The most ridiculous question (sorry!) Receipts?

[Charlibombarli]

Hi,

I have started my own little business designing children's t shirts, got my products today and got the word out on social media etc.

I have got a few orders (yippee!)

But I have a complete mental block. Most of the orders are from friends etc, so when I give them their orders what do I do about a receipt? Hand write it? I'd like something a little more professional and ...nice?

Also, I have a couple of orders to be shipped out. And again I don't know what to put in with the order? Do I need to send an invoice? I have been looking at invoice designers and invoice2go etc but am I on the right track with these?

I'm sure the answer is ridiculously simple and I'm overthinking as per usual but would be grateful for any help or advice.

Thanks,
Charlotte.

 

[Raw Rob]

Depends where you plan to go with the business. Long term, the best way (in my opinion) is to use some kind of accounts software to generate the invoices, that way everything is recorded as it should be for when you come to do your tax return. I use the online accounts software www.kashflow.com - they have a basic package starting at £5 per month. But there are several other online accounts packages. Plus accounts software that you install on your computer like Quickbooks, although in general the newer online systems are much easier to use.

 

[PaulBappoo]

My feeling is that you should put something in the package that would get the customer to give you some more information about themselves. For example, if you were more aware of their interests or their anniversary or their children's birthdays, then you could drop them an email in advance of those occasions, offering some of your latest products. Also, if you had their phone number you could send them an SMS or a Viber message at an appropriate time too. People will give over this sort of information if they feel it is in their interest to do so, a discount on a future purchase is often a way businesses use to secure customer info, but customers respond better to things that are of intangible, perceived high value. This is usually some form of information and in your case one example could be advanced notification of hard to get items (Movie branded things that tend to sell out?). I dont think there is any need to add an invoice, but you can if you wish and a receipt can simply be typed on a wordprocessor and printed out. Or if you hand write it, maybe in a specially printed greetings card carrying your brand, that would be a nice personal touch.

 

[Gecko001]

A receipt should have your name and address if you are a sole trader, a brief description of the goods, the amount received and the date payment is received. If you are registered for VAT there is certain information that you have to give to do with that. It is slightly different if you have formed a Ltd Company.

 

[Pish_Pash]

I wouldn't be handwriting a receipt. If you need to get something in place quickly...

http://www.quertime.com/article/top-6-free-online-receipt-and-invoice-maker-tools/

But accounts software is the way to go. I use quickbooks desktop, it will do a sales receipt or a sales invoice for you (incidentally, I see "sales receipt" & "invoice" terminology get used all the time as if they're one in the same thing ...my take on this is that if they've paid you at the time of purchase, it's a sales receipt (but like when you buy in a shop - you get a sales receipt) ...if they are paying at a later point...it's an invoice you need)

 

[julieMD]

If you have "Office/ Word" or "Pages" on your computer they do templates for basic invoices.

 

[myfairworld]

I have started my own little business

Can you explain a bit more about this? Is this, for the moment at least, a 'side' business which you hope will give you a little extra income in addition to your existing job or being a homemaker and which you may or may not expand at a later date? Or are you trying to launch into self-employment or do you have serious plans to grow a really big business? If you are running a 'side' business or maybe just starting towards self-employment the big thing is to keep all costs to the minimum or your expenses will quickly overtake your profits.

If at the moment the business really is a 'little' business at this stage I think handwritten receipts, particularly on nice paper or a nice bit of card would look really good and add a little something to the purchase. Even some quite big businesses are getting in on this sort of thing with handwritten little messages in with your parcel (or apparently handwritten, maybe they've found a way to make multiples without getting writer's cramp!).

 

[MyAccountantOnline]

.....the best way (in my opinion) is to use some kind of accounts software to generate the invoices, that way everything is recorded as it should be for when you come to do your tax return.......

As an accountant I'll second that.

Personally I rate Accounts Portal highly but a lot gets down to personal preference most packages are broadly similar.

OP have you registered with HMRC yet?

 

[Jaymac-safety]

Hi
We post out a delivery document/Invoice with each order along with a bounce back flyer including a discount code (10% off) which can be used on future purchases in our web shop.
We have found this is particularly useful for customers who have bought from us via ebay as it directs them back to our webshop.

 

[Georgia12345]

You could create a basic invoice from an example layout, or just an a4/a5 slip that youve created on word even to put in the package

 

[Charlibombarli]

Hi everyone, I forgot I'd posted this and didn't get any email notifcations - sorry for not replying!

In the end I paid someone on fiverr to mock up a nice looking customer invoice which is what I receive when I buy from similar brands.

I also hand write a little message thanking customers for buying.

@myfairworld
By little business I mean a small start up, starting on a shoe string and hopefully trying to build up decent. At the moment it's definitely a side earner.

@MyAccountantOnline I will look into Accounts Portal thank you, there's a couple of others I have been recommended too. I haven't registered yet, it's really new and I have a business mentor at Princes trust who is going to help with all that side of things.

Thank you to everyone who replied.

 

[IanG]

I found Zoho Invoice excellent, all web based plus there's a mobile app, free trial is quite limiting in terms of customer numbers but its good value once you're paid up, really does save time and hassle messing about with word processed stuff, record keeping etc.

 

[jimnotgym]

Handwriting INVOICES or mocking up INVOICES like this is fine, just make sure you are keeping a copy for yourself, and a running list of amounts. Receipts are proof of having received payment and do a slightly different job! You can give the list of amounts and the copies to your tax accountant and they will know that this is your 'sales' or 'revenue'. If you get to the stage when you decide to go VAT registered then consider an accounts system to help out, but you can do it in a spreadsheet if you are careful.

 

[godoit]

Quickfile is free and able to email the invoices/ receipts to them.