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A career in the performing arts is exciting work and one that a lot of people dream of stepping into. Whether you're working as a voiceover artist, stage actor, public speaker, or behind the scenes in video production, a career in acting offers many opportunities that can build a sustainable source of income for you to live on.
While acting work may appear as all fun and games on the outside, it is a lot of work and requires your use of time, skill, and talent. Like any small business owner or freelancer, actors and entertainers get paid for their service. If just starting out, you may wonder how to bill for your acting services. What are the best invoicing templates for actors? What information should you include when invoicing clients?
Getting paid is an integral part of running your business. In this article, we'll cover these questions and discuss how a customized actor invoice template can help you get paid faster for acting jobs.
When billing for acting services, there are several ways you can bill for your work. You can create invoices from scratch using invoicing software like Microsoft or Google sheets. However, if you are not familiar with these types of programs, it can take some time to learn. As you know, time can be limited — especially when running your own business.
Another option you can consider is to take advantage of a free actor invoice template from Skynova. The actor invoice template is already set up, eliminating frustrating guesswork and giving you more rehearsal and performance time so you can earn more.
The great thing about Skynova invoice templates is the bones of the invoice are already in place and ready for you to get started. You can edit and customize the invoice to meet your needs or match your aesthetic style. You can also add a logo or image and include a personalized message to your customer. Once finished, you can print, download as a PDF, or send it to your customer online. You can then easily track and see when your customer views your invoice. When you're ready to create a new invoice, you can do so quickly with the saved information already in place.
When you choose a high-quality template to create professional invoices for your services, it can help you stay organized and get paid faster. The more detailed the invoice, the better. This eliminates confusion and gives your client all they need to pay for your services in a timely manner.
What exactly should you include in a professional, detailed invoice? Let's go over all the essential information to include when billing for your acting services.
Detailed invoices help you and your customer stay organized and leave little to question about who the invoice is from, what service is billed, the amount due, the due date, and perhaps most importantly, how to pay.
The next sections discuss all the information to include on your invoice that can help you look professional and get paid.
At the top of your invoice, include your contact information (e.g., full name, address, and telephone). If you are working under a business name, use the business name alone or include it with your name.
Type in the customer contact information, as well. This may be an individual or a company. If there is a point of contact or if you know the person in charge of billing, include their name so it gets to the right person quickly. Knowing who pays the bills is a great way for you to get paid faster for your work.
As you add to your customer list, you can use the drop-down menu located in the "To" bar and quickly click the customer you wish to bill. All of their information will appear automatically, saving you time.
Always include an invoice number identifying each invoice. This step can help you stay organized when it's time to complete accounting tasks or check for past due invoices. It can also help streamline your customer's accounting process, which can help promote a positive billing experience and bring you more jobs.
When using Skynova's free printable invoice template, the invoice number is automatically created for you. This creates a unique number for each invoice and prevents you from duplicating an invoice number by mistake.
Another essential aspect of creating professional invoices for your acting services is the date of submission and the payment due date. This too can help you keep better accounting records and track any late payments or overdue invoices. For tracking invoices, you don't need to rely on a separate accounting platform or module. The Skynova invoice module does this by itself, saving you time to work on your creative endeavors.
By now, you've reached the nitty-gritty section of the invoice where you let your customer know exactly what they're paying for. Skynova sections this out for you in neat, organized rows.
Using the drop-down menu, choose your item type. For acting jobs, you may choose to bill by "service," "hours," or "days" — choose whichever item makes the most sense for your billing situation.
Next, write a description of the service. This may include services like public speaking engagements, live or filmed performances, or acting workshops conducted for a school or community organization.
Continue moving to the left and you can see "Unit Price" and "Quantity." Enter the appropriate amount in each box.
Last, click inside the "Amount" box. The system automatically calculates the amount using the "Unit Price" and "Quantity" provided. This helps you create an error-free invoice for your acting jobs.
If invoicing for more than one item, the template can accommodate an infinite number of lines. Click "Add line" and repeat the process for each line. The module will automatically fill out the amount for each of the additional lines.
Now that you have entered the item type, description, unit price, and quantity, the invoice template creates a subtotal using all of the information you provided. If you need to add sales tax to this area of the template, click "Show Customization Options" at the top of the page. Here you can click "Sales tax" and a new box will appear at the bottom of your invoice. The invoice module supports city and state sales tax. When adding sales tax, save your invoice first.
This is where you can really personalize your invoice. You can add a distinctive message, a personal slogan, a favorite quote, or simply add a token of appreciation and thank your customer for their business and prompt payment.
This is also a suitable space for letting your customer know how to pay the invoice. You can add payment methods, such as credit cards, check, cash, or online options like PayPal.
Working as an actor, actress, model, or behind-the-scenes hand is hard work. Invoicing your customers doesn't have to be. To keep your freelance work organized and help make the day-to-day operations of your small business more manageable, Skynova can help.
Skynova templates and products offer features designed for small operations and freelance artists. We help creative types and a wide variety of freelancers and small businesses get paid faster. To create your invoice, fill out the free invoice template.
The content within this article is meant to be used as general guidelines and may not apply to your specific situation. Always consult with a professional accountant to ensure that you're meeting accounting standards.