[vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner el_class=”container”][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]We all have a love\/hate relationship with invoices – they\u2019re a bit of a chore and mean more paperwork that we don\u2019t really have time for, but we also wouldn\u2019t get cash in the bank and make our business profitable without them. So to really streamline your invoicing process and make it easy for you and your clients, we\u2019ve put together some handy tips.<\/p>\n

1. Make sure you\u2019ve got the right contact details<\/strong>
\nThis might seem like a no-brainer but it\u2019s important to get clear on who exactly you need to be sending the invoice to. If it\u2019s a husband and wife team, will you send it to both of them, or does one handle the accounts, or has been taking charge of this particular job? Make sure you also have the correct spelling of their email and the right phone number – there\u2019s no point sending an invoice out into the ether where it won\u2019t be seen or paid.<\/p>\n

2. Send invoices out ASAP<\/strong>
\nYou\u2019ve just finished the job and you\u2019re looking to the next one, but it\u2019s important to invoice as soon as you can, ideally as soon as the job is done. If you leave it for later, you might forget about it – and the later you send it, the later you get paid, particularly since the client is likely already moving on to the next thing too. It might seem a bit forthright to just hand the invoice over the second you\u2019re done, but it encourages the client to get it sorted right there and then while they\u2019re thinking about it.<\/p>\n

3. Include as many details as you can<\/strong>
\nYes, this takes more time, but it will mean you get paid faster as there won\u2019t be as much back-and-forth querying what exactly is being included in the invoice. The best thing to do is to begin with the problem, i.e. some faulty electrical wiring, and then end with exactly what you did to fix the problem. If you break everything down clearly, there isn\u2019t really room for questioning or misunderstanding, so it\u2019s likely that it will get sorted much quicker. You should also make your payment terms very clear, and outline what steps will be taken if a payment is late.<\/p>\n

4. Keep it simple<\/strong>
\nThe easier you can make it for the client to pay, the faster the money will be in your account. Keep in mind that many people prefer to use credit or Eftpos cards so it might be worth investing in a portable card machine to ensure you can get paid on the spot. There might be a bit more of a cost here to implement something like that, but if you\u2019ve got money coming in quicker and you\u2019re saving time, we definitely think it\u2019s worth it.<\/p>\n

5. Always follow up<\/strong>
\nIf you haven\u2019t been paid by the specified time, make sure you\u2019re following up with the client as to why that is. It doesn\u2019t have to be an interrogation, it\u2019s a chance for you to see if there\u2019s anything you can do to make it easier for them to pay – this might mean offering a payment plan, or taking a payment over the phone. If they\u2019re still not sorting the payment, remind them of your late payment procedure so that they understand what will happen if they don\u2019t pay.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_id=”related-post”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Related articles” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center|color:%2313143e” use_theme_fonts=”yes” el_class=”title my-5″][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”3″ orderby=”rand” item=”918″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1595889890170-4c05d418-c5c2-5″ el_class=”related-posts mx-auto mt-3″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner el_class=”container”][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]We all have a love\/hate relationship with invoices – they\u2019re a bit of a chore and mean more paperwork that we don\u2019t really have time for, but we also wouldn\u2019t get cash in the bank and make our business profitable without them. So to really streamline your invoicing process and make it easy for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3690,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n