Starting your own business is easily one of the biggest accomplishments anyone could achieve. Between coming up with a killer concept and making sure you have all the tools necessary to pull it off, it takes a lot of determination to turn your dream into reality. One thing you might have overlooked in the process, however, is creating an invoice system to get paid.

Invoices are an important thing for any small business to have. Thankfully, there are tons of invoice templates available to help you hit the ground running. Read on for some great invoice examples!

1. Simple Invoice Examples

The easiest way to get started with invoices is to use a free invoice template from Adobe or Microsoft. They don’t have any frills, but they get the job done.

The elements that you’ll find on a simple invoice include a space in the header that includes your name or your business’s name, address, telephone number, and email. The body of the template is where you’ll place your line items, along with a brief description, and the price. Finally, the bottom of the invoice should have the total owed and payment instructions.

Don’t forget to include an invoice number to effectively track your invoices.

2. Invoices for Professional Services

Depending on the type of business you run, you’ll want to alter your invoice to reflect that. Professional services include things like accounting agencies, photography studios, or even legal offices.

For these invoices, you’ll want to make sure that your invoice displays the hourly rate for the service you’re providing. It should also list the date that the service was performed or will be performed. Create a notes section to lay out the terms of service and set reminders for dates that installment payments are due.

For example, your notes section can include things like deposit due dates, your cancellation policy, or anything else you want to include.

3. Contract Work Invoice

Invoices for contract work need to be just as detailed, if not more detailed, than the customized invoices for professional services. Here, you’ll want to get down to the specifics of all the supplies and materials you’ll need to complete the job.

Let’s say you’re working on a cedar fence for someone’s home. List out the amount of lumber you bought for the project, including the cost per plank and the total cost. Include the cost of labor and how long it took for you to complete the job. With contract work, you’ll want to invoice once during the estimate and again at the end of the project.

If your line of work is taxed, be sure to create a subtotal and include a line for tax due on the project.

Loved These Invoice Templates?

Starting a business means that you have to come up with a lot of things from scratch. Thankfully, utilizing invoice templates, like the ones we described here, will help you save precious time while you’re getting your business up and running. As an added bonus, they’ll help you keep track of your income for when tax season rolls around!

Running a small business is no easy task. You’re bound to encounter a ton of bumps in the road on your way to success. Check out the rest of our blog for tons of great advice that’ll help you tackle everything with ease!