How to Bill your Client and get Paid Faster

Starting out as a freelancer or a small business owner, you might prefer to generate invoices in Microsoft Word using a template and then print them in PDF before sending them to clients. Research has shown that this is the early invoicing process of most freelancers that takes up “remote jobs” and they would probably take longer than ever to track invoices and late payments. This has posed more difficulty in the contracting journey of freelancers, and business owners alike.

As a freelancer, you need to decide early how to bill your clients when working on a project. You might also want to consider the time, resources, and payment terms to enforce payment for a contract.

Take, for example;

You have a client who has requested your service worth N100,000 and you didn’t hesitate for a moment to send a proposal.

Now there is a problem getting paid and you have waited longer than expected, checking in on the client to know when he would be paying. This is additional work and a lot of time to spend chasing payment, but if there has been a professional billing process that was sent to the client, your payment may have come earlier. As a serious-minded freelancer or business owner, you need to focus more of your time and energy on business completion, and not payment collections.

Freelancers in Nigeria spend 90% of their time chasing late payments.        

Today, Professional Invoicing Software has become the most used billing software for every freelancer and business owner. Free and efficient automated invoicing solutions have replaced manual billing and invoicing. Irrespective of the business you are doing, be it freelancing, a retail shop, or an organization, everyone has embraced professional invoicing solutions.

This is where ProInvoice Invoicing software helps freelancers and small business owners to eliminate time-consuming paperwork by automating their invoicing and billing activities. ProInvoice software has the ability to cut down the headache of generating multiple Invoices manually with an automatic invoice generator.

Hence, billing your client can be straightforward and automated if you follow these five easy steps:

Determine the Billing Method: Firstly, set up an account on ProInvoice, a billing and invoicing software that works best for you and your client. Next, decide on the scope of the work, and whether you would be charging an hourly rate or a flat fee for the project. If it's an hourly rate or a flat fee, make a decision by adding it to the invoice summary or item description to determine the scope of the project and the price you will charge.

Create a Professional Invoice: Once you have set up an account on ProInvoice, create a professional invoice that includes all the necessary details such as your business name, contact information, invoice number, the client's name and contact information, and the invoice due date.

Itemize the Charges: In your invoice, itemize the charges by adding a detailed item description of the work done, the hourly rate or the flat fee charged, and the total amount due. Make sure to include any discounts or taxes, if applicable.

Send the Invoice: After creating the invoice, the next step is to send the invoice to your client either by email, WhatsApp, or SMS. You can also copy the invoice link and send it directly to the client and set up an automated reminder email to ensure the system sends reminders on your behalf while you focus on other important tasks.

Receive Payment: After sending the invoice, it is now time to receive your payment from the client. You can also keep track of the payment status and follow up with the client if the payment is delayed. Please feel free to log in to ProInvoice and send a friendly reminder email or SMS to remind the client of the overdue payment.

By following these five easy steps, you can bill your client in a professional and organized manner, ensuring that you get paid on time for your work. To create a ProInvoice Invoicing account and start generating a professional invoice, click the button below.