The first invoice is the one that takes the longest, mostly because you're not sure what's actually supposed to be on it. The good news: it's a name, an amount, and a due date. Everything else is optional polish.
Here's how to get one out the door today using Wave, which is free invoicing software with no monthly fee.
1. Set up your business profile once
Before your first invoice, Wave asks for your business name, address, and logo if you have one. This only happens once — it gets reused on every invoice after, so it's worth the five minutes now.
2. Add your client
Just a name and an email is enough to start. You can add more later if you end up working with them again.
3. List what you did, not what you are
Skip the job title. Write the actual work: "Deep clean, 3-bedroom house" or "Logo design, 2 revisions" tells the client exactly what they're paying for and cuts down on back-and-forth questions.
4. Set a due date — don't leave it blank
"Due on receipt" is fine for a first-time client. Net 15 or Net 30 is more standard if you're working with a business that has its own payment process.
5. Turn on online payment if you want to get paid faster
Wave can attach a "pay now" button straight on the invoice. There's a small per-transaction fee, but for a first invoice with a new client, it usually beats waiting on a check.
That's it. Hit send. The first one is the only one that feels like a big decision — after that it's just part of how the work gets done.
Wave is free forever for invoicing — no subscription, no trial that runs out.
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