Whether you want to bill hourly or by flat amounts, provide the option to be tipped, or enable partial payments, you can make your consulting business a success by downloading our professional, free Word invoice template and customizing it to meet your needs. Pay only when you get paid.
For consultants who provide expert advice and services, simply modify and use our templates to bill your clients. You can provide an itemized list of your services, the agreed-upon hourly or project rate, and the total amount owed. Plus, you can customize the overall design and even add your logo or other promotional graphics.
This free Word invoice template can work for all different types of consultants in varying industries, including (but not limited to):
Please note some industries may require mentioning specific terms and conditions on your invoice, so be sure to check the requirements for your consulting business.
Using a PayPal-generated invoice template may help you create efficiencies and improvements in your business. From independent small business consultants to large financial consulting firms, our invoice templates for consulting services are available in various forms, from Word documents to Excel sheets:
A consulting invoice is a document issued by a consultant, small business, or freelancer to request payment for the services they have provided to a client. It typically includes contact information, service details, total amount due, payment terms, and taxes.
To customize our Word invoice template, you can insert your logo, website address, and any other graphics or promotional images. At the very least, your invoice template should include basic information about your business as well as the details of the service you’re providing to your client.
Include your company’s name, phone number, email address, and company website on your consulting invoice.
Make sure to include at least an email address and a phone number. A physical mailing address is nice to have.
There are multiple ways to assign invoice numbers for a consultant invoice. The simplest is chronological and by breaking your invoice number into multiple parts, like using a unique customer number with a variable project number. So, when a customer (number 20) hires you for another marketing project (the third one this year), you could list that as #20-0003.
Add payment terms, including the methods of payment you accept and any terms for late or early payments. Also, if you’re sending a bill to an international customer or vendor, clarify which currency you’re billing in and add any local or industry-related requirements.
This should be the day you send out the consulting invoice, not the day you created it. Make sure your invoice date, payment terms, and due date align. For instance, if your payment terms are 30 days, then the due date should be exactly 30 days from the day you sent the bill. Use this date format on your template to solve for international differences: Month (spelled out), date, year. (Example: December 28, 2023)
Include a detailed list of the consulting services you provided along with a description of each service and the billable hours or flat rate. For instance, if you're a marketing consultant, you may want to say something like, “Worked on five (5) social media posts from 3-5:30pm on May 7.” By being clear and descriptive, your customers will always know exactly what you're billing them for—and that can save you time in follow-up questions later. Also, make sure to remove the shipping line and change quantity to hours, if applicable.
If you include a discount for a high volume of work, make sure you add a line explaining the discount so your client knows they are getting a great deal for your consulting expertise.
Tip: With PayPal Invoicing, we’ll automatically help you calculate the due date. And if you’re sending internationally, we’ll automatically display the invoice date in the proper format for your customer.
With a range of invoice types to choose from, consultants have the power to select the invoice style that works best for their business. Here’s a breakdown of the most common invoice types often used by consultants:
As you create your invoice and streamline your billing, here are a few invoicing tips for consultants:
Before you send your first consulting invoice, here are some quick tips to get started:
Learn about how to simplify your invoicing process with PayPal.
In partnership with three expert business owners, the PayPal Bootcamp includes practical checklists and a short video loaded with tips to help take your business to the next level.
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