Freelance work is tremendously popular throughout the country. In fact, there are 57 million people in the US who work freelance jobs, and that number is expected to rise up to 20% over the coming years. If you’re considering going freelance, then there’s never been a better time to get started.
One of the tools you’ll need in order to perform freelance work is an effective freelance invoice. This helps you get paid because you’ll have a record of who owes you money. Read on to learn how to write an invoice for freelance work!
Use an Invoice Template
The first thing you need to know is that you don’t need to start from scratch when you’re creating your invoice. There are quite a few invoice templates available to you online that you can adapt for your own needs. All you need to do to find one is to search, “making invoice for free,” and you’ll find a wide variety of options.
From there, you’ll want to standardize it to your needs. Add your contact information at the top of the invoice, create customer numbers for each of your clients, and start an invoice numbering system. All of that information makes it easier to track your invoices.
Detail the Work Performed
When you read your grocery store receipt, you don’t just see items listed as “fruit,” “vegetable,” or “meat.” The receipt lists the type and the brand of the item you purchased. Your invoice should do the same thing.
For example, if you wrote a 3000-word blog post for a client, you’d want to include the name of the post, the length, the time spent writing it, and the breakdown of the cost. Was it a rush order? Include that, too.
If you performed multiple tasks for a client, use an Excel spreadsheet to break down the individual tasks you performed.
Tell the Customer How to Pay You
Your final task is to let the customer know how they can pay you and when the payment is due. Do you accept payment via sites like PayPal or Venmo? If so, then include your username so they can pay their bill.
Want your customers to include the invoice number on their payments? Add that to the payment section. If you charge a fee for late payments or bounced checks, be sure to include that information on the invoice.
The clearer your payment instructions, the easier it’ll be for you to get your money.
Now You’re Ready to Write Your First Freelance Invoice!
Becoming a freelance worker is a great choice for people who want the flexibility that comes along with working from home and controlling their own schedule. Learning how to write a freelance invoice is a great way for you to collect payment for your services and track how much money you’ve made throughout the year. Happy freelancing!
Do you want to learn more great advice about finding success as a freelancer beyond these invoice writing tips? We can help you out with that! Check out the rest of our blog for tons of great tips!