For small agencies & studios

Invoicing for small agencies and studios

A two-person studio runs on two kinds of money: projects billed in stages, and retainers billed every month. Kick a project off on a deposit, bill each milestone as it ships, then roll the client onto a retainer that raises itself. The chasing, the FX, and the month-end paperwork look after themselves.

Your first 3 invoices are free to send, no card needed.

Project to retainer

One client, from pitch to repeat

Proposal accepted

A scoped proposal the client signs off in their browser, one tap short of an invoice.

Deposit in

Work starts on a project deposit, taken up front and chased if it lags.

Milestones billed

Each phase invoiced as it ships: discovery, design, build, on its own date.

Delivered

The project wraps. A late scope cut is credited straight back to the penny.

Retainer live

The client rolls onto a monthly retainer that raises and sends itself.

Built for both

Projects and retainers on one client

Agency money has two shapes: a project billed in stages, and a retainer billed on repeat. Sendinvo runs both on the same client, so a two-person studio invoices like a much larger one.

Proposals accepted, then billed in stages

Send the scope as a quote the client accepts in their browser, then bill it as a deposit and milestone instalments, each with its own date and chased one at a time.

A scope change credited to the penny

Scope moves. If a phase gets cut after you’ve invoiced, a credit note adjusts what the client owes to the penny and leaves a clean record on both sides.

Retainers that run themselves

When a project turns into an ongoing relationship, put the client on a recurring retainer that raises and sends itself each month, and hand their finance team a client statement whenever they ask.

An overseas client, no FX

Won a client abroad? Invoice in their currency and the total reads in their own money. Sendinvo never converts or blends currencies, so every invoice stays exactly as you billed it.

See it in action

A small agency, seeded and running

The real app, filled with a studio’s work: a proposal out for sign-off, a project on a deposit and milestones, and a monthly retainer. Have a click around.

sendinvo.com/invoices

A live demo seeded with a small agency. Nothing you do here is saved or sent.

A worked example

A £9,000 website build, in three

One payment plan, a deposit and two milestones, each chased as it falls due.

Payment plan for a website build
Deposit on kick-off, 30% £2,700.00 Paid
Design sign-off, phase one £3,150.00 Due 12 Aug
Build and handover, phase two £3,150.00
Total £9,000.00

Each phase bills on its own date and is chased if it runs late. When the build wraps, the same client can roll onto a monthly retainer.

Questions

Good to know

Can I bill a project as a deposit plus milestones?

Yes. Split a project invoice into a deposit and milestone instalments, each with its own amount and due date, adding up to the total. Sendinvo chases one at a time as it falls due. Payment plans are available on a paid plan.

Can I put a client on a recurring retainer?

Yes. Set a recurring schedule and Sendinvo raises the next retainer invoice and sends it automatically on your cadence, with the next number in your sequence. There’s nothing to remember each month.

How do I handle a scope reduction after I’ve invoiced?

Issue a credit note against the invoice. It credits the client to the penny, adjusts what they owe, and leaves a clean record on both sides.

Can I invoice a client based overseas?

Yes. Invoice in the client’s currency and the total reads in their own money. Sendinvo never converts or blends currencies, so every invoice stays exactly as you billed it.

Bill the project, keep the retainer, get paid for both.

Send your first quote free and let the deposit, the milestones, and the retainer run themselves.