The term invoice dates back to 1550 and is derived from the French word envois and the raw Latin version inviare, which literally means to send one’s way.
Current invoices have come a long way, most of them being sent electronically. The primary purpose is to have a written account of the details and pricing of goods shipped or sent. The visual representation proves that the correct items ordered were shipped and billed.
In the digital era, invoices are made on various platforms, one of which is Excel. To create the most practical invoices for your business, follow these tips:
For The Best Results, Use A Template
Invoices may be complicated, and it would be easy to leave one or two crucial pieces of information off of the design. For this reason, it would be simpler to use a preformatted invoice template.
When you use a template, you can be assured that the necessary fields are complete and the invoice works without a hitch. Templates are convenient for use, and many platforms have started offering an Excel invoice template free of charge.
Finding the right one shouldn’t be too difficult with the wide variety of available templates. Ensure that the template has all the fields needed by the business and look at the various designs to find one that will fit the company image.
A professional, eye-catching design may just impress the most difficult of clients. Templates are the best way to get this executive look for small businesses, especially when they don’t have a formal invoicing system.
Have The Essential Fields
There are pertinent data that should be on your invoice. The supplier of the goods and the purchaser should write their contact details. The two sets of information mainly show where customers bought the goods and the specifics of that customer for that transaction. Other information that would have to be on the invoice includes the date of invoice, invoice number, a list of services or products, the different prices for the items, the total amount payable, tax amount (if applicable), and a method of payment to the supplier would accept.
A company logo would make the template look more professional, and adding a note at the bottom of the invoice to thank the customer for their business would be a nice touch. Standard invoice templates should allow for additions and customization to be personalized with the specific company information.
Invoice templates should have the essential fields ready to be completed. The person creating the invoice should ensure to fill all these in before moving on to the next step.
Save The Invoice As A Template
After all the necessary fields are added and personalization is complete, you can save the blank invoice as a new template.
The new template can be saved in Excel format to allow for modification. When a new sale takes place, the information specific to that sale can be entered onto the blank template, and the person that completed the invoice should then be saved with the customer specifics as a PDF.
Saving the blank copy as the new template would make future invoicing easier as there is no need to start each invoice from scratch. It would also be easy to share among employees that would need to use it daily.
An invoice template helps make all the outgoing invoices to customers look uniform and professional.
Send It To The Client
Completed invoices can be saved by the person creating them with a customer reference like their unique customer number or account number.
The supplier should fill in blank invoice templates for each sale to a specific customer. Each order or consignment of goods sold will have to get its own invoice. Effortlessly enter the specifics and save a copy for the company record before sending it to the client for payment as a secure PDF.
To Conclude
When companies send out numerous consignments in one day, an invoice template will save time and effort. Making a customized template is much easier than one would anticipate, with many standard versions available to assist.
The personalized invoice template could be repeatedly used when saved as a blank copy, and sharing internally between colleagues is simple while remaining professional to clients.
Instead of creating a long, handwritten note like one from 1550, make a template to be proud of that could make the company seem professional, capable, and trustworthy. Impress customers and colleagues alike with the new, better way of sending an invoice.
