Want to get paid faster for your consulting services? The Consulting Invoice Template makes it easy to create, customize, and send professional invoices in minutes.
What Is a Consulting Invoice Template?
A consulting invoice template is a ready-made document that you can use to send to clients to request payment for consulting services. A consulting invoice typically includes the services and billable hours (or fixed rate) in an itemized list, alongside your pricing, payment terms, and project details.
A consulting invoice template can be used for a range of consulting businesses, from marketing to finance, HR to IT. Whether you’re working at an hourly rate or charging flat rate fees, it’s an important tool for any professional consultant.
Failing to send professional invoices can affect your credibility as a business and slow down the payment process. If you use a consultant invoice template that ensures you cover the relevant information, it can expedite the objective — getting paid quickly for all your hard work.
Downloadable Free Consulting Invoice Templates
The beauty of an invoice template is that you can customize its look and feel to reflect the image of your business. Plus, you don’t have to draft a consulting invoice for every job from scratch, saving you precious time and resources when you have a full schedule.
Bonsai’s free Consulting Invoice Template makes the invoicing process entirely effortless. Edit the information, export your document, and bill clients in minutes.
In addition to offering consulting invoice templates, Bonsai allows you to automate other parts of the invoicing process, from creating reminders to issuing late fees. It couldn’t be simpler to use, or more convenient!
Benefits of Using a Consulting Invoice Template
The benefits of using a consulting invoice template go far beyond simply saving time during the invoicing process. A ready-made template is a great way to convey professionalism to clients, keep accurate records, and operationalize your business.
Clarity and Transparency
A consulting invoice template comes ready with editable fields to ensure you include all of the important details in your invoice. This facilitates clarity and transparency with your customers, as they know exactly what they are paying for. Plus, you can always modify, update, review, and finalize invoices according to their needs.
The Consultant Invoice Template from Bonsai:
- is tailored for consulting services
- allows for customization based on client needs
- provides a breakdown of consulting hours and rates
- includes sections for detailed descriptions of services rendered
- may contain terms and conditions specific to consulting agreements
- can be used across various consulting specializations
Clear Breakdown of Services and Costs
Providing a clear breakdown of your services and costs will help you stay organized when it comes to referencing what a client has paid for or has yet to pay for. The content of your invoice is just as important as the design. Make sure your services, costs, hourly rates, etc. are all clearly defined.
Easier for Clients to Understand Expenses
Many clients prefer itemized invoices so they can better understand what they are paying for. The Consulting Invoice Template is formatted so you can easily “plug in” your services and costs, calculate the total, and send invoices in minutes.
Professionalism
Detailed, professional invoices show customers that you care about the customer experience. Update your own invoice template with your company address, colors, logo, and more to keep all documents consistent across your business. Clear invoices convey care and professionalism.
Enhances Business Image
There are a few more reasons to use a customizable invoice template. The Consultant Invoice Template:
- features a professional design to reflect your brand
- allows for the addition of a company logo or personal branding
- is available in multiple formats (e.g., PDF, Word, Excel)
- facilitates clear communication between you and your client
- may include payment terms and methods
- is designed to be easily understood by clients
- can be digitally generated or manually filled out
- includes fields for contact information of both consultant and client
- has a section for taxes, fees, or other additional costs
- is distinct from generic or retail invoice templates
- serves as a record of services provided and payments due
- can be saved, archived, or shared for record-keeping purposes
- can be accompanied by a contract or agreement detailing the scope of work
- is essential for maintaining professionalism and clarity in consulting businesses
Would You Love to Try Our Free Invoice Generator?
Key Components of a Consulting Invoice
Consulting Invoice Templates are essential documents utilized by consultants to formalize billing procedures. These templates typically include vital information such as the consultant's name or company name, along with comprehensive contact information for easy correspondence.
Here are a few key components to include in your consulting invoice.
Header Information
As a consulting service provider, you are legally required to cover your personal information in a consultant invoice, as well as the client’s information. This is so that your client has everything they need for tax purposes.
It’s a good idea to position all contact details at the top of your document where they can be extracted in seconds if needed.
On your side, you must include the name of your consulting business name, email address, phone number, company logo, address, and contact details. On your client’s side, feature the company name, address, and contact details.
Company Logo
Stand out with a well-designed invoice that suits your business! You can add your business colors, custom fonts, logo, company details, and more. This will make your invoices look unique yet consistent with all of your other business documents.
Business and Contact Information
Be sure to include your business name, contact information, and even social media links (Instagram, YouTube, etc.) to direct clients to where to contact you. This will make it easier for clients to reach out if they need to modify the invoice. It also ensures organized record keeping.
Services Rendered
The largest section of your consulting invoice is likely to be the detailed list where you break down the services performed and the payment due per service. To refresh your client’s memory, most freelancers like to include a brief description of each service.
For instance, if you work at an hourly rate as a freelance business consultant, one of the items on your list may look like this:
Likewise, if you work at a flat fee per project milestone, one of your list items may look like this:
Invoice Number and Creation Date
Any type of invoice will carry a unique identification number for easy reference and tracking. Many consultants prefer a chronological order system but you can put in any invoice number you want, from the date to something randomly generated.
Either way, we’d recommend sticking to six numbers or less (which is what you’d need if you use the date). After all, which one is harder to quote over the phone — invoice #010322 or invoice #93847583957? Exactly.
The document should also have an invoice date and a payment due date. This spells out to the client when the invoice was issued and how long they have to complete the payment, which is often needed to encourage them to pay on time!
Payment Details
Any consulting invoice needs to state the payment methods that you previously agreed upon with your customer, whether it’s a direct bank deposit, cheque, or PayPal. Proceed to list your payment information, such as your Stripe username or bank account details.
Because your client wouldn’t be able to pay you without your payment details, this section should be clearly visible above or below the list of services rendered.
Payment Due Date
The document culminates in a clear calculation of the total amount due, highlighting the sum for the services provided. Payment terms are explicitly stated, delineating the expectations for timely settlement, and the invoice specifies the date of service for accurate record-keeping and reference.
Terms and Conditions
Include the payment terms that you’ve already discussed with your client on your consulting invoice. These can range from “NET30” (within 30 days) to “upon receipt” (as soon as your client sees it).
Make sure you allow sufficient time for the client to submit payment, but don’t make your terms so long that you don’t have cash flow.
Usually, this section would be at the bottom of the document and may be titled “Notes.” If you’re going to be charging for late payments, add this information. For example, you could say: “Please note that 1% of the total amount will be charged for every overdue day.”
You may encourage a faster response by adding a discount clause to your consulting invoice for clients who service it on time. However, if you decide to do this, stick with a small amount. Never undercharge for your business consulting services as you deserve to be paid for the specialized expertise and value that you deliver.
Client Information
Consulting invoices also feature details regarding the client's name or company name to specify the recipient of services. The invoice outlines a thorough description of consulting services rendered, detailing the tasks performed and their outcomes. It includes the precise hours worked by the consultant and the agreed-upon hourly rate for their expertise.
Explore More Free Invoice Templates
Word Invoice Template
The Word Invoice Template, designed in Microsoft Word, provides a user-friendly format for you to create professional invoices easily.
Google Docs and Sheets Invoice Template
Tailored for use in Google Docs or Sheets, the Google Docs and Google Sheets invoice templates allows you to generate invoices collaboratively and conveniently within the Google Workspace environment.
PDF Invoice Template
Ideal for creating secure, uneditable invoices, the PDF Invoice Template allows you to generate professional-looking invoices that can be easily shared and printed in PDF format.
Excel Invoice Template
Perfect for tracking financial transactions, this Excel-based template enables you to manage invoices, calculate totals, and organize data efficiently. Get started with the Excel Invoice Template.
Freelance Invoice Template
Specifically designed for freelancers, the Freelance Invoice Template assists you in billing your clients accurately, detailing your services and rates.
Photography Invoice Template
Tailored for photographers, the Photography Invoice Template helps you itemize photography services, including prints, shoots, and editing, for clear and concise invoicing.
Graphic Design Invoice Template
The Graphic Design Invoice Template was made with real designers in mind. This template assists in delineating your design services, project details, and creative fees to maintain transparency in billing.
Construction Invoice Template
Get paid faster on construction projects. The Construction Invoice Template facilitates billing for construction projects, including labor, materials, and project timelines.
Contractor Invoice Template
Ideal for independent contractors, the Contractor Invoice Template helps outline project-specific tasks, hours worked, and costs incurred for effective billing.
Rental Invoice Template
Made specifically for rental businesses, the Rental Invoice Template is great for invoicing clients for rental spaces, equipment, real estate rentals, and more.
Pro Forma Invoice Templates
You can use the Pro Forma Invoice Template to provide a preliminary bill before the actual invoice, offering details of goods or services agreed upon for future payment processing.
Itemized Bill Template
This simple Itemized Bill Template categorizes each item or service provided, ensuring a detailed breakdown of costs for your clients.
Printable Invoice Template
Prefer printed invoices? With a focus on convenience, the Printable Invoice Template allows for hard-copy invoices to be shared or filed for record-keeping purposes.
Professional Invoice Templates
Bonsai hosts a collection of templates catering to various industries. Our Professional Invoice Templates offer customizable formats to suit your business's specific needs.
FAQs
Why should I use a consulting invoice template?
There are many reasons to use a consulting invoice template for your business invoicing. For one, a pre-designed template will include all of the fields you need in order to create a detailed yet clear invoice. Also, you can easily include information about your accepted payment methods, payment terms, invoice due date, etc. to help encourage clients to pay on time (and correctly). Finally, having a customized template on had makes it easy for you to duplicate/convert the existing template and modify it for a new client, without having to create a new invoice from scratch.
When should I send my consulting invoice?
For service-based businesses, sending consulting invoices after a milestone has been achieved or at the end of the project is common practice. This is because job completion is still fresh in the client’s memory, which will remind them to pay on time.
Having said that, it all depends on the agreement that you initially had with your client before you signed a consultant agreement template.
How long does a consulting invoice need to be?
Whether it’s in Google Docs, Google Sheets, or Bonsai, your invoice should be limited to one page so that it can be viewed wholly on a single sheet of paper. The only exception is if you have a long list of services that need to spill onto a second page.
Can I customize the consulting invoice template to match my brand?
Yes! The Consulting Invoice Template from Bonsai allows you to download the simple template but customize it according to your branding. You can add your business logo, colors, and fonts. You can add or remove fields for your services. You can even update the content so the invoice is in your brand voice!
How can I ensure my consulting invoice is legally compliant?
To ensure your consulting invoice is legally compliant, make sure to include the essential details, such as your name or company name, contact information, and the client's details. Clearly outline the services rendered, specifying the description of work performed, hours worked, and the agreed-upon hourly rate. Ensure that your invoice follows tax regulations, includes any necessary tax identification numbers, and adheres to local invoicing requirements. You should also clearly state payment terms, such as the payment due date and accepted methods of payment, to avoid any confusion or disputes with your clients.
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