Stories & Insights

The Builtomate Blog

Real stories from freelancers who stopped guessing and started running their business with clarity.

Customer Stories

7 stories
✦ Case Study Expenses + Reports

How Tom found out which clients were actually costing him money

A marketing consultant thought he knew which projects were profitable. His expense reports told a very different story — and three clients had to go.

$8,400
in tracked tax deductions
3
unprofitable clients dropped
+41%
increase in effective rate
Read full story
TW Tom W. Marketing Consultant EXPENSES + REPORTS Client Profitability Report Q1 2025 CLIENT REVENUE EXPENSES MARGIN Harrison Group £8,000 £1,200 85% Brightline Media £5,500 £900 76% Caldwell Brands £3,500 £3,100 11% Summit Partners £6,000 £1,400 63% ⚠ Caldwell Brands: effectively break-even after expenses Tax Deductions Found £8,400 Effective Rate Increase +41% $8,400 tax deductions found 3 unprofitable clients dropped +41% increase in effective rate

Tom W.

Marketing Consultant
LS Lena S. Freelance Illustrator BOOKING March 2025 M T W T F S S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 Mar 7 · 10:00 AM CET 1 email → 1 click → booked ✓ Confirmed! Book Discovery Call 30 min · Mar 7 · 10:00 AM Full name Email address Project type Tell me about your project... Confirm Booking +30% more discovery calls 60% fewer scheduling emails 0 double bookings ever
Booking & Scheduling

Lena S.

Freelance Illustrator

How Lena increased her bookings 30% by eliminating the scheduling back-and-forth

60%
fewer scheduling emails
+30%
more discovery calls booked
4 min read Read story
SK Sarah K. UX Designer TIME TRACKING PROJECT: WEBSITE REDESIGN 01:24:38 RUNNING Wireframes — UI Kit 3h 20m Client review session 1h 45m $3,200 recovered monthly 8 hrs saved per week 100% billable hours captured
Time Tracking

Sarah K.

UX Designer

How Sarah stopped undercharging and recovered $3,200/month

8 hrs
saved per week
$3,200
recovered monthly
6 min read Read story
PM Priya M. Brand Photographer CLIENT PORTAL priya.builtomate.com/portal Priya's Studio — Client Portal Gallery Invoice Contract Messages 🖼 final-01.jpg 🖼 final-02.jpg 🖼 final-03.jpg +24 more files Invoice #18 — Brand shoot Feb £1,200 · Due Mar 15 Pay Now → ✓ 0 "where are my files?" emails since launch 40+ clients per year 0 "where are my files?" emails 5 hrs saved every week
Client Portal

Priya M.

Brand Photographer

How Priya handles 40+ clients a year without a single "where are my files?" email

40+
clients per year
0
"where are my files?" emails
5 min read Read story
JR James R. Freelance Web Developer ALL-IN-ONE From 4 tools to 1 ⏱ Toggl 📄 FreshBooks 📋 Asana 📝 Notion → Builtomate Time · Tasks · Invoicing Portal · Reports · Proposals ✓ Saved $180/mo in subscriptions + 12 hrs/week in admin 4 tools replaced $180 saved per month 12 hrs reclaimed per week
All-in-one: Time, Tasks, Invoicing

James R.

Freelance Web Developer

How James replaced 4 tools with one and got his weekends back

4
tools replaced
$180
saved monthly
7 min read Read story
MT Marcus T. Freelance Copywriter INVOICING MONTHLY INVOICES — AUTO-SENT CLIENT AMOUNT STATUS Acme Corp $2,400 PAID TechStart Inc. $1,800 PAID Bloom Studio $3,200 DUE Nova Digital $1,200 PAID Frontier Labs $2,800 PAID + 5 more auto-invoiced this month… Total billed this month: $14,300 ⚡ All invoices automated 10 retainer clients 0 missed payments $186K total billed
Invoicing & Recurring Billing

Marcus T.

Freelance Copywriter

How Marcus manages 10 retainer clients without missing a single invoice

10
retainer clients managed
0
missed payments
5 min read Read story
NB Nina B. Business Coach PROPOSALS 6-Week Strategy Sprint Proposal #14 1. Scope of Work 2. Deliverables 3. Investment £3,000 50% deposit on signature · 50% at close Client signature ✓ SIGNED Mar 7 · 11:42 AM 20 min after sending 2x faster deal closing £24K signed in first 60 days 0 chasing signatures
Proposals & Contracts

Nina B.

Business Coach

How Nina closes coaching packages 2x faster with proposals that sign themselves

2x
faster deal closing
$24K
in contracts signed in 60 days
5 min read Read story

From the Blog

client.builtomate.com/portal Invoices Files Messages Contracts Invoice #1041 Feb 15, 2025 · $2,400 PAID Invoice #1042 Mar 10, 2025 · $1,800 DUE Invoice #1043 Apr 1, 2025 · $3,200 DRAFT Pay Now → ARTICLE
Freelancing

Why Every Freelancer Needs a Client Portal

A client portal is not a luxury — it is a tool that saves time, reduces email, and makes you look more professional.

Feb 18, 2026
Read →
01:24:38 RUNNING WEBSITE REDESIGN ARTICLE
Tips & Guides

5 Time Tracking Habits That Will Transform Your Freelance Business

Time is your most valuable asset as a freelancer. Here are five habits that will help you track it effectively and boost your income.

Feb 15, 2026
Read →
INVOICE #1042 Due: Mar 15, 2025 Website Design — 12h $1,440 Development — 8h $960 SEO Audit $350 TOTAL DUE $2,750 Send Invoice Sent ✓ ARTICLE
Tips & Guides

How to Create Professional Invoices That Get Paid Faster

Your invoice is more than a bill — it is a reflection of your professionalism. Learn how to create invoices that encourage prompt payment.

Feb 01, 2026
Read →
WorkHub Dashboard Revenue (MTD) $8,240 ↑ 18% vs last month Active Projects 7 3 due this week Hours This Week 24.5h of 40h target Weekly Activity Today's Tasks Review proposal Client call 2pm Send invoice #1043 Update Gantt chart ARTICLE
Freelancing

The Ultimate Guide to Setting Your Freelance Rates

Pricing your freelance services is both an art and a science. This guide walks you through everything you need to know.

Jan 29, 2026
Read →
Client Intake Form Tell us about your project Full Name * Sarah Johnson Email Address * sarah@example.com Budget Range $3,000 – $5,000 ▾ Project Details Submit Form → ARTICLE
Product Updates

Introducing Builtomate: Your All-in-One Freelance Business Platform

We built Builtomate because freelancers deserve better tools. Here is what makes it different.

Jan 29, 2026
Read →

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