is a formal, legal document that outlines the money owed to you for goods or services rendered.
Invoicing should not be a laborious and time-consuming task. But unfortunately, many people experience it this way. With the right tools and strategies, this is completely avoidable.
Streamlining your invoicing process is the first step to feeling truly in control of your finances. To streamline your invoicing, you need to master the art of customizing blank invoice templates for new clients. We’re going to show you how.
How To Customize a Blank Invoice Template for a New Client
Here are the tips on how to customize new client invoice templates:
Select the Style of Your Template
While an invoice is certainly not expected to be a work of world-class graphic design, it should look highly professional. Your choice of template style should be guided by your brand identity and the product or service you provide.
The fonts and colors you choose should complement your company logo and overall brand identity. This looks good and promotes consistency in design and ultimately, it bolsters a client’s perception of your professionalism.
You’ll need to create a customized invoice for every new client that you onboard. Therefore, you want to ensure that the overarching template layout and style allow for minor modifications, as aesthetic preferences and content will vary slightly from client to client. Whatever you decide, an invoice should always be sophisticatedly simple and clearly legible.
Include Your Details
You’re generating this invoice template because you’re embarking on a professional exchange with a client. You’re selling goods or services, and they’re going to pay you for that. In order to get paid, you need to include the details of your business. This information will include:
- The name of your business
- Your logo and/or slogan
- Email address and contact number
- Payment details
You’ll also need to include any tax details that are relevant to you or your business, depending on how you’re trading.
Typing or writing out your details repeatedly is a time-consuming task. However, including them in your invoice template ensures you only need to do this once per new client and reduces the risk of error down the line.
It’s advised that you place your information at the top of the invoice template. This spotlights your name and ensures that clients can find your contact details should they have any queries. Ideally, you want to include your logo as this encourages instant identification and serves as a form of marketing.
Update Client Information
This is likely the most important part of generating a blank invoice template for a new client. Nothing looks quite as unprofessional as an invoice made out to another person or business. Furthermore, it makes it appear as if you don’t value your customer enough to check the invoice. A mistake like this could generate incredibly negative publicity for your business.
Obtain the necessary information from your client. You want to include their name, address, email, and phone number on the invoice. When dealing with a new client, it’s crucial that you double-check that all this information is accurate. Additionally, be sure to confirm that this information doesn’t change between invoices, especially if it relates to the person to whom you’re addressing your invoices to.
Generate an Itemised List Layout
Creating a clear layout for the itemised goods or services section is crucial. After all, this spells out what a client is paying you for, as well as the associated fees. This section is the body of the invoice and it’s typically presented in the format of a table.
While you can include the table headings in the template, you should leave the rest blank. This avoids having to remove details from an earlier invoice or recreate the basic layout at a later time. Along with the description section, you must include a ‘quantity’ as well as an associated ‘cost’ column for your new invoice.
When relevant, you should include discounts or promotions in this section. Your new client may have signed a contract in which they are entitled to a personalized discount for the first month. Neglecting to honor such a promise erodes trust and credibility. Include a special “discounts” column in your invoice template.
Be Smart About Saving
Making a customized blank invoice for a new client requires a lot of effort. You want to ensure that you save this work in a location that’s both accessible and safe. It’s also important to save it in the right format. Word Documents and PDF files are typically preferred as they’re easy to edit. Choosing between the two is a matter of personal preference.
Giving your invoice a logical name is particularly important if you are a business owner. This is because you will need to share the template with other individuals or departments. The file name should communicate the fact that it’s an invoice template as well as the client’s name.
Revisit Your Invoice Template
If all goes according to plan, then you will hopefully retain your clients for many years to come. This means that the printable invoice template you created for them initially will need reviewing and refreshing from time to time. Confirming their details periodically is good practice, although many businesses will also inform you if there are any changes on their side.
It’s crucially important to explicitly communicate any banking changes on your end. Don’t simply change it on the invoice template and send this to an existing client. They likely have your details saved and might assume they are the same. You might need to highlight your details and make a note on the invoice as a once-off to notify them of the changes, and you should always draw attention to the fact in an email. This will doubly ensure that they are aware of the update.
Customizing blank invoice templates for new clients is a straightforward process. Follow these guidelines and you can create accurate, professional documents that reflect your business in a positive light and get you paid on time.
