Due to information technology intervention, the business world is growing with a massive pace. Everything is digitized with the help of IT intervention. Electronic documentation has taken the taken the place of paper documentation. This has not only transformed the world of business, but it has also expedited the overall process flow of business. So, to match the pace of the fast moving business world, you have to adopt to the on-going changes. You have to bring IT intervention to build a proficient and efficient process flow of the business.

Invoice Software

Source: eminnow

Within the scope of the business world, unarguably invoice is one of the most important document that defines the process flow, and the face of your business. It is one of the most commonly seen document of your business. It determines the genuineness, credibility, originality, and professionalism of your business. According to Sighted, it also helps you in managing your financial streams. It can keep track record of your income, spending, exchanges, inventory, refunds, returns, and investment, many other. Not even that it also helps you in establishing legal rights with your client/ customer. 

Structure of a Proficient Invoice

According to Paypal, there are particular elements that should be there in every invoice. 

Business/ Company/ Seller and Buyer/ Exporter and Importer Profile

Logo of the Business/ Company

Focal Persons and their Contact Numbers, Email IDs, Addresses (Billing or Shipping)

Unique Invoice Number

Date of Issuance of Invoice

Due Date of Payment

Information related to goods/ product or services rendered

Per Unit Price of Goods/ Product or Break down of prices

Subtotal and Total Amount Section

Section for Comments/ Notes/ Terms and Conditions

Method of Payment to mention preferred mode of payment

Section for Taxes, Shipping charges, Discounts

Information of Law Agencies

Bank Details

According to Chargbee and Billdu, these are the core elements and they should be included in all invoices. 

So, this guide will equip you with the tools and techniques that are needed to develop an invoice through invoice software. It is developed in such a way that it ensures incorporation of these elements (If not all then most). This guide is developed on the basis of a software. It will give you a general idea about how these software work to and how they can assist you in managing your financial streams, and business track records. 

There are many free software available over the internet. So, you can choose any of the software that fulfils your purpose, and can add if not all then most of the important elements of a well-structured invoice. However, if you want to follow us, then CNET is a good source of getting free and reliable software.

So, let’s start with the step to by step guide to the use of invoice software.

Just use the keyword of “Invoice Software CNET” and hit search, your search engine will automatically provide you with multiple links of webpages. You can interact with any of the link that is freely available. For this guide, software of Express Invoice Professional. You can get this software by interacting with this link https://download.cnet.com/Express-Invoice-Professional/3000-2066_4-10732193.html. 

You can download this software by interacting with “DOWNLOAD NOW” button on the CNET website. If you accessing this software from the home page of the CNET website, then you need to follow this path.

Home > Windows>Business Software> Accounting & Billing Software> Express Invoice Professional.

Run the downloaded file, and install this software in your device. 

Upon running this software, a screen will pop up in front you, which will look like this. Just explore the dialogue for the future use. 

Now, at this stage it allows you to create your own invoice. For that you need to interact with the “New Invoice” button. However, before that we would advise you to interact with “Configuration Options”. Upon interacting with “Configuration Options”, a dialogue box will pop up in front of you. This will allow you to add your company profile in this software.

Enter your company name or name of the business in the “Business Name” section. In “Registration Number” section, you would adding you value addition tax number in this box. After that in “Address” section. Try to add complete detailed address of your company or business or where you work from to avoid any ambiguity or conflicts in future. Finally, add information of your contact in “Contact Details” section. 

After entering brief profile of your business, this software allows you to add your company’s logo in this software. Just interact with the “Logo” option on the top left side of the dialogue box. Now, interact with the “Logo Image File” option in the dialogue box. Press “…” button to upload your brand/ company logo in this software. Choose a file from your directory and set up a logo for your business.

You can also choose regional currency in which you conduct your business. If you cannot find this dialogue box that appears after “Configuration Options” button, then interact with the “Tools” option at the top bar and choose “Options” to reach this dialogue box. This software allows you to choose several options from the list of currency. Upon interacting with “Currency Name” option, it will give you multiple options like Afghani, Baht, Balboa, Bolivar, Boliviano, Cedi, Colon, Convertible Marka, Cordoba, Denar, Dinar, Dollar, Dong, Euro, Forint, Franc, Guarani, Guilder, Hryvnia, Kina, Kip, Koruna, Krona, Krone, Kuna, Lek, Lempira, Leu, Lev, Lira, Manat, Metical, Naira, Peso, Pound, Pula, Quetzal, Rand, Real, Rial, Riel, Ringgit, Riyal, Ruble, Rupee, Rupiah, Shekel, Shilling, Sol, Som, Tenge, Tughrik, Won, Yen, Yuan, and Zloty. 

After adding currency of your choice, it also allows you to enter details regarding regional Value Addition Tax/ Sales tax. You would the prevailing rate of tax in your in this option. To add sales tax value, you would interact with the “Add” button and fill out the information, according to your regional policies. 

If you client/ customer is exempted from tax, then you can check the second check box in the list.

After that it is very important for the issuer of the invoice to mention mode of payment in the document. For that you would interact with “Payment Methods” option on the left selection box. We would advise to offer maximum payment modes to your customers. It would have a positive impact on your sales. 

You can also manage your inventory record with this software. Upon interacting the “Inventory”, a dialogue box will pop up in front of your screen. You can select check box that warns you about particular items that are not in the stock.by this you would be able to manage your stocks without looking your storage houses, and stores. 

“Page Layout” option allows you to adjust several features of your invoice page. For example, you can choose appropriate page size, and margins to print you invoice. You can also change the positioning your business profile, and address. 

You can also customize your invoice by choosing alternative template, texts, and other customization options. Option of “Templates” will give you alternative version of templates to develop you invoice. In “Text” option you can re-write the headings in your invoice. In “Customize” option you can choose colours, borders, and set customized headers and footers. 

Upon choosing the option of “Quote” it gives you the option of assigning unique number to your invoice. This options is available under the head of “Quote Numbering”. 

You can also interact with the comments section, and write a note to your customer/ client. In today’s business world, invoices are also used as an effective marketing tool. You can write about future discounts, offers, events, give away, etc. in this section. You can simply add further details in this section. The details you have not given in the invoice, but you want your customer/ client to know about it. This software also allows you to add phrases of gratitude in the foot note section. For example, you can state that “Thank you for doing business with us” or “Thank you for giving this opportunity to serve you”, or “Thank you for your trust”. This section can also be aligned differently according to your will. 

You can also use the option of “Automated Customer Follow Ups” to take follow up from your customers. It also allows you to decide the frequency of taking follow ups. After every XX days, it automatically generates an email that contains the same message, which has been written the “Message” section under “Automated Customer Follow Ups” section. 

In the “Order” section, you would be writing about the number of order that has been placed to you. You would assign a unique number to this order to track it for future use. Try to use chronological order to assign your numbers. It would be easy for you keep track of the transaction. 

In case of interacting with “Email” option you can setup your own email ID to assign a default reply email. 

Similarly you can use Credit Note, Packing Slip, Receipt, Statements, Web Access, and Sync Devices options according to your use. These are different types of invoice structure that you would in the course of the business. You can issue new Quote, and New Credit Notes with this software as well. 

You can also manage your payments by interacting with the “Apply Payment”, “Refunds and Returns”, and “View Refunds” option. You can add customer details, methods, and can apply for remaining amount. In Refunds and Return section, you can manage and see the record of your refund or returns made to customers.

By Interacting with “Customers” option you can manage record of your customers. You can add or see complete list of your customers very easily. 

Similarly, you also manage your products and goods by interacting with “Add New Item” option in the Item section. 

Next step requires you to come back to the software’s main dialogue box. Over here interact with the “Create New Invoice” or “New Invoice” option to start building your own invoice. After clicking the “Create New Invoice” option a dialogue box will pop up on to your screen. 

To create new invoice, you would be interacting with this dialogue box. 

In “Billing” tab, you would these particular blanks to fill out. In “Customer” section you would be writing the name of the customer, or head name that you assign to this customer. In the “Bill To” section, you would be writing the address of the customer. In the “Customer PO Number”, you be assigning a unique purchase order number to you customer. This would facilitate your process of tracking and tracing orders. It also helps issuer of the invoice to keep track record of the transaction. For example, what is the status of the order number 0129187? What is the status of financial streams related to this purchase order? 

In “Customer Tax” option, it would require you to choose between “Default” or “Exempt”. If your customer is exempted from the tax, then you would choose the relevant option. If you choose “Default” then same amount tax would be added in your invoice, which you have configured in the early stages of invoice making. 

In the same dialogue box and in the “Invoice” section, you would have to choose type of invoice that you are issuing. As this is the first invoice, so you would be choose the default option which is “New Invoice”. Within this section, you would update the date of the invoice. This date would be the date on which you are going to issue this invoice. Do not write the date on which you have created it. This date is the issuance date of invoice. In the “Terms” section, you would select the desired mode of payment and the due date of the payment. In the “Salesperson” box you would write the name of the sales official from your company. Finally, in the invoice section you would enter a unique invoice number in it. 

In the below part of the dialogue box, you would the details regarding items sold or provided to the buyer. Quite obviously you would be writing, quantity of the product in “QTY” section, item name in the “Item” section, and its details in the “Description” section. After that you would enter the per unit price of the product against the quantity of the good. Finally, tax rate would be chosen as per the configured settings. As you done with the entering the details, total of the product will automatically popped up in the “Total” section. 

You can also add more items and add discount by interacting with the below given heads in the same dialogue box. 

You can also witness the comment options in the above dialogue box. This would allow you to communicate with your customer. As mentioned earlier you can add relevant details in this section. You can inform about promotion, offers, events, gifts, or even pay your gratitude for doing business with you. This is a very important section. So, use it wisely. 

After that you can switch to the other tab of “Shipping” in the same dialogue box. This would allow you to enter details regarding shipping company. You would write shipping address in “Ship To” section. This address would probably be same as billing address in most of the cases. If it is same you can check the box that says “Same as Billing”. In “Ship By” and “Tracking Ref No.” section, you would write the name of the shipping company and tracking number of the shipment, to track the status of the shipment. Finally, you can also include shipping cost in this section, by interacting with “Shipping Costs/Tax” box. 

After entering all the relevant information, you can see the option of “Record and Save PDF”. This would save record all the information and will save a PDF for you. You can also choose record and email and other options as per your requirement. Upon choosing “Record and Save PDF” option a file will be downloaded in your respective device. This would look similar to this:

If you are still unable to work with these software, then you can try online invoice generators like Invoicely, and Shopify, or other invoice application for a time being. However, to maintain proficient invoicing process you must have a designated software. You can also use Microsoft Office tools to develop your own invoices. 

So, that is it for today. We hope that you would have found this article worthy enough. Now, you are well equipped with the use and the important elements that should be included in the invoice. Keep exploring more options. Please write us back with your comments and queries. We would love to hear from you. Thank you very much for your time. Please share this article with the people around you. Have a good day.