Invoices for Businesses

When it comes to transactions with their clients, not all businesses have the same strategy. If you have a small business and choose to deliver the goods or provide the services first and allow your clients to pay later, you need to know how to invoice efficiently.

You will be offering them credit terms, and all the details must be communicated correctly. That’s what invoices for businesses are for. Whether your client is a company or an individual, the same rules apply, and you need to send them an accurate invoice, so they can make the payment in time.

You need to show them precisely what you sold them and what the payment terms are. An adequate company invoice will ensure a steady cash flow into your accounts and avoid stuffy paperwork and misunderstandings. So, let’s see precisely how to invoice your clients effortlessly.

How to Invoice a Company?

Business invoicing is one of the most common aspects of commercial activities. The invoice is a basic document that all companies use, as it creates the best connection with the client. You need to send invoices to request the payment you deserve.

If you have some unclarities, here are a few tips on how to invoice a company, so your billing documents will look professional and identical to the ones large companies use.

Your header is the first thing the client sees, so make it look professional. Apart from your full name and contact information, it’s also a good idea to use a logo or other branding elements.
Whether you invoice a small business or a large company, create your document using a template to make sure it’s accurate.
If you have signed a contract before the transaction, check the details to be sure you are billing correctly; inconsistencies won’t be appreciated and may result in delayed payments.
Make sure you send the invoice to the right department, as large companies usually have particular persons handling payments. You don’t want your invoice to get lost between departments.
If you’re not sure how to bill a company, inquire about the company’s billing cycle before issuing the document. They may have a specific date or part of the month when they make the payments.
Don’t avoid follow-ups; they are useful, and your clients won’t be bothered by them. As long as you send them at the right time, they will be efficient and well-received.

Can I Invoice a Company as an Individual?

When a company issues an invoice to another one, things are pretty simple. But it’s not just companies that provide goods and services to other businesses. As an individual, business invoicing can seem challenging. Still, even if you don’t own a company, you can use these billing documents. Freelancers are the best example in this respect.

Let’s say you aren’t a legal entity; you are only represented by your name and your work quality. You’re still a service provider, and even if you may feel a bit intimidated when it’s time to send invoices for businesses, it’s not that difficult. Basically, you need to follow the same steps we mentioned above. But before you start, there are a few aspects you need to consider.

First, you need to get informed on the legal aspects. As an individual sending company invoices, you shouldn’t fear any legal issues, as long as you don’t include fraudulent charges or ask for more money than you agreed on. To avoid any misunderstandings, especially if you aren’t registered as a business provider, it’s best to sign a contract beforehand.

On top of that, if you need to invoice a company internationally, you must abide by the international invoicing laws. Once you have all the information, just follow the usual invoicing steps, paying extra attention to creating a professionally-looking document.

What Are the Essential Elements of an Invoice for Business?

Using an efficient template is the easiest way to create an invoice, especially if you’re not sure what it should contain. To help you check your document before sending it, here are the essential elements all company invoices need to have:

The header must include branding elements and your name and contact information
Add your client’s name and contact information
Your company invoice needs a unique number
The issue date
Detailed information about the goods or services you provided, such as their prices, and the supply date
The total amount due
The payment terms and accepted payment methods, with an emphasis on the due date
Any other policies or notes you consider necessary

Once the invoice is done, you can send it to the client using the preferred method, by email or regular mail.

Conclusion

Creating invoices for businesses won’t be difficult if you keep in mind the aspects we covered above. If you also use a good template, everything will run smoothly, and it will be particularly helpful if you are a beginner in business invoicing.

If you’re not sure what template to use, there is an excellent one on the WeInvoice website; you will also find other handy types of templates and invoice generators that can ease your activity.