If you want to get paid accurately and timely for your photography business, you should set up an invoicing system. Not only will this document display the scope of your work and other technical details of the project, but you can also establish your brand to clients by showing that you’re serious about your craft.
Creating a receipt is more straightforward when you’re selling products than when you’re making an invoice for a service. Nonetheless, you just have to make sure that you create a comprehensive document that your clients can understand without neglecting to request for appropriate compensation for the expertise and effort you’ve imparted.
Here are some tips for invoicing when running a photography business:
- Determine Your Rate
Before you can create an invoice, you should know how much you charge for your services. One arrangement involves getting paid for each hour you spend on the order. Another setup entails a per-project compensation.
Each system has different advantages and disadvantages. For some, getting paid per hour is better because it rewards the time they spent on the details of the photos. Others, though, prefer a per-project payment since they have mastered post-processing and can send the finished products quickly. Moreover, raising the prices is more convenient with per-project pricing.
Regardless of your preference, you should determine your rate first before you create an invoicing system or even start a photography business for that matter. This way, you standardize the procedure for all your clients and avoid pricing problems in the future.
Your location, experience, as well as speed and quality of service, affect how much you can charge to clients. You should also check the market and your competitors’ rates to make sure that you post a reasonable asking price.
- Have an Invoice Template
After you’ve set your standards, you need to create an invoice document that provides the necessary details for you to get paid. If making one out of scratch seems like too much work, service sites like Wave have an assortment of free templates that you can edit according to your business’ needs.
Remember that everything you send out to your clients represents your company. With this, avoid sending out boring invoices. You’re in the creative field, so don’t be afraid to make this document appealing aesthetically but still understandable for your clients.
- Set Your Service Terms
Another factor to consider before creating an invoice is to determine your service terms. Aside from your rate, you have to disclose your conditions to the clients before the contracts have been signed.
This aspect includes whether you’ll ask for a down payment, or you can wait until the completion of the project for compensation. Let your clients the payment options they have, like if you can accept credit cards and e-wallet transfers aside from cash.
You should also divulge upfront if you charge fees for delayed payments to maintain transparency with your clients. This practice can be a motivating factor in getting paid on time for your services.
- Create Invoices at the Start
Along with crafting a contract for your client, you should also attach an invoice containing the estimated time that you’ll be spending on the project. You are running a business, after all. You have the right to ask for a down payment, at least, so that the customer also knows their responsibility of compensating you for your time and expertise.
One primary disadvantage of waiting until the completion of the project before you ask for payment is that you’re forgoing your collateral. When you give clients the output before they’ve accomplished their end of the bargain, you give up the guarantee that they’ll pay on-time.
While putting up a business requires mutual trust from yourself and the client, it’s wise to take advantage of this strategy so that you don’t have to keep on chasing them for payments.
- Send Your Updated Invoice with the Finished Product
Even if you’ve sent the initial invoice, you can still charge the clients for additional expenses related to the project. Just make sure that you state this possibility in the contract before you begin scheduling their photoshoot.
Then, once everything has been completed, you can send the updated invoice with the additional cost for the service along with the finished product. This way, the clients can see what they’re paying for.
Conclusion
Before creating an invoice for your photography business, you have to determine your rates and service terms. This way, you set your clients’ expectations right at the start. Find a template that you can edit to accommodate your business needs.
It’s also good to send an initial invoice for the estimated time and effort you’ll pour into the project. Afterward, once you’re done with everything and the client has accumulated additional expenses for the output, send an updated invoice along with the finished product.
