Sending an invoice to your clients is a crucial step for every accounting firm and freelancer. It's literally your ticket to getting paid for your services. Despite the enormous importance of invoices, many mistakes are made during the invoicing process. Here are some common invoicing mistakes that we can help you avoid.

1. Inconsistently Invoicing Your Clients

You might be thinking to yourself, "Why would I possibly want to harass my clients for payment?" Well, that's not exactly what we're suggesting here. We're not saying that you should be sending invoices on a regular basis.

When you invoice your clients consistently, as in every time you do something for them, you're showcasing your commitment to providing the best service possible. Think about it this way: Your clients have hired you to take care of their outstanding invoicing, which means they trust you to take care of the invoicing.

2. Providing Unclear Payment Terms

Ultimately, your clients aren't going to read your mind. They need to know when they are expected to pay their bills. The best way to make sure your clients know what to expect is to include payment terms in your invoice.

For example, if you ask your clients to pay you at the end of every month, then make sure to write your payment terms accordingly. If you simply send a blank invoice, your clients might assume that your payment terms are different than what they actually are.

‍3. Not Itemizing Services/Products

When you're sending your client an invoice, you should be as detailed as possible. This can be in the form of itemizing the services/products you provided and what they cost.

Itemizing your invoices can be helpful in different ways. For example, itemizing your invoice will help you stay organized if you're selling a product. If you fail to itemize your invoice properly, you could lose track of your products and their associated costs.

4. Not Following Up

If you're asking your clients to get their payment to you by the end of the month, you should be following up on them to remind them of the payment deadline. This can be in the form of a friendly reminder via email or a phone call (whatever you're most comfortable with).

Whether you're sending your clients an invoice for services you're offering or for products you're selling, it's essential to follow up and remind them of the payment deadline.

5. Sending Invoice to the Wrong Person

The biggest mistake any accounting professional can make when invoicing сlients is sending invoices to the wrong person.

When you don't send your invoice to the right person, you can end up missing out on payment. It's also going to put you in an awkward position with your client.

Your client might be expecting an invoice from you, only to be sent into a state of confusion when they see your invoice. At this point, they might be wondering to who they should be sending their payment.

Conclusion

As an accounting professional or freelancer, invoicing your clients is an extremely important part of your job. As a result, you want to make sure that you're sending your clients invoices that are as detailed as possible. By avoiding these mistakes, you'll make your invoicing process as smooth as possible.

The best solution to avoid some of these mistakes is to automate your processes using the right tool. Firm360 gives you the best accounting practice management software to help you with invoicing, time and billing, and document management. It's an all-in-one platform сreated specifically for accounting professionals. Book a demo today and сlear your invoicing worries.