Basic invoicing is pretty simple. An invoice should look professional—if you take an amateurish approach it’s unlikely that you’ll be treated and paid like a professional—and detailed. A prominent logo and business name should be followed by contact information for both parties, the date of service, and clear itemization of hourly fees, materials, travel time, sub-contractor fees etc., as applicable. Clients are far more inclined to question and delay payment on lump-sum invoices, so line items are essential; don’t forget that you’ll often be required to include your tax ID or VAT number.

FastDue.com’s free and intuitive suite of essential online business tools goes way beyond basic invoicing. There’s no steep learning curve or expensive accounting software package to buy, but FastDue gives you an unparalleled opportunity to increase your brand recognition, interact with your clients and decrease the time you spend on accounting. Oh, and get paid faster.