According to a 2019 survey, slow payments cost the construction industry a whopping $64 billion last year.

These are the costs associated with having to pay for things like materials and wages long before receiving payment from the construction client.

If you’re part of this industry, you’re all too familiar with this process by now, but did you know there are ways around it? 

Read on for ways to streamline your payments and learn about construction invoice examples that just might help speed up the process. 

Ways to Get Paid Faster in the Construction Industry

According to this guide to managing your cash flow in the construction industry, one way to speed up payments is by offering discounts on early settlement.

You could also offer multiple payment options, like:

• Bank transfer 
• Cash or Check
• Credit card
• PayPal

Stating these options and offers on your invoice is the quickest and most effective way to get this information through to the finance department of your client. Hopefully, this can also help your payment edge closer to the top of the pile. 

1. Microsoft Word Construction Invoice Examples

Although Microsoft Office isn’t a free suite of programs, most people already have it installed on their computers or can access it via a friend or family member.

You can also sign up for Microsoft Office by paying an affordable monthly premium or you can find an open-source word processing program online that offers similar features. 

The MS suite comes with a host of pre-installed templates for invoicing or you can download them from the internet.

Once you’ve got your invoice template open, all you need to do is the following:

• Input your company contact details in the top-left box 
• Add the invoice number, date, and reference in the top right-hand box
• Complete the box for the customer’s name and details
• Enter the billing period
• Work out the cost per item and line totals
• Add it all up at the bottom and input the sales tax amount

You can add a note about any special payment terms and conditions at the bottom of the invoice. 

2. Creating Invoices in Microsoft Excel 

The procedure for Microsoft Excel invoices is the same except this program will do all the adding for you and the layout is slightly different.

Most Excel templates have a space for your company details in the header of the page. The client’s details go on the left just below that and the invoice number, date, and billing period go alongside that. 

3. Free Online Templates for Construction Invoices

Microsoft programs are pretty flexible when it comes to custom-designed invoices, but many free online sources offer a more professional look than these old standbys.

Some of the best ones are:

• Lano
• Invoiced
• Invoice Ninja

These templates suit small businesses perfectly and are simple and quick to use. They’re also excellent alternatives if you can’t access Microsoft Word or Excel. 

Find a Better Way for Your Business

While these construction invoice examples might help you to get paid faster, there are plenty of other ways to cut costs and fine-tune your business procedures to save money and improve cash flow.

Keep browsing our blog for more tips on how to run any business more efficiently. 

Big corporations spend billions of dollars on advertising plans each year. But as a small business owner, you simply don’t have those resources to work with. More importantly, you can’t afford to invest in an idea that won’t yield positive results.

The good news? You don’t have to worry about that issue any longer!

In this article, we’ll tell you how to create advertising plans for small businesses that are almost guaranteed to be successful. We’ll tell you what mistakes to look out for, as well as how you can sustain your success long-term.

Start by Setting Some Goals

If you’re new to advertising, figuring out how to get started can be quite difficult. The entire process can be overwhelming for newcomers, which can often lead to you not starting your marketing efforts at all, which of course isn’t a good thing.

So, where is a good place to begin with advertising strategy? Well, we recommend that you start by writing down some short-term and long-term goals that you hope to achieve. 

This will not only help you clearly define what it is you want from advertising but will also help you pick a direction to go in. It’ll also give you something you can show a professional, should you decide to invest in any help with your marketing needs. 

What are some good short-term and long-term goals? Well, for short-term goals, pick something simple, like posting on a social media site every day for a month. A long-term goal could be doubling the size of your customer base in a year or two, it just depends on you and what you think defines success.

Set a Budget and Stick to It

Once you’ve got your goals in place, it’s time to start figuring out how much money you can afford to spend on advertising. We’ll be honest, you don’t need to break the bank to get the results that you’re looking for. You do, however, need to be prepared to spend some money, as well as a great deal of your own time, on advertising.

If you decide that the help of a marketing expert is needed, you’ll need to make sure that you’ve budgeted for that. Think you do the job yourself using affordable-yet-effective marketing strategies? That’s fine, as long as you can make sure that you have the time in your schedule needed to do so the right way.

As you go along, you need to find creative hacks that you can use to maximize your budget. Things like picking efficient advertising strategies (more on that later), or liming yourself to a few basic ideas, are the best ways to do this.

Know Your Target Audience

Want to create a stronger connection with your customers and clients? Trying to find ways to humanize your brand and create a unique voice that people love? To do both of these things, you first need to know your target audience and what they expect out of you marketing-wise.

Having a firm grasp on your target audience, and what they like, will help you make all marketing-related decisions going forward.

The first step to knowing your target audience is knowing where they spend the majority of their time. For example, if you do research, and you determine that your target audience is active on the social media website Twitter, investing resources into Twitter is more than a good idea.

You also need to have a strong idea of what type of content they like, as no two target audiences are the same. Again, this will help you make the tough decisions later on, like what kind of content to create. That’s why you need to find the answers to these questions early on in the process.

Scout the Competition for Ideas

Not sure where your target audience is located at? Don’t know what kind of content they’ll find the most enjoyable? Don’t worry, you can get the answers to all of these questions, plus more useful information, by scouting your competition for good ideas.

A pro tip? Write down the name of your 3 biggest competitors and do some Googling. Under each name, jot down how many social media followers they have on each platform, if they have a blog, as well as if they run TV or radio advertisements.

Odds are you’ll notice a trend involving all three competitors. They’ll most likely have the most followers on the same social media platforms. And if they advertise in any other way, they probably all use the same concepts and ideas to do so.

You can take these core principles, tweak them, and make them your own. That way you can figure out what and where you need to invest your resources, allowing you to find success faster.

It goes without saying, but when you’re scouting your competition for ideas, be sure to avoid stealing ideas outright. Not only will your competitors notice this, but so will your target audience, which isn’t what you want.

Focus on Two or Three Ideas

After you’ve set your goals, and scouted your competition for ideas, you should have all the information you need to start creating a solid advertising plan. While your biggest questions should be answered by now, it’s important to note that there are still a few major mistakes that you need to be sure to avoid.

For example, it’s easy to get too excited and try to invest in a ton of fun ideas. This usually leads to you spreading your resources (and yourself) too thin, which means positive results are unlikely.

Our advice? Stick to two or three marketing strategies and let the rest of your ideas go. This will allow you to put all that you have into each of those ideas, maximizing your chance for success.

Because you’re only picking two or three ideas to pursue, make sure that they’re strong. If you’ve done your research properly, you should have a ton of confidence in your choices. So, if you still have doubts, go back to the drawing board and start over.

Invest in Efficient Marketing Strategies

Working with a small advertising budget? Worried about wasting valuable resources on ideas that won’t help you reach your goals? Start out by invest in affordable-but-efficient strategies that offer a low risk but a high reward.

We’ve touched on this already, but social media marketing is something that can be done in-house and on a small budget. So, if your target audience is active on a site like Facebook, you can use their ads system, and behavioral targeting, to advertise to those users directly.

Email marketing and blogging are two more digital advertising strategies that are worth considering. Both require a great deal of effort on your part, but when done correctly, can yield big-budget results.

If you’re looking for affordable, traditional marketing strategies, look into getting some fliers made for your brand or business. Fliers, along with magnets and stickers, are affordable to make and can help you get your name out there in a hurry.

Track Your Analytics Closely

Almost every digital marketing strategy comes equipped with an analytics feature that you can use to track your results. You need to pay close attention to those numbers, as they’ll tell you what kind of content works best and what doesn’t.

This information is crucial when crafting future content plans. It will also help you keep up with progress, helping you determine if you’re close to reaching your goals or not.

For traditional marketing strategies, like fliers and radio advertisements, you may have to work harder to track these numbers. The best way to do this? Ask your new customers how they found your company. Keep track of their answers, and you can check back over time and see what strategies gave you the best results.

Make Necessary Changes Overtime

Once you start advertising your brand or business, it won’t take long for your numbers to start talking to you. Remember, those numbers are your customers and clients, and their feedback, which is why you need to pay attention to them closely.

Odds are your numbers are going to tell you to make some changes. Make those changes, and be receptive to change, that way you can maximize your advertising efforts.

Still Need Help Creating Advertising Plans?

When it comes to creating advertising plans, the process isn’t as complicated as it may seem on paper. As long as you do your research, and you know what to look out for, you should be able to create a strategy yourself that works for you and your brand or business.

Looking for more advertising tips and tricks? Check back with our blog often, as we’re always posting new and useful information for marketers.

Weddings are the joyous celebration of a new life together, and what better way to express your love and commitment than with ketubah designs. As the ancient document of your commitment, you may be planning to get it designed in an intricate and beautiful way.

By finding a logo maker that can create a logo reminiscent of your ketubah, you’ll have another timeless piece of art to use during your wedding and beyond.  

With this in mind, read on to learn our top five reasons why you need to integrate your ketubah into your wedding logo today! 

What is a Wedding Logo? 

It first helps to know what a wedding logo is and why you need one. Although many of us think of logos as a way to differentiate one business from another, we can also use them as personal symbols. In the case of weddings, logos can be symbols of health and wellness or the commitment you’ve formed with your loved one. 

Although logo is a modern word, they’re similar to the coats of arms used centuries ago as a symbol of a family’s proud heritage. In the Victorian era, the wealthy and middle-class had elaborate personal monograms to mark letters and their possessions.

Ketubah Designs for Your Logo

The hardest part about logos is agreeing on a design that you both love. However, if you have a ketubah for your wedding with an intricate, beautiful design that you love, you can use the ketubah designs for your logo as well! Here are a few reasons why: 

1. Cohesiveness

When it comes to designing your perfect wedding, creating a cohesive design and color palette is harder than it seems. However, if you’ve had your ketubah designed recently and are in love with its colors and design, you can use it as inspiration!

Choose a few of your favorite colors and use them throughout your wedding. If there are design elements that you enjoy such as trees and birds, you can use these as well. 

A logo that looks similar to your ketubah will help your wedding look even more cohesive and united.

2. Beautiful Stationery

Designing wedding invitations, reminders, and programs can be just as hard as the wedding reception itself. However, a logo that’s designed with elements from your ketubah can cut down your workload significantly. A simple logo on the front of your cards can look elegant, minimalistic, and chic.

A logo with your ketubah design on your wedding program can also look beautiful and tasteful.   

3. Timeless

Many people shy away from logos because there’s the chance that they might appear tacky or that the wedding is branded. You don’t want your wedding to appear like a networking event! You can blame this on poorly designed logos.

These logos often don’t match the couple’s personality. Logos made from a template may have been used by hundreds of other couples and don’t have any unique features.

A custom logo designed with your ketubah in mind is a timeless reminder of your love for one another. 

4. Variety of Uses

One of the best parts of a ketubah logo is that you can use it throughout your wedding. You can offer temporary tattoos of your wedding logo as a fun activity during the reception. You can shine a spotlight on the dance floor with the logo. You can even design party favors featuring your wedding logo. 

Your wedding logo can be added to your wedding cake as a topper or as an intricate design directly on the cake itself. Even better, you can even hand out coffee cups, wine bottles, or beer bottles with the log featured. 

There are a variety of options that make the design and cohesiveness of your wedding easier. 

5. After the Wedding

Last but not least, you’ll be able to use your logo well after the wedding is over. During holidays, you’ll be able to use it on holiday cards. Some couples may opt to have pillow covers made that feature your logo, or you can create a minimalistic piece of artwork that hangs next to the ketubah.

If you want to be more subtle with your logo, you can use it to create beautiful necklaces. Couples can also request that their wedding photographs use the logo on the front cover if they’re purchasing a custom-made wedding album.

Where to Find a Wedding Logo Maker 

Designers who created your ketubah design may be able to make you a logo that matches as well. However, if you’re on a tight budget, you can use a logo maker online as well. It’s important to be aware that it can take time to create a logo that you love, especially if you don’t have design experience. 

However, if you follow a few tenets of logo design as well as have a variety of inspirational logos saved on your phone or computer, it’s possible to get the look you desire! 

A Beautifully Designed Wedding

Prepping for your wedding is no small task, especially if you have no idea where to start. However, by incorporating ketubah designs into your logos and the rest of your wedding, you’ll find that you can easily create a cohesive and timeless looking wedding that you both love.

Even better, find a logo maker that can design your logo based on your ketubah design. This is a great way to enhance your options as well as have a timeless piece of art that you can enjoy.

Ready for more logo tips? Keep reading our blog for more informative articles!  

There are finite hours in a day, and you should be utilizing those hours effectively. Going over payroll as your business expands can start taking hours out of your day for little to no purpose other than to pay out money. So you have two options, hire an accountant or start outsourcing finance.

There is a clear winner here, and we’ll show why, in this quick article on outsourcing finance.

Pros of In-House Accounting

This is considered the first option for many, as it just means hiring someone to start doing the job you were doing more effectively. You can keep track of things effectively and have more than full control over what is going on. Communication is great because it is on your time rather than in other companies.

This employee can grow with the company and even will help to pick other employees for the department easier. Good employees can help a business stand out and trustworthy ones can help you make business decisions that shape the company with you.

Cons of In-House Accounting

On the other hand, you’ll be paying higher costs for the employee. This means wages, vacations, insurance, taxes, and equipment like computers, calculators, and the time needed to train them.

This also only frees up time for you, but you’re still fronting the costs with the business.

Pros of Outsourcing Accounting

Outsourcing accounting is perfect for those in-between stages of a business where it is starting to really kick-off but is not a multi-chain store yet. It typically costs less because there are no overhead fees and it is usually a flat fee every month to every year.

It also completely saves you on time of having to hire someone competent. Just because you hire someone for accounting does not mean they will necessarily be good at the job.

Outsourcing payroll services also allows you to not worry about getting everyone’s paychecks in on their time. You can live a relatively stress-free life in this area.

Check out this payroll service company for all your payroll needs.

Cons of Outsourcing Accounting

Communication is the biggest con of business outsourcing at any level. You have to rely on their time to get back to you, sometimes making it inconvenient. The digital world has minimized this setback, however.

The other con is that not all finance outsourcing companies do everything you need them to. This means they might do payrolls, but you also need inventory audits done.

Outsourcing Finance: The Smartest Move You’ll Ever Make

Outsourcing finance is great because of the cheaper costs than hiring and paying someone. It also takes the guesswork out of finding a good employee and provides you with a team of experts that are all committed to one thing, getting your finances and payroll handled effectively.

If you check out the rest of our blog, you’ll see we cover anything in business. From working from home to increasing customers, we cover it all. If you know a business that is growing in size, be sure to share this article with them.