As a small business owner, one of the most important actions you can take is making sure your invoices are clear, professional and easy to understand. This can help prevent invoicing issues and ensure timely payments from your customers. It can also ensure that you don’t hold up the supply chain and cause bottlenecks or delays.
Using a blank invoice template can be a great way to get started. But it’s important to customize the template to fit your specific business needs.
Here are 10 best practices for customizing a blank invoice template for new customers:
1. Make Sure to Include Your Invoice Information
The first step in customizing your invoice template is to include your company information. This should include your company name, address, phone number and email address. It's also a good idea to include your logo to give your invoice a professional look.
2. Add in Your Customer’s Information
After adding your company information, the next step is to add your customer's information. This should include their name, address, phone number and email address. You should also include a unique customer ID or reference number to make it easier to track payments.
3. Provide a Structured List of Goods and Services
In order to avoid any confusion or misunderstandings, it’s important to provide a detailed description of the goods or services you are providing to your customer.
This should include the quantity, unit price and total price of each item or service. You can also include a brief description of each item or service to help your customer understand what they are paying for.
4. Feature Accurate Payment Details
Clearly defining your payment terms and due dates is essential to ensure that you receive timely payments from your customers.
This should include the date the invoice was issued, the due date for payment and any late payment penalties or fees. You can also include any payment options that you accept, such as credit cards, PayPal or bank transfers.
5. Reflect Your Brand Identity
Another important aspect of invoice customization is to infuse it with your unique brand identity. When you customize an ubiquitous document like an invoice, you have the opportunity to showcase the tone, personality and creative vision that your brand encompasses.
This can be achieved by adding your logo along with brand-adjacent colors, design elements and other details that elevate the look and feel of your business.
Reflecting your brand identity is a great way to tap into subliminal marketing and connect with customers on a more visual and aesthetic level. It also helps your brand come across as more consistent and self-aware in its marketing efforts, thus contributing to customer engagement.
6. Watch Your Words
When creating an invoice, it’s important to use professional language and avoid any colloquialisms or casual phrases. This will help to ensure that your invoice is taken seriously by your customers and will help to maintain a professional relationship.
You can also include a brief message thanking your customer for their business and encouraging them to contact you with any questions or concerns.
7. Show Your Appreciation
When you have the opportunity to customize and edit your invoices, it’s a good idea to show your appreciation with a little gratitude note at the end.
Real appreciation and gratitude are hard to come by in the corporate world, but it doesn’t have to be that way—at least, not for your brand. Everyone likes to feel appreciated for their efforts, no matter how small, and saying “thank you” to customers can raise their self-esteem.
Furthermore, adding a thank-you note at the end of your invoices can encourage customers to want to do business with you again. When they feel recognized on a more human level, it helps them develop a closer emotional connection to your business as a whole.
8. Ensure Your Invoice is Easy to Read
It's important to make sure your invoice is easy to read and understand. This means using a clear, easy-to-read font, avoiding excessive use of color or graphics and organizing your information in a logical manner.
You should also make sure that your invoice is formatted correctly and that all information is aligned properly. This is invoice customization 101—making sure all your t’s are crossed and your i’s are dotted. The easier it is to read, the faster invoice processing will occur, and the quicker you’ll get paid.
9. Add any Payment Terms and Conditions
Including your terms and conditions on your invoice can help to ensure that your customers are aware of your policies and procedures. This should include any warranties, guarantees or refund policies that you offer, as well as any limitations or exclusions.
You can also include any other legal language that may be relevant to your business. Adding particular payment terms helps your brand take charge of its financial interactions.
Some examples of payment terms you can add include:
- All payments due within seven days of invoicing
- 5% penalty fee for late payments
- 5% discount for early payments
- COD (cash on delivery)
These are just a few examples of some of the payment terms your business can choose to add to invoices. By adding payment terms and conditions, you not only ensure more predictability around when you get paid, but you also assert yourself as a professional brand on the scene.
Clear payment terms are also a great way to regulate cash flow, something that is extremely important for all businesses (especially small, new or independently funded ones).
10. Proofread Before you hit Send
Before sending your invoice to your customer, it’s important to proofread it carefully to ensure that there are no errors or typos.
This will help to ensure that your invoice is clear, accurate, and professional. You should also make sure that all calculations are correct and that your invoice adds up correctly.
Final Thoughts
Customizing a blank invoice template is an important step for small business owners to ensure timely payments and to prevent invoicing issues.
By following these 10 best practices, you can create professional, easy-to-understand invoices that will help to maintain a positive relationship with your customers and keep the supply chain rolling.
