Blog
Notes on invoicing, small business software, and the parts of getting paid that nobody explains properly.
Credit notes, refunds and writing off a bad debt
Reducing an invoice after the fact is not one action, it is three different ones with three different paperwork trails. Here is which applies, and when a debt is officially bad enough to deduct.
Retainers and recurring billing
A retainer is not a project invoiced monthly. Here is how to structure one, when to bill in advance, and what to do when the hours do not match the month.
Vetting a new client before you say yes
Most bad clients show warning signs before the first invoice, not after. Here is what to look for, and why asking for a deposit tells you more than the answer to any question you could ask directly.
Moving your invoicing to a new app
Switching invoicing apps is mostly an archive problem. Save the records you need, choose a clean cutover point, and avoid migrating clutter you will never use.
Where your business records actually live
"In the cloud" is a location and control decision, not magic. Here is how to think about where your invoices and client records actually live.
Invoicing for trades and site work
Trade invoicing gets messy when the job changes on site. A good system keeps labour, materials, changes, progress payments and the final balance easy to follow.
What you can actually claim as a business expense
A business purchase is not automatically a full tax deduction. Here is how the CRA treats common expenses for self-employed Canadians.
Setting your rates without guessing
Your old salary divided by 2,000 hours is not a freelance rate. Start with the income you need, then account for the hours nobody pays you for.
What records the CRA expects you to keep
The CRA's six year rule is simple until you ask what the six years are counted from. Here is what to keep, how long to keep it, and what digital records need to do.
Invoice numbering systems that don't fall apart
Invoice numbers should make records easier to follow, not become a secret code you have to remember. Here is a system that stays useful as you grow.
Deposits and progress payments: how much to ask for
A deposit can protect your calendar and cash flow, but the right amount depends on the job. Here is a practical way to structure it.
When a client won't pay
Start polite, get progressively more formal, and keep your evidence. Here is what to do when an invoice moves from late to genuinely unpaid.
How to write a quote that gets accepted
A good quote does more than name a price. It makes the scope clear, answers the client's obvious questions, and gives them an easy way to say yes.
How to check your Mac's temperature and load
Activity Monitor will tell you what is using the processor. It will not tell you how hot anything is. Here is what the sensors measure, what is normal under load, and when heat is worth worrying about.
Job profitability: what did that job really make?
Revenue is what you billed. Profit is what you kept. The gap between them is not evenly spread, and the jobs that feel busiest are often the ones funding the rest.
Getting clients to pay on time
Most late payment is structural rather than personal. Here is what to put in place before the work starts, how to follow up when it slips anyway, and the rule that quietly caps what interest you can charge.
Quote, estimate or invoice: what is the difference?
Three documents that look similar and do completely different jobs. One of them can commit you to a price. Here is which, and what to do when the work turns out bigger than you thought.
What to include on an invoice: the complete list
Some of what goes on an invoice is required. Most of it is convention, and the conventions exist because they remove reasons not to pay you. Here is the full list, and why each piece is there.
GST and HST on invoices: a freelancer's guide
When you have to register, which rate to charge, and what the CRA expects on the document itself. The rules are more specific than most people realise, and the invoice requirements changed in 2021.
Mac invoicing apps: native app or browser tab?
Most invoicing software is a website with a Mac shaped wrapper around it. Here is what you actually gain from a real Mac app, and where a browser tab is the better answer.
Invoicing without a subscription: the real cost
A monthly invoicing fee looks small next to a one time purchase. Over five years it usually is not. Here is the arithmetic at current published Canadian rates, and an honest look at what the fee actually buys.
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