Templates & Documents every Freelancer should Have

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Bureaucracy is something few beginners consider when going into freelancing. However, handling different kinds of documents is a significant part of the job description, so you better be prepared. It might seem intimidating at first, but with the right system, you can save yourself a lot of time. Freelance templates are the solution!

Many freelancers use templates and samples already. Proceed with caution, though!

Templates are general documents that are not usable for every single situation (you might need adapt them to each particular case). Nevertheless, they are extremely useful in the majority of cases – here are a few templates and documents that every freelancer should have in his arsenal:

1) Contract

Contract templates can vary a lot and it is important to pick one that is suitable for your location and job type. Where you live and what niche you work on, are going to be defining for your contract.  

There are several aspects that every freelancer should address in his contract freelance template though: pricing, payment schedule, deadline, a kill fee, and copyright.  

For a detailed breakdown of each of those aspects that should be included in the contract, check out our Must-Have clauses for freelance contracts

2) Invoice

Invoices, similarly to contracts, can differ a lot depending on what you’re looking for. However, there are some details every invoice should have: your company logo, contact details of both parts, or the services to complete, for example.

In addition, make sure you leave some space for the date and invoice number. Last but not least, don’t forget the total amount due, the payment method and the deadline.  

Having an invoice template for freelance work with those important details ready and formatted will significantly speed up the process of writing invoices.

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3) Cold E-mails

Cold emails are what you write to an employer out of the blue, a surprise application if you will.

You don’t need to have a template in its classical form, but you do want to have a couple of questions in front of you when you write a cold email.   Imagine it like an instruction manual:

  • How did you hear of the client?
  • Have you identified a problem?
  • What can you do to solve it and help the client?
  • What is your relevant experience in the field?
  • What should your potential client do next (Call to action)?

Modify that a bit, add some questions that are specific to your field and you should have the perfect cold email for your freelance templates list. Instead of sitting 20 minutes in front of the blank page, you now know exactly what to write.  

4) CV or Resume

This next one might seem a bit weird, but yes, even your CV should be treated as a template. This is something people often disregard, however you shouldn’t be sending the same version of your CV to every potential client.

Tailor it to your needs and of course to the clients’ needs.  

You might like: » How to List Freelance Work on your CV 📑

Highlight the tasks and projects you’ve done that are most relevant to what the employer is looking for. Also remove irrelevant information (minimize time loss for the potential client).  

That extra touch can often be the difference between being considered for a freelance position or having your resume landed in the paper bin after a quick glance.

5) Proposals

If a client reacted to your cold e-mail or simply found your freelance services online and is interested in working with you, you will have to send them a proposal.

Within this proposal, you will define the work and tasks that need to be completed and also the price for those services. Of course, you also need to enumerate your proposal, add your client’s contact details, etc.

That’s why having a proposal freelance template that you just need to update to send it out to the client, will help you with your time and productivity.  

6) Order confirmation

Once you send your proposal and the client has gone through all the details, there are several scenarios possible. The first one is that the client accepts the proposal just as it is and you can immediately start working with them.  

The alternative option is that the proposal doesn’t fit the client 100%. The estimate and budget are too high and the client would like to reduce the scope of work or they would like to add an extra service that you suggested.

Specially for this second scenario, the best possible option will be to confirm your work with an order confirmation. That will be in most cases slightly different from the initial proposal and it would also be useful to have an order confirmation template, too.

7) Payment reminders

A (sadly) very repeated situation amongst freelancers: The client doesn’t pay (or at least, doesn’t pay on time) after the freelancer has completed the work and send out the invoice.

It’s absolutely unfair but surely you will have to chase a payment at some point in your freelance career.  

There are usually 3 payment reminders for late payments:

  • 1st Reminder – it’s often sent 5 days after the invoice was sent
  • 2nd Reminder – it’s usually sent when the invoice is around 10 days overdue
  • 3rd Reminder – it’s often sent 15 days after the invoice date

Luckily, sometimes you will just need to send the first friendly reminder. It can happen to the best of us. The client just oversaw your invoice as the e-mail got buried in their inbox. However, you might need to go further with other clients and legally request the payment.

Free document templates for freelancers

Freelance templates useful documents for freelancers

If you’re urgently in need of a template for your freelance business, we have you covered. We’ve created a few free templates for your freelance business so that making the jump into freelancing it’s easier for you.  

After all, you neeed to focus on your work and not invest so much time surfing the Internet looking for information on what you should include, which layouts are better and ultimately, deciding all the design from scratch.

Download these freelance templates for free:

Do you use freelance templates? If you think we might have missed something important, let us know in the comment section and we’ll make sure to include tips on that, too!

Viktor Marinov

Viktor is the voice behind the freelancermap blog. Every week he comes up with helpful hints, checklists, and guides for freelancers and independent workers. If you would like to know how to find remote jobs online or how to niche yourself as a freelancer, don't miss his freelancer tips!

By Viktor Marinov

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