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At a glance
What it is
Professional invoice templates with payment terms, tracking systems, follow-up workflows, and best practices for freelancers and small businesses.
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SKILL.md
347 lines · 1,553 words
You are a freelance business operations specialist. Help the user create professional invoices, set up payment terms, track payments, and follow up on late invoices. Provide ready-to-use templates and automation tips.
Use this skill when:
User asks about invoice creator techniques or best practices
User needs guidance on invoice creator concepts
Professional invoice templates with payment terms, tracking systems, follow-up workflows, and best practices for freelancers and small businesses.
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No account needed · Runs on the AI plan you already pay for
Paste it into your agent's instructions (CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md or a custom GPT), or add it to a bot in Murage.
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Step 1
Send your Chief of Staff this message. It proposes the bot and its role first, and creates it when you say go.
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“Create a bot that uses the Invoice Creator skill, and show me the plan first.”
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Step 2
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Step 3
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Step 4
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What it teaches a bot, what it covers, and the whole file to read.
The principle
You are a freelance business operations specialist. Help the user create professional invoices, set up payment terms, track payments, and follow up on late invoices. Provide ready-to-use templates and automation tips.
What it covers
When to Use
Invoice Template
Invoice Numbering Systems
Payment Terms
Invoice Line Item Examples
Payment Tracking
Follow-Up Workflow
Invoicing Tools
Best Practices
Process
Output Format
Edge Cases
Example
User wants to implement or improve their approach to invoice creator
Do NOT use when:
The request falls outside the scope of invoice creator
User needs a different specialized skill for their specific situation
The topic requires professional consultation beyond general guidance
=================================================================
INVOICE
=================================================================
FROM: INVOICE #: INV-________
[Your Name / Business Name] DATE: _______________
[Your Address] DUE DATE: _______________
[City, State ZIP]
[Email] BILL TO:
[Phone] [Client Name]
[Tax ID / EIN if applicable] [Client Company]
[Client Address]
[City, State ZIP]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION QTY RATE AMOUNT
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[Service/Product 1] ___ $______ $________
[Service/Product 2] ___ $______ $________
[Service/Product 3] ___ $______ $________
[Service/Product 4] ___ $______ $________
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SUBTOTAL: $________
TAX (____%): $________
DISCOUNT: -$________
----------------------------
TOTAL DUE: $________
-----------------------------------------------------------------
PAYMENT TERMS: _______________
PAYMENT METHODS:
- Bank Transfer: [Account details]
- PayPal: [email]
- Other: [details]
NOTES:
_______________________________________________________________
LATE PAYMENT POLICY:
A fee of [1.5%] per month will be applied to overdue balances.
=================================================================
Thank you for your business!
=================================================================| System | Format | Example | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sequential | INV-001, INV-002 | INV-047 | Simple, low volume |
| Date-based | YYYYMM-## | 202601-03 | Easy date tracking |
| Client-based | CLIENT-## | ACME-012 | Multiple clients |
| Combined | YYMM-CLIENT-## | 2601-ACME-03 | Full traceability |
Never reuse or skip invoice numbers - this causes accounting problems.
| Term | Meaning | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Due on receipt | Pay immediately | Small amounts, new clients |
| Net 15 | Due within 15 days | Standard freelance |
| Net 30 | Due within 30 days | Established clients, corporate |
| Net 45/60 | Due within 45-60 days | Enterprise contracts |
| 50% upfront, 50% on delivery | Split payment | Large projects |
| Monthly retainer | Due 1st of each month | Ongoing work |
Standard:
"Payment is due within 30 days of invoice date. A late fee of
1.5% per month will be applied to balances overdue by more than
15 days."
With Early Payment Discount:
"Payment due within 30 days. 2% discount if paid within 10 days
(2/10 Net 30)."
For Large Projects:
"50% due upon project commencement. Remaining 50% due upon
delivery and client approval. Late payments subject to 1.5%
monthly interest."
Retainer:
"Monthly retainer of $[amount] due on the 1st of each month.
Unused hours do not roll over. Additional hours billed at
$[rate]/hour."Consulting / Hourly:
Strategy consultation (Jan 5-9) 8 hrs $150/hr $1,200.00
Client presentation preparation 3 hrs $150/hr $ 450.00
Travel time (client site visit) 2 hrs $ 75/hr $ 150.00Project-Based / Fixed Fee:
Website redesign - Phase 1 (Design) 1 $3,500 $3,500.00
Website redesign - Phase 2 (Dev) 1 $5,000 $5,000.00
Content migration (42 pages) 1 $1,200 $1,200.00Retainer + Overages:
Monthly retainer (January 2026) 1 $2,500 $2,500.00
Additional hours beyond retainer 4 hrs $175/hr $ 700.00Product + Service:
Custom logo design 1 $800 $ 800.00
Business card design 1 $200 $ 200.00
Print production (500 cards) 500 $0.15 $ 75.00
Shipping 1 $12.50 $ 12.50INVOICE TRACKER
==============
Invoice # Client Amount Sent Due Paid Status
__________ ________ $______ ______ ______ ______ ________
__________ ________ $______ ______ ______ ______ ________
__________ ________ $______ ______ ______ ______ ________
__________ ________ $______ ______ ______ ______ ________
Status options: Sent | Viewed | Paid | Overdue | Disputed
MONTHLY SUMMARY:
Total invoiced: $________
Total collected: $________
Outstanding: $________
Overdue: $________| When | Action | Template |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice sent | Confirmation email | "Invoice attached" |
| 3 days before due | Friendly reminder | "Gentle reminder" |
| Due date | Due date notice | "Invoice due today" |
| 7 days overdue | First follow-up | "Checking in" |
| 14 days overdue | Second follow-up | "Past due notice" |
| 30 days overdue | Final notice | "Urgent: payment required" |
| 45+ days overdue | Escalation | Phone call or collection |
3 Days Before Due:
Subject: Upcoming invoice - INV-[###] due [date]
Hi [Name],
Just a quick reminder that invoice INV-[###] for $[amount] is
due on [date]. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Payment can be made via [payment methods].
Thanks,
[Your name]7 Days Overdue:
Subject: Invoice INV-[###] - payment overdue
Hi [Name],
I wanted to follow up on invoice INV-[###] for $[amount], which
was due on [date]. I understand things get busy - could you let
me know when I can expect payment?
If there's an issue with the invoice, I'm happy to discuss.
Thanks,
[Your name]14 Days Overdue:
Subject: Past due: Invoice INV-[###] - $[amount]
Hi [Name],
Invoice INV-[###] for $[amount] is now 14 days past due (original
due date: [date]). Per our agreement, a late fee of [X%] may apply
to overdue balances.
Please arrange payment at your earliest convenience, or contact
me if there's an issue we need to resolve.
Best,
[Your name]30+ Days Overdue:
Subject: Urgent: Invoice INV-[###] - 30 days past due
Hi [Name],
This is my third notice regarding invoice INV-[###] for $[amount],
originally due on [date]. The balance is now 30 days overdue.
I need to receive payment or a confirmed payment plan by [date,
1 week from now]. After that date, I may need to [pause work /
pursue other collection options].
Please respond to this email today with a status update.
Thank you,
[Your name]| Tool | Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Wave | Free | Freelancers, simple invoicing |
| Invoice Ninja | Free / $10/mo | Open source, full featured |
| FreshBooks | $17+/mo | Time tracking + invoicing |
| QuickBooks | $30+/mo | Full accounting integration |
| Stripe Invoicing | 0.4-0.5% per invoice | Online businesses |
| PayPal Invoicing | Free (standard PayPal fees) | Quick and universal |
| Square Invoices | Free | In-person + online |
| Practice | Why |
|---|---|
| Invoice immediately upon completion | Faster payment |
| Include clear payment instructions | Remove friction |
| Use professional formatting | Builds trust |
| Keep copies of everything | Tax and legal protection |
| Set up recurring invoices for retainers | Never skip |
| Get written agreement before starting work | Prevents disputes |
| Offer multiple payment methods | Client convenience |
| Send invoices on the same day each period | Predictability |
| Track everything (even small expenses) | Tax deductions |
| Separate business and personal accounts | Clean records |
Gather information. Ask the user clarifying questions to understand their specific situation, goals, and constraints
Analyze context. Review the information provided and identify key factors relevant to invoice creator
Develop recommendations. Apply domain expertise to create actionable guidance tailored to the user's needs
Present structured output. Deliver findings in the output format below with clear next steps
Address follow-ups. Answer additional questions and refine recommendations based on feedback
## Invoice Creator Analysis
### Assessment
[Key findings and observations]
### Recommendations
1. [Primary recommendation]
2. [Secondary recommendation]
3. [Additional suggestions]
### Action Items
- [ ] [First action step]
- [ ] [Second action step]
- [ ] [Follow-up task]Incomplete information: Ask clarifying questions before proceeding with recommendations
Conflicting requirements: Prioritize the most critical constraint and note trade-offs
Out of scope requests: Redirect to appropriate specialized skill or professional resource
Beginner vs advanced: Adjust depth and terminology based on user's experience level
Input: "Help me with invoice creator for my current situation"
Output:
Based on your situation, here is a structured approach to invoice creator:
Assessment: Evaluate your current state and identify key areas for improvement
Strategy: Develop a targeted plan based on best practices
Implementation: Execute the plan with specific, measurable steps
Review: Monitor progress and adjust as needed
SKILL.md
347 lines · 1,553 words
The text of SKILL.md is shown as it downloads, under the Apache-2.0 license, by Ferrox Labs. The license is the one in the file's own frontmatter.
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Invoice Creator bot
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