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Download free invoice template in Microsoft Excel format.
Free Invoice Template: Why Pay More to Get Paid?
Have you recently started a small product or service-related business and are looking to create invoices that are tailored to meet your specific needs? Have you thought about borrowing from a free invoice template, one which could save you the hassle of creating these invoices from scratch? The Internet, and its many “business forms” websites, are literally busting at the seams with invoice samples, making it relatively easy to locate a free invoice template that will match your purposes, however because these samples come from many different countries and regions, they tend to differ slightly in terms of topics and format. Consequently, you’ll need to ensure that the one you select to use in your business is the right type for your specific type of company and the area in which you do business. In this article we will briefly describe how a free invoice template can help your business, followed by a brief outline of the topics and information that should always be included in a template of this variety.
Free Invoice Template: How It Can Help Your Business
As you know, the invoice is a very useful document. It not only allows you to get paid for the products you sell and/or the services you perform, it also includes features that make for easy recordkeeping, allowing you to organize your sales, quickly view sales records for a specific time period and determine the amount of sales tax you have collected and now owe to the state in which you do business.
There are several methods for obtaining invoices to be used for your business. You could, of course, order them from a printing or office supply store, but depending on your business volume this can quickly get expensive. You could also try to create your own computer-based invoice, but this takes time, and unless you have specific expertise in spreadsheet creation and database maintenance you may be a bit “over your head.” Perhaps the most cost and time-efficient method for obtaining these invoices is to borrow a free invoice template from the Internet. These templates are typically created by experts and designed to be very user friendly. Normally these templates will contain all the necessary topics for you, so all you’ll need to do is customize it with your business name, address and other details.
Free Invoice Templates: The Topics to Look For
Once you’ve ensured that the template you plan to use was created for use in your country or state, the next order of business is to ensure it contains all the necessary topics or information, as outlined below:
• Business Name. The name of your company, along with your address, telephone number, email and website, should appear at the top of the invoice.
• Invoice Number. An invoice number not only helps with recordkeeping it can also help you track shipments.
• Date. This is the date the invoice was created, typically at the time of purchase or when the service was completed.
• Purchaser’s Name. The purchaser of the goods or services, and his/her address and telephone number will also help with record keeping and future marketing campaigns.
• Description. Here you will describe, in detail, the goods or services that were purchased, including product numbers when applicable.
• Itemized Prices. For each product or service purchased you must have a price listed on the invoice.
• Subtotal. The subtotal is the sum of each of the prices listed above.
• Tax and Shipping. Sales tax, when applicable, along with any shipping costs are listed here.
• Grand Total. The grand total, or total amount due, is the sum of the subtotal and the tax and shipping costs.
• Terms. Here you will indicate when the payment is due (upon delivery, in 30 days, etc.) and any fees that will be applied if the payment is late.
A free invoice template, one that contains all the necessary information listed above, can save you both time and money, and will help you to easily track your sales and organize your records.