How and when to invoice

[flatyre]

hey folks does anyone have an example of an invoice templet I could use and how soon after finishing a job would you send an invoice to a private customer? Thanks

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

hey folks does anyone have an example of an invoice templet I could use and how soon after finishing a job would you send an invoice to a private customer? Thanks

 

You hand the invoice to the customer when the job is finished - on the dot (and assuming you kept your side of the written job spec in the original quotation).

 

You do NOT give private / domestic clients credit facilites - period.

[Gareth Dalzell]

We do ours on a Sage Software, but HMRC have a few requirements. See link below.

 

We'd invoice on completion often, sometimes in stages as the job proceeds and times at the end of the month when material invoices have come through. "Only ever be out what you can afford to lose on a job" I was told when I started out.

 

https://www.gov.uk/invoicing-and-taking-payment-from-customers/overview

[Will C]

Give it to customer on completion of job, or with out fail by email once you get home. Ours say payment due 30days from date of invoice and some thing about charging interest at x% plus the Bank of England base rate for late payment. The exact wording can be found on Hmrc web site. It may sound harsh when giving it to a little old lady that has given you more tea and cake than you need but the day someone doesn't pay you will struggle to send it to the small claims court if it's not worded right. Sorry I can't give you the wording now but the computer is turned of and I don't want to tell you wrong

Over 95% of the time we get paid on the day from domestic work.

If you get into commercial work agree your payment terms before starting work, some will try to take the piss it's unusual to get paid on the day for commercial work.

[roycurwen1]

End of job or if contract whatever you have agreed, always have bank details printed on invoice and state -invoice payable upon receipt. As a small business I can't wait for payments more than seven days, most people understand and are as good as gold just be honest, good luck.

[treequip]

hey folks does anyone have an example of an invoice templet I could use and how soon after finishing a job would you send an invoice to a private customer? Thanks

 

You should invoice in accordance with your terms and conditions, which raises the question, what do your T&C's say about invoicing or better yet, do you have T&C's.

 

The point is that its difficult to enforce payment terms if you haven't put them in the T&C's.

 

Domestic customers pay on completion. Commercials can have a month but some may be on pro forma depending on their payment history.

[flatyre]

You should invoice in accordance with your terms and conditions, which raises the question, what do your T&C's say about invoicing or better yet, do you have T&C's.

 

The point is that its difficult to enforce payment terms if you haven't put them in the T&C's.

 

Domestic customers pay on completion. Commercials can have a month but some may be on pro forma depending on their payment history.

 

Yeah i'm not that well set up yet. I should sit down at the computer this weekend and draw up a proper quote letter complete with T&C's. As a young business I was worried too much official looking paperwork might scare off customers. Most of my work is for small private customers, £200 to £500 jobs, rarely a four figure job, which means competing with handymen.

[gooseflight]

As a young business I was worried too much official looking paperwork might scare off customers.

It's an invoice not a 50 page contract. Start as you mean to go on.

 

Having said that, just paid a £2K bill from a climber handwritten and torn from an invoice book. Given to me at end of last day on site. We paid immediately by bank transfer. An excellent climber and top bloke.

 

He has a Stihl saw taller than he is

[treequip]

Yeah i'm not that well set up yet. I should sit down at the computer this weekend and draw up a proper quote letter complete with T&C's. As a young business I was worried too much official looking paperwork might scare off customers. Most of my work is for small private customers, £200 to £500 jobs, rarely a four figure job, which means competing with handymen.

 

The thing is, "they" don't know how long you have been trading so unless you tell them.........

 

If you do tell them you are inviting getting bent over so mums the word on that one.

 

Having a pukka set of T&C's will not only improve your chances of avoiding problems but it will make your operation more professional. (in appearance at least)

 

Rather than scare people off, they will probably be reassured by your professional attitude

[Matthew Storrs]

Yeah i'm not that well set up yet. I should sit down at the computer this weekend and draw up a proper quote letter complete with T&C's. As a young business I was worried too much official looking paperwork might scare off customers. Most of my work is for small private customers, £200 to £500 jobs, rarely a four figure job, which means competing with handymen.

 

Don't compete with them then, you are not a handyman are you??

 

I think a professional laid out invoice with payment details and a basic set of T&Cs does wonders to make your buisness like a decent going concern:thumbup1:

 

I invoice (via email) usually within a week of job completion, usually get paid within a week from domestic- commercial up to 6 weeks.