Uses of Billing Invoice for Freelancer

If you are a freelancer it is extremely important to take good care of your billing invoice. I file them regularly, taking a standard form so that I can collect my money in a timely fashion. Personally, I like to use email and paypal as a means of collecting my payment because the email guarantees a rapid, timely communication and also provides a record that the billing invoice and the product have been delivered, while the paypal means that I can be payed very quickly.

I've had trouble with my billing invoice in the past, though. When I first started freelancing, I had a standard invoice which I would use for absolutely everything. This made it easy for me to keep track of it, and cut down on extra paper work, since everything was in the same form. I'd file everything – first on my computer, and then i'd print it out and make a paper copy. The problem with this approach is that I kept running into clients who wanted me to use their standard billing invoice, or who wouldn't fill out forms properly. Now my paperwork is a mess, with six or 8 different types of invoices all over the place, and no standard form.

I guess that is just the way it goes though. It's fortunate that I am a very organized person, because it allows me to find ways to organize information even if it doesn't all fit into the same box. I keep a detailed leger where I file and keep track of all of my billing invoices , recording diligently everything I've billed, everything that has been paid, and everything that still needs to be. I keep records of all of the writing jobs I have done, with a paper copy, an electronic copy, and an off site electronic duplicate for backup.

It is crucial to back up all of your work and billing invoices. Not only do you need it if there is still more to do on it, but you need to be able to prove what work you did in case a client refuses to pay, or in case the IRS audits you. In addition, if a client wishes to have some project revised by you, it is nice to have it right in front of you, instead of relying on them to keep a copy. Besides that, it can be useful for a resume purposes, as potential clients often ask for a list of projects you have done, along with samples when seeking to approve you for a job freelancing.