9 to 5 job, freelancing or business of your own, the ultimate motto behind every work done is to earn money. Working and getting paid sounds easy, but it is not less than a battle, especially for small businesses and freelancers. Unlike employees who receive money in the form of salary on a timely basis, self-employed people struggle with late payments.
You put your complete heart and soul into providing services to your customer on time and right opposite, your customer is lenient and delays the payment – How frustrating it is, isn’t it?
This is how most of the businesses suffer from poor cash flow. The foolproof way to keep that revenue flowing in is by creating a flawless services-rendered invoice, covering all the services provided. A formal, detailed approach of invoicing will make sure you get paid properly and timely.
What do services rendered mean?
Demanding payment from the client after the agreed-upon activity/service is completed
Services rendered means the revenue for the services provided. Usually, a bill is provided to the client that includes the business information, list of services offered and the amount to be paid.
IT professionals, writers, lawyers, marketers or any service-based business need to create and send an invoice for services rendered.
What is a service invoice?
For the specialized service you served, you not only deserve but rightfully have to get paid what you are worth. If you cannot charge upfront then you need to send a service invoice that acts as a bill and requests for the payment from the client for the services provided by your business. For getting paid for the big job, undoubtedly the invoice should be clear and understandable.
How to invoice for services?
Not getting paid or delayed payment for services rendered, is one of the most frustrating sides of small businesses. The struggle is real. Professional-looking, easy to understand invoice that reflects your job well and states the prices you’ve charged will help you get paid.
Here is the step-by-step guide on how to write an invoice for services rendered:
Customized look for your invoice
Create a dedicated service based invoice by incorporating your brand identity. Include your company logo, color palette that reflects your brand and also attractive and readable fonts. Create your invoice template by adding your personal touch. A proper service based customized invoice template with all relevant information looks professional and impactful.
Add your business details and contact information
Think of the invoice as a business letter and start with a header by adding your company/business name. If you don’t have a business name, you can add your name. Along with your business logo and name, list your business address, contact information like phone number, email address, fax number (if any). All these details will help your client to get in touch with you easily, in case, if needed.
Add your client details
After your business details, it is time to add your client name and contact information. No matter if you are billing your new client or regular customer, adding client name, business address, phone number, the email address is a sign of professionalism.
A unique service invoice number
For every invoice generated, a unique invoice number is mandatory as it serves as an important reference. How to number the invoice is up to you. It can be a simple number sequence format, combination of numbers and letters, customer number along with date etc. Whichever style you find suitable, can be followed. Most of the reputed online invoicing software automates the invoice numbering process.
Include invoice issue date
The date when you create and send the invoice, make a habit to include it on your invoice. This will help to keep a track of time, both for business and client.
Instead of a date, you can also include your billing period. For instance, if you are billing your customer once a month, then the billing period would be from the start of the month to the end of the month. Example – 1st March to 31st March.
List of services rendered/provided
Undoubtedly, a service-based invoice should include an itemized list of all services rendered so that the client has clarity. If the client is clear about what you are charging and why you are charging then it will be easy for them to make the payment.
Your invoice should include:
- List of services and a brief description of each
- Time spent or quantity of each service
- Rate of each service offered
- Subtotal of listed services
Taxes or any additional fees applicable
Different locations require different sales tax. Know the tax rates in your area, the local sales tax and include it in your invoice for services rendered. Also if you are charging delivery fees or any additional fees, clearly mention it in your invoice.
Include the payment method you accept
Do you accept cash, online payment, cheque, card payment or all? Let the client know the payment options you offer and choose the most convenient one, according to them. The flexibility in payment options can lead to quick or timely payments.
Finally include the total amount
After doing the subtotal, add up taxes and any additional fees and get the total amount due. The total amount should be easily visible and prominent. If you want you can make it large, bold or add some background color.
Examples of invoices for services rendered
After going through the above section, you must be clear with what key pieces of details your service-based invoice needs to contain. A general invoice with detailed information of services provided by a particular company or an individual can serve as a bill for services rendered.
Sample invoice for services rendered
Who uses service invoices?
Any business that provides professional services can use service invoices. A well-designed receipt for services rendered will create a great impression and help you maintain a healthy cash flow. The type of invoice document mostly depends upon the types of services you offer.
The most common service-based businesses are:
- Business consultants
- Marketers
- Lawyers
- IT professionals
- Photographers
- Writers/Bloggers
- Remodelers
- Freelancers
Quick tips to learn how to write invoices for services faster:
- To speed up your payment for services rendered, send invoices immediately after the task is over.
- Keep payment deadlines short to avoid payment delays
- Flexible payment modes are always beneficial for prompt invoice clearance.
- Do remember to offer early payment discounts and follow up for late payments.
How to create a free service based invoice online?
For a clear, professional and customized service based invoice, it is always better to switch to the online method. We understand, as a business, how valuable is your time and that is why online invoicing can be your super time-saver. The ready-made invoice template for services rendered is mostly available for free, easy to download and is extremely painless to edit too.
Online invoicing tools like Billbooks help you to create free service-based invoices. Start your 30-day free trial and start creating and sending invoices in seconds.
