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Interior design work is an exciting field as you get to tap into your artistic side and transform drab environments into gorgeous, artful spaces. But you're also a business owner, and there's more to running your interior design business than improving a room's aesthetics. There's also an administrative side to your interior design work. You deserve to get paid for your hard work, time, and ideas, so it's imperative that you provide clients with an accurate and professional invoice to streamline your payment and bookkeeping process.
Skynova's invoice template allows interior designers such as yourself to create customized invoices in minutes. Simply fill out all the information about your interior design project into our free interior design invoice template to generate an invoice for your clients. Our templates are easy to use, and once you've plugged in all the important information about a project, you're ready to bill clients.
Sending invoices is a breeze with our customizable template. You can easily export your invoice as a PDF or email it directly to your clients from the Skynova platform. This means less effort spent on time consuming paperwork and billing but more time dreaming up your next great design.
If you're an interior designer, you probably want to spend more time on your design work than bookkeeping and sending invoices. To easily track your payments, streamline your invoicing by using Skynova's invoice template to create custom invoices.
As you create your interior design invoices, here are some of the common components that should be included.
Apart from the important information, what you need to include on your invoice is your interior design business name and address, and the name and address of your client. This information should be clearly formatted and easy to find on your invoice so that there's no confusion for your client about who it was intended for.
You might also provide additional contact information, like phone numbers and email addresses, for both parties in this area of the invoice as well. Having this information readily available on your invoice makes it easier for both parties to communicate if any questions arise.
Also, be sure to double check your client's information on file before including it on your invoice. This will prevent any mix-ups from happening.
Pick your first invoice number, and then the Skynova platform will automatically sequence the invoice number on subsequent invoices. The invoice number field is easy to find on your invoice so that clients can find and identify it. When your clients pay you for your work, they'll reference this invoice number so you know what the payment is for.
As you create an invoicing system, there's no set way. Just choose a combination of letters and/or numbers that make sense to you. One practical way of doing this is to base your invoice number on the date the invoice was created or your client's name.
When you submit your invoice to clients, they need to know their due date for payment. Therefore, including this due date on your invoice will streamline the payment process.
Your invoice should include your invoice date – that's the date it's created – as well as your anticipated due date. Next, establish a payment policy, requiring clients to pay you within a certain amount of time – 7 days, 15 days, or 30 days. Just make sure your client understands this upfront when they sign the contract to work with you.
When you invoice your client for interior design services, you're not just asking them to pay for the work you've done. You're also asking them to repay you for the cost of any special supplies, like décor or furniture, you purchased to get the job done. Keep your receipts to track how much you spent on these supplies. Then, include them in a line item on your invoice.
Whether you're charging an hourly rate or a predetermined set fee to complete a job, you will also include your labor cost on your invoice. Therefore, your client should have agreed to the pricing of your services in advance when you signed an interior design contract to complete their project. And don't forget to include the sales tax on your labor if it isn't included in a flat fee.
If you've offered any discounts for your work, be sure to make note of it on your invoice. Discounts are an excellent way to draw in new customers and retain ones you've previously worked with. Whether you've offered a discount that's a flat amount or a percentage, you should include that information clearly on your invoice so your client understands it was applied to their final cost.
If there's anything special about your job or your client's payment for it, make space on your invoice to share this information with your customer. Your notes section is the perfect space for reminding customers that you've already received and applied their deposit to the final cost for your work or that you've included a discount. Anything you think they might need to know, this is the space to write it.
Make space on your invoice to remind your clients of all acceptable forms of payment: credit card, check, or cash. And let them know how they can pay you – through online payments, by mail, or in person.
Skynova's invoice template generator makes it a breeze to submit invoices to clients and get paid for your work. As you stay on top of your books, we've compiled a few additional tips and best practices for you to keep in mind when handling billing and payments for your work.
Clear communication with your customers is key to your business success. Ensure they fully understand your work's payment terms and conditions, including rates, payment due dates, and the scope of the work being done. If you're both on the same page, you'll have fewer issues working together.
It's smart to charge clients a deposit or retainer – anywhere up to 50% – for your efforts before starting to work on a project. This way, if the client changes their mind midstream, at least you're compensated for some of your work and don't lose out on income. Skynova offers a customizable deposit request template.
Working as a freelancer, you might find it difficult to track down payments from your interior design clients. To encourage them to make their payments, consider offering a small discount to those who pay ahead of the due date. You'll likely find yourself spending less time tracking down clients and the money they owe you.
Skynova makes tedious tasks like invoicing and tracking payments a little bit easier. Our free invoice template makes it easy to customize invoices for your interior design customers and collect your hard-earned money. This makes it easy to manage all of your company's financial activities accurately.
We also offer a full range of small business software, with many of the platforms template-based, making it easier than ever to track your finances and streamline your bookkeeping.
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 you're meeting accounting standards. If you have questions about best invoicing practices, consult a business expert.