The transition from the traditional way of invoicing to its digital equivalent, is starting to dominate and there are certainly important reasons for this. E-invoicing has ultimately simplified the payment process, saving time and money. Here are some tips and suggestions for more efficient e-invoicing.
Test and experiment
So, you have opted for an e-invoicing system. This doesn’t mean you are done. On the contrary! As you would have done with any other gadget or system, you need to complete a trial-run in order to avoid errors when you start invoicing your clients. Moreover, you need to experiment with customizable features such as logo placement, colors and fonts. The best course of action is to create an invoice and send it to yourself or a colleague, in order to make sure that everything is working as intended.
Include your clients
As soon as you are ready to start sending e-invoices to your clients, whether by email or via an e-invoicing platform, notify them of this change. You may not be aware of it, but there is a chance it will affect the payment process. For example, some clients could prefer a printed invoice, while others may not use a platform such as PayPal. In order to avoid delays, contact them and discuss the transition to e-invoicing as soon as possible.
The power of automation
Once your business has taken its first step towards e-invoicing, you can take advantage of the power of automation. Not only will you accelerate the payment process with positive results on cash flow, but both you and your clients will save time and money.
Personalized e-invoices
The fact that you are using e-invoices doesn’t mean you can’t customize them to feel more personal. You will need a few moments to “personalize” every invoice, thanking your client for their payments but also for their continuous support throughout the years.
You can also add a personal “touch” to your invoices, referring to additional products and services that your client could use or sharing content that would improve their business. As a result, not only will you be issuing personalized e-invoices, but you will also accelerate payments and perhaps use these e-invoices as part of your marketing strategy.
Reliable storage system
If you have a cloud-based system, you can store your invoices there. If you are sending your invoices via email, make sure that you have securely stored them in the cloud, using a service such as Dropbox. In this way, you will be able to retrieve them just as easily when preparing for taxation purposes, trying to detect delayed payments, or having to respond to an audit.
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