Microsoft Access can do many amazing things, and creating invoices is one of them! The first thing you’ll need to do is establish a database that keeps track of your business transactions. Using tables and reports, you can log hours, wages and customer information. When it comes time to bill a client, Access will automatically generate an invoice for you! This way, you don’t have to create one manually.
This post explores how to use Access to create invoices for your clients. You then will have the option to view, print or email the invoice.
Create an Invoice Template
Open Access and select Create Invoice from the menu of options on the left. Then click on Create, and then Form Wizard. Form Wizard takes the information you select from different tables and puts them into one form, which in this case, is the invoice.
You can add the components you want such as:
- Invoice Number
- Date of Sale
- Customer ID
- Product ID
- Quantity
- Price
While there are other options, these are the ones most commonly included on invoices. You can also choose what information is shown in the header, and what information goes into the subfields. Customize the invoice for your business and select Finish. Name the template and it will be stored for viewing, printing or emailing.
Create a New Customer Invoice
To generate a new customer invoice, go to the bar below the Invoice Table box. Choose New Record for a new invoice for a customer. Each section of the invoice table becomes a drop-down menu where you get to choose the information.
For example, if the customer is already in the database, you can choose the name from the Customer drop-down menu. Continue doing the same for the other fields – Date of Purchase, Products, Pricing, etc. If you need to make adjustments, select the Design Tab in the top menu row.
Third-Party Templates
There’s also the option to use third-party templates for your invoices. Templates are a good option if you’re looking for specific elements in your invoice but don’t want to create your own.
You can download an invoice template from Microsoft or from another website or forum. Make sure that you have a good antivirus or antimalware program installed on your computer, as there is always some risk when downloading from third parties.
If you have more questions about creating invoices using Microsoft Access, or you’re looking to have a custom template created, contact Arkware today.