How To Use A Google Docs Invoice Template For Your Business

If you’re a freelancer, a working professional, or a small business owner, chances are you’ll need to send out invoices on a pretty regular basis.

But how exactly should you go about this? Many people choose to use traditional Microsoft Word documents for their invoicing needs, while others prefer the convenience and ease of using a Google Docs invoice template.

There are dozens of attractive invoice template designs available on the Google Docs platform, and the best news is that they’re all completely free to use!

These templates are typically available both for Google Sheets (the spreadsheet program) and Google Docs (the Word program), so you can make your choice according to your administrative preferences.

Pro tip: It’s recommended that you use the spreadsheet versions if you need built-in calculating functions, especially for long or complicated invoices.

Why Use a Google Docs Invoice Template?

At this point, you might be wondering why you should choose to use a Google Docs invoice template over any other format. Thankfully, there are plenty of benefits to using the Google version for your invoicing needs.

The Google Docs templates available online are designed for general purpose use. This means that you can tailor them to virtually any of your needs with just a few simple edits.

There are also more specific versions available on the web for people who need to add factors like hours, materials, labor, and other billing-related items.

The benefits of using Google Docs templates for your invoices are:

• Your invoices will be virtually ready to send to your clients from the get-go. All you need to do is add your personal information to the existing template you’ve chosen, and it will already be appropriate without much further work.
• Templates optimized for Google Sheets will automatically calculate subtotal and total invoice amounts, saving you time and making invoicing easier.
• The templates are all fully customizable, but still come complete with appealing default visual designs.
• You can work on your invoices virtually anywhere in the world. All you need is your device and a Wi-Fi connection to be able to access your information.
• Google Docs invoice templates offer professional-looking formats and contain all the crucial elements of a proper business invoice. Using them will allow you or your business to maintain an air of professionalism while simultaneously impressing your clients with your invoicing finesse.
• The invoices are also optimized for instant printing, making life easier for your clients and you.

Why Send Professional Invoices to Your Clients?

Whether you’re a small business owner, a freelancer, or a subcontractor, every professional has their own unique working style.

Ultimately, this means that you need an invoice template that can be altered to reflect your clients’ style. A Google Docs invoice template is ideal in this regard.

These templates can be used by anyone with basic computer literacy and can be worked on anywhere, as long as you have access to your Google Drive. Even beginners will find it easy to complete these invoices, so you can outsource the work to your assistants too.

If you have business partners, accountants, or other team members who need to view the invoice before issuance, then you can also grant them virtual access to do so within seconds.

Over and above all of this, Google Docs invoices look great, which will instill a sense of pride in your business and reinforce your positive reputation in your industry.

They might not be quite as customizable as a complete invoicing software system, but they’re certainly more affordable and serve as a great tool to help you take control of your invoicing system.

If you want to upgrade to a paid invoicing system at any time or downgrade back to your Google Docs system, you’ll be able to do so at any time.

What Clients Want to See in Your Invoices

There are a set of key features that most high-profile clients like to see in their invoices. Incorporating these features will make you look more assertive and capable in their eyes. Plus, it will ensure that they have all the information they need without asking for it.

If you’re looking for repeat customers, understanding what makes a good invoice is a good way to establish loyal clients who will return to you for their business needs!

Most clients appreciate receiving an invoice that has been personalized just for them. It should carefully outline all of the services that are being provided and should not omit any important information.

Double-check the small details to ensure that you have spelled their company name correctly, the date on the invoice is accurate, and there are no spelling errors or inconsistencies on the sheet.

Your invoice is also an essential document for helping you to keep track of payments, transaction deadlines, and details of projects you have completed. They are integral in ensuring that you get paid fully and in good time.

So, it pays both you and your client to create invoices using a Google Docs invoice template.

Easy Invoicing for Small Businesses

Do you own a small business, a home enterprise, or a start-up? Google Docs’ invoicing might be just what you’ve been looking for.

Google Docs invoice templates come completely free of charge and blank, allowing you to fill them out to suit your company’s needs, theme, and brand identity without having to splash out.

If your business is small or has only recently been launched, any free tools you can utilize will enable you to focus on getting money into your account without spending any first.

Of course, these templates are suitable for larger enterprises too. They’re just particularly popular among smaller businesses that want a quick, innovative, and cost-effective invoicing solution.

These templates can help to streamline your invoicing process, leaving you with more time to focus on marketing, customer relations, and product development.

Google Docs takes all the guesswork out of creating detailed and appropriate invoices that will impress your clients – and they’ll never know that you used a free template to do it!

Creating invoices would ordinarily take hours of design work and perhaps even the skills of an experienced accountant. As a small business owner, this process could hinder your company’s growth and strain your financial resources.

This is why it’s a better option to create your own invoices on your own time and dime, without the trouble of roping in accountants and design teams first.

Top Features to Add to Your Invoices

Google Docs’ flexible templates give you the power and the freedom to build your own invoices from the foundations up, right down to the tiniest details. You can add brand logos, custom colors, custom pricing guides, expense calculations, and tax amounts to manage your accounting process more effortlessly.

Additionally, you can also get more creative with your invoices too. You can add custom borders, change your fonts, add currency conversion charts, and alter virtually anything else you need to. Once you have downloaded a free template from Google or another reputable source, the sky’s the limit!

How to Create Google Docs Invoice Forms

Here are the simple steps you need to follow to create your own invoices in Google Docs.

1. Log into Google Docs using your unique Google account ID and associated password. If you have an existing Gmail account, you can use the same user login details for that account to access Google Docs.

If you don’t yet have an account, you can easily register a new one on the same page. It only takes a few minutes and requires some basic personal information.

2. Download your blank invoice template. You will find various invoice templates in the Template Gallery, which is located at the top of your Google Docs account home page.

The gallery includes a wide selection of generic templates that you can use to draft different kinds of documents. You can also use the search bar to narrow down your searches. Type ‘invoice’ into the bar and click ‘Search’ to find what you are looking for.

3. Open the invoice template using Google Drive.

4. Give your invoice a name. A good example would be [your business name] Invoice Template. Once you have found a template that you are satisfied with, you can save it to your Drive to use it as your invoicing guide.

Name your document by selecting the Title box in the document’s upper left-hand corner. Once you hit enter, you will rename the document and automatically save it to Google Drive for later use.

5. Get to work customizing your invoice using your company’s logos, details, contact information, color scheme, and other desired details.

6. Create your first invoice for a client by choosing the ‘Make a copy’ option and renaming your new document. A basic format to follow for naming your invoices is [your client’s business name] Invoice [today’s date].

7. Fill in your custom invoice template by adding your client’s details, services performed, costs, date of invoice, payment due date, and terms of payment. Go into as much detail as possible to avoid the possibility of confusion later down the line.

8. Share the completed invoice with your client via email or Google Drive.

How to Perfect Your Invoices

It takes mere seconds to download your free Google Docs invoice template. However, you’ll want to spend time making sure that your invoices are customized to suit your business’s needs and identity.

You can enlist a design professional’s help for this step, or simply do it yourself by following these steps.

• Add your company’s name and complete set of contact information. This should include your contact numbers, email address, and your area of expertise. This will remind your clients who sent the invoice and how they can contact you for questions or future work.
• Be meticulous about dates. Date your invoices accurately so you always know when you have issued them and when you can expect payment. You can also give each client a job or client code, and each invoice an individual number to help you keep track.
• Add your branding, visuals, and logos. Most businesses add their logos at the top of their invoices and use their brand’s colors and fonts to make the invoices look polished.
• Mention your credentials, qualifications, and certifications. This is an effective yet subtle way to convey to your clients that their businesses are in good hands.
• Review all of your template fields. Ensure that the names of services, items, and products are accurate and make sense. If there are any irrelevant fields on the invoice, feel free to delete them.
• Describe your company’s services in detail. Your clients will need to know exactly what they are receiving or what they have paid for.
• Add custom pricing guides. Be sure to include your pricing for each item or service, be it a flat fee, fixed price, or hourly rate, along with any tax that may be applicable. Also, add extra or miscellaneous costs you might have incurred where necessary.
• If you plan on issuing any discounts for your new or long-term clients, mention this on your invoice. Add a few lines describing the discount so that your customers are aware that you are giving them a fantastic deal!
• Be specific about payment terms. Specify on your invoice when, how, and how much your client should pay you. You can also offer information about the payment methods you are willing to accept.
• For a personal touch and to turn new clients into loyal regulars, add a personal line at the end of your sheet. This could be a few sentences thanking them for their patronage or describing an engaging aspect of the task you’ve completed for them.

It’s the small details that can help you to stand out from the crowd and build a solid reputation in your industry.

How to Send Invoices from Google Drive

Now that you’re ready to invoice your clients, there are a few things you should bear in mind before you share your final bill using Google Drive.

If your invoice requests a single, one-time payment, sharing it will be fairly simple. However, if you need to send out several invoices, have a large group of clients, or have clients that need to pay recurring payments, you may wish to use an invoicing software program to stay ahead of the game.

You can save your invoice as a PDF or downloaded file and print it for manual mailing to clients, too. Assess your own needs and those of your business and choose depending on the option that best suits those requirements.

If you want to send an invoice to your client straight from Google Drive, you can start by logging into your Google account. Locate the invoice you want to send. Ensure that all of the details listed on the invoice are correct, and that the invoice has been properly named.

Then, select the ‘Share’ button to choose one of the available sharing options. You will be able to select who can view the invoice using this option.

You can copy a link or send your Google Docs invoice by using your client’s email address. Once you have entered the address, simply click on ‘Save’ and then ‘Done.’ Your client will instantly receive an invitation to view the invoice you have shared with them.

Types of Google Docs Invoice Template Available

Head on over to Google Docs and check out the Template Gallery page. You’ll find a myriad of unique invoice template options to meet your needs, no matter what they may be.

The types of templates offered in Google Docs can be divided into several categories for even easier access. Once you’re logged in, you’ll find templates specifically designed for:

• Small businesses. This Google Docs template is very flexible and can be used to bill virtually all clients. It is lightweight and won’t take up too much space on your hard drive, either.
• Subcontractors. Are you in need of multiple invoices for your clients? The subcontractors’ template allows you to easily customize invoices for each of your clients without taking up valuable contracting time.
• Multiple projects. Streamline your multi-project schedule with a free template that you can access directly from the cloud.
• Freelancers. As a freelancer, you will need an invoicing solution that is as flexible and hard-working as you are. This template style looks professional and smart and is compatible with any device to get you paid as soon as possible.
• Services rendered. This is another quick-to-customize Google Docs invoice template that can be adapted to reflect any of your business’s services.

Each of these invoice templates are available for download as Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PDFs, Google Docs documents, and Google Sheets spreadsheets for your convenience. Simply pick the option that will work the best for your business, and you’ll be ready to get paid in no time!

Download Your Own Google Docs Invoice Template

Here’s a quick, simple Google Docs invoice template I put together for you to download. Check it out, make a copy, and get to invoicing! Just don’t forget to make it your own 🙂

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, there are only a few free-to-use, user-friendly, and professional invoicing options that can compare to Google Docs’ templates. The templates come from a trusted tech corporation, offer plenty of value and customizability, and are easy even for business beginners to make use of.

Couldn’t your business’s invoicing protocol do with an upgrade?

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