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Poll: How do you make your invoices?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Feb 28, 2019

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How do you make your invoices?".

This poll was originally submitted by tilak raj. View the poll results »



 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 23:03
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Manually Feb 28, 2019

I compile my invoices in an Excel template and issue the actual invoice in PDF format. For new clients: the invoice is always delivered with the translation. For regular customers: invoices are generated on a monthly basis. Anyway, I have a routine of preparing each invoice immediately after completing the job...

Maja_K
Kay Denney
neilmac
 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 00:03
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
Manually Feb 28, 2019

I have two templates, one in English, one in Danish, with all the mandatory details correct…

Then I have to type in the rest, no matter what. I have clients' details in a client list, formatted ready to copy over to the invoice. Again, I have to copy or type them from the client's mail or website, so there is no work saved by using software.

I don't bother much with statistics.
One agency produces its own invoice and statistics in Plunet, which is nice, because
... See more
I have two templates, one in English, one in Danish, with all the mandatory details correct…

Then I have to type in the rest, no matter what. I have clients' details in a client list, formatted ready to copy over to the invoice. Again, I have to copy or type them from the client's mail or website, so there is no work saved by using software.

I don't bother much with statistics.
One agency produces its own invoice and statistics in Plunet, which is nice, because the PMs do all the calculations and make up a valid monthly invoice that I can use for tax purposes too. They sent me 18 jobs this February, though a couple were for my minimum rate, and a couple more were very small. It saves me typing all the job numbers etc. etc. Six to ten jobs from them in a month is more typical!

Happy invoicing, everyone - I'm done for this month.
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EvaVer (X)
EvaVer (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 00:03
Czech to French
+ ...
Mostly with software Feb 28, 2019

I have programmed it in Excel - I write the main particulars into the invoice ledger, and the invoice fills in automatically - I only add "invoice for the month of…" or words to that effect and PO numbers where applicable. This works in my country - for foreign clients, I have an "EU model" (with the "reverse charge" blah-blah) that needs to be filled in manually; I can switch between EN ad FR by writing the corresponding acronym into the A1 case. But most my EU clients have online invoicing a... See more
I have programmed it in Excel - I write the main particulars into the invoice ledger, and the invoice fills in automatically - I only add "invoice for the month of…" or words to that effect and PO numbers where applicable. This works in my country - for foreign clients, I have an "EU model" (with the "reverse charge" blah-blah) that needs to be filled in manually; I can switch between EN ad FR by writing the corresponding acronym into the A1 case. But most my EU clients have online invoicing anyway, so that I seldom use it. I also have a US model that I haven't used for at least a year.Collapse


 
Maxi Schwarz
Maxi Schwarz  Identity Verified
Local time: 18:03
German to English
+ ...
I misunderstood "manually" Feb 28, 2019

I clicked "with software" meaning the software of MS word with which I created a template. When I see "manually", I think of the booklet with carbon paper where you write with a pen. I still have one, but haven't used it for two decades. That, to me, is "manual".

Anja Hajek
Christine Andersen
Julio Madrid
Ricki Farn
Michele Fauble
 
Philippe Etienne
Philippe Etienne  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 00:03
Member
English to French
software Feb 28, 2019

34 jobs this month, to invoice today with TO3000.
About 20 mouse clicks per invoice, and a few keyboard keys "Please find attached..."

Philippe


Ligia Dias Costa
 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Yes! Feb 28, 2019

This is why I don't have problems with late payers.

I make my own paper out of hand-picked organic grasses, write in an exquisite calligraphic script using a quill fashioned from a passing eagle's feather, add a drop of my proprietary blend of relaxing herbal essences, and seal the home-made envelope with a kiss.

This makes receiving my bills a true pleasure, something my customers can look forward to, a veritable happening, and guarantees instant payment.

... See more
This is why I don't have problems with late payers.

I make my own paper out of hand-picked organic grasses, write in an exquisite calligraphic script using a quill fashioned from a passing eagle's feather, add a drop of my proprietary blend of relaxing herbal essences, and seal the home-made envelope with a kiss.

This makes receiving my bills a true pleasure, something my customers can look forward to, a veritable happening, and guarantees instant payment.

I'm thinking of marketing the idea to utility companies.
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Mr.Q
Kay Denney
Michael Harris
Peter van der Hoek
Elizabeth Tamblin
Muriel Vasconcellos
 
Axelle H.
Axelle H.  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 00:03
English to French
Software Feb 28, 2019

I invoice with my accounting software (who is very useful for tax, expenses, etc ..). A time-saving at the end of the month (i.e today !)

Yaotl Altan
 
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Yetta Jensen Bogarde  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 00:03
Member (2012)
English to Danish
+ ...
Online website Feb 28, 2019

I subscribe to an online accounting website. They also help with declaration of income tax, VAT and other domestic rules and regulations.

 
Ventnai
Ventnai  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 00:03
German to English
+ ...
Excel templates Feb 28, 2019

I have used the same Excel templates for years. All I need to do is enter the reference and payment for each job and the rest is already there.

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 00:03
French to English
manually Feb 28, 2019

I use my brain too.

I have at last learned to do the bill immediately after delivery, although I wait until the end of the month to actually send it. This gives them time to check that everything is to their satisfaction, and I was also advised to wait until the end of the month because of some obscure thing to do with whether or not I add VAT, which is boring so I won't go into any more detail.


 
lcstranslations
lcstranslations  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 00:03
Member (2010)
Italian to English
shocked Feb 28, 2019

Wow! Hard to believe people still do invoices manually when there is excellent and low costing software available. Nowadays we also have Cloud software so estimates/offers and invoices can be prepared and sent on the go. Perhaps it is a country thing, in Italy we now have electronic invoicing and there really is no longer a choice, either with your own software or using the Internal Revenue website.

Zuzana Greksakova
 
Michael Harris
Michael Harris  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 00:03
Member (2006)
German to English
And how do Feb 28, 2019

Chris S wrote:

This is why I don't have problems with late payers.

I make my own paper out of hand-picked organic grasses, write in an exquisite calligraphic script using a quill fashioned from a passing eagle's feather, add a drop of my proprietary blend of relaxing herbal essences, and seal the home-made envelope with a kiss.

This makes receiving my bills a true pleasure, something my customers can look forward to, a veritable happening, and guarantees instant payment.

I'm thinking of marketing the idea to utility companies.


you send them? By e-mail?

I always look forward to your posts Chris, it is almost better than my daily dosis of Dilbert


 
Ricki Farn
Ricki Farn
Germany
Local time: 00:03
English to German
@Chris S & Michael Harris Feb 28, 2019

I was thinking homing pigeons.

(I calculate my invoices in Excel and send them in Word templates, I have one template per regular customer - I don't see how an "invoicing software" would be faster, I would still have to enter the project names, word counts and invoice number, so same amount of work?!)


 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 00:03
Spanish to English
+ ...
SW Feb 28, 2019

I'm still using a variation of the original invoice template a friend made up for me in Excel donkeys ago. I tweak it from time to time, but it is still the basic simple Excel file.

Darn! I thought Excel was software… I suppose I'm just doing it manually, but with Excel...

[Edited at 2019-02-28 16:21 GMT]


Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
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Poll: How do you make your invoices?






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