{"id":99505,"date":"2018-02-16T06:00:47","date_gmt":"2018-02-16T12:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=99505"},"modified":"2018-02-15T14:02:21","modified_gmt":"2018-02-15T20:02:21","slug":"best-practices-invoicing-video-clients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/best-practices-invoicing-video-clients\/","title":{"rendered":"Freelance Tips: 7 Best Practices for Invoicing Clients"},"content":{"rendered":"

Invoicing clients doesn’t have to be scary.\u00a0Follow these seven best practices to\u00a0make your invoices clear\u00a0and professional.<\/h2>\n

Cover image\u00a0via\u00a0Rawpixel.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

In a perfect world, once a freelance video project is wrapped, clients would be all too happy to hand over a stack of cold, hard cash (along with a gift basket from Lands\u2019 End\u00a0including several seasonally appropriate fleeces). However, in the real world, that\u2019s very rarely the case.<\/p>\n

Most of the time, the onus falls on the freelancer to deliver an invoice at the most appropriate time. This isn\u2019t always at the very end of a project because some projects seem to simply never end. In any case, creating a detailed, professional, and direct invoice can help move things along and define how, when, and how much your clients should pay for your hard work.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at seven best practices for freelance video invoices.<\/p>\n

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1. Find the Right Template<\/h3>\n

\"Freelance
\n<\/a>Image via StarLine<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

You can always make an invoice from scratch. Simply typing something up in a word processor is fine, but if you have some design chops, you can whip one up on your own with your own branding, logos, etc.<\/p>\n

For the rest of us less design-minded individuals, there\u00a0are plenty of templates available online. You can find some for Microsoft Word<\/a>, Google Docs<\/a>, and Apple Pages<\/a>. They should all be mostly the same, but they should have some variations in spacing and layouts. Choose the one that gives you the most flexibility and the right aesthetic for your brand.<\/p>\n

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2. Define Project Scope<\/h3>\n

\"Freelance
\n<\/a>Image via baranq<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ideally, you should define project scope well before diving into production (or post-production, if it\u2019s strictly an editing gig). A contract or statement of work well help define these things upfront. (<\/span>You can read more about these things here<\/span><\/a>.) However, when submitting an invoice, it\u2019s important to restate, point-by-point, the agreed-upon scope \u2014 and\u00a0that you have now completed each task.<\/span><\/p>\n

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3. Line Item vs. Full Amount<\/h3>\n

\"Freelance
\n<\/a>Image via wutzkohphoto<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Most invoice templates\u00a0accommodate line item pricing breakdowns. These templates will also usually add up the totals for you. However, depending on your project, you may or may not want to use line item (or unit item) pricing; rather, you can just list full amounts.<\/p>\n

Film and video invoicing gets tricky when you start line item pricing things like gear rentals, hourly editing rates, and incurred expenses. However, while an invoice page can fill up, I\u2019ve found that clients appreciate the line-by-line breakdown of just how you arrived at those numbers.<\/p>\n

Things like camera and gear rates are important to include, as many clients can quickly change the conversation to suggest that your camera\/gear is somehow just a part of what you charge to show up and shoot.<\/p>\n

If you have agreed to a lump sum project that is not set to change, using a line item breakdown to add up your actual worth (then subtracting a discount to honor your original agreement) is a great way to show how much your services will cost in the future, while still fulfilling your agreement.<\/p>\n

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4. Clearly Defined Dates of Completion<\/h3>\n

\"Freelance
\n<\/a>Image via This Is Me<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

When working with bigger companies and agencies (i.e. clients who are also working for clients), clearly defined completion dates for deliverables becomes more important (as they need to pass those dates onto others in their organizations). Most invoice templates will include a space to add notes \u2014 this would be where you can list clear dates. Here\u2019s an example:<\/p>\n