Photography Invoices
Handling payments and client invoices as a photographer can seem stressful at first. In order to collect payments easily from clients, you will need an invoicing system to collect the payment, as well as clear communication about how and when your clients will pay you.
It is important to your client journey that you make this as effortless as possible for your clients. You also need to set expectations early on so that you clients know exactly what to expect with their payments. Paying for weddings is stressful and this clear communication will help put your clients at ease.
In this blog post, we will provide a step by step on how to handle client payments and invoicing effectively.
Setting Up a Professional Invoicing System as a Photographer
In today’s world, it is critical that we set up an online invoicing system for our clients. It is standard practice to send a digital invoice and have your clients easily pay online. Although it is still possible to accept cash and checks, having your invoice online will allow for the best, stress free client experience.
There are many invoicing software out there, my personal favorite is Dubsado. Dubsado is a full Client Management suite that allows you to seamlessly handle your clients, contracts, questionnaires, and invoicing. They make it super easy to send an on brand invoice to your clients.
Getting started with Dubsado is very easy. Click HERE to sign up and start exploring this platform for yourself!
Communicating With Clients Professionally
When you are working with clients, it’s important to outline what amount is due and when each payment is do. The clearer you can be and the more you emphasize these dates to your clients, the smoother your client experience will be.
There are a few different places you can highlight your payment terms. First, when a client first inquires and you give your pricing, highlight the deposit needed to secure their date. This is important that they know this upfront. Next, on your proposal you can highlight this again along with any payment plans you might offer. Finally, on your contract you will want to highlight it again so that when they sign they can officially agree to the payment terms that have been set.
Giving your clients different payment plan options is also a great way that you can enhance your client journey – just make sure to clearly outline these wherever you have your payment terms highlighted!
Tips for Streamlining Invoicing and Payment Processes
Once you have your deposit and payment plan solidified, you can go a step further and automate all of your invoicing emails through your CRM. (Again, I highly recommend Dubsado for this!) I know that some people are a little scared of automating their client journey, thinking that it will not allow their clients the most personal experience. But if you look at past emails you might have sent, they all probably look similar, so why not streamline them all together!
While you are setting up your invoicing system, many CRMs (Including Dubsado!) allow you to automatically send polite payment reminder emails on autopilot so that you never have to worry about manually following up again.
You also want to ensure that you are keeping records of all your finances and the payments you collect. This can also be done in your CRM, but you might want to also connect with Quickbooks for even more financial reporting capabilities.
In Conclusion
A well set up invoicing system can decrease stress for both you and your clients. When you set up your invoicing system to work for you, you can stress less, and not have to worry if a client has paid your or not.
By communicating deadlines clearly, multiple times, and by implementing the strategies in this blog post, you will find that invoicing becomes less awkward, you can position yourself as the professional you are, and you can run a thriving photography business that pays you basically on autopilot.
Want help getting this all set up? Click the button below to get in touch and let’s work together to get you an invoicing system that you love!
