QBO Quick Tips - Take The 3 Minute Custom Invoice Challenge in QuickBooks Online

When you work for yourself, time is a precious commodity. Finding the time to do everything it takes to run the business - create, plan, build, invoice and manage - is no small challenge, let alone sneaking in some much-needed downtime.

In the interest of time-saving invoice solutions, I considered the implicit challenge made by the article Create a Freelancer Invoice in 90 Seconds: can you create a professional-quality, customized invoice with QuickBooks in less time than it takes to make a cup of coffee? The answer - yes!

End-to-end, the whole process took less than three minutes (around 160 seconds). In that time, I changed my invoice layout and color scheme, updated my business address, enabled online invoice payments and added a friendly message.

I also had time to modify the invoice for a specific project - I changed my hourly rate, added a detailed description of the consultation meetings and showed the client that staff training was included at no additional cost.

So, how long does it take you to create and send a brand new custom invoice?

Here are my top tips for making the process simple and streamlined:

• Start with Complete Data - Go to the Sales Tab and select “Products and Services” to see a complete list of your offerings. Add the essentials details and any additional information that matters to your customers.
  
  
• What you'll need for your customization:
  • Company contact information
  • A branded logo
  • A completed product and services list (above)
  • Email and message copy
  • Relevant attachments

Is custom invoicing worth 3 minutes of your time? We sure think so. After all, an invoice is like a business card – branded, personalized invoices are powerful tools that leave a lasting impression of your business, increase customer retention and boost your bottom-line.