I fancy myself a reasonably organized particular person. However in the case of freelance writing, it’s simple for me to lose monitor of issues.
Did I save that contract in Microsoft Phrase or Google Docs? Am I on bill quantity 1038 or 1039? I believed I used to be pleased with the speed my consumer is paying me, however I’ve been engaged on this undertaking for who is aware of how lengthy — is it even value it?
Once we’re our personal boss, now we have plenty of balls to juggle. In case you had been working in a standard workplace, you may need a system for categorizing recordsdata or an accounting crew to trace work-related bills. However because you’re by yourself, how are you supposed to trace every part?
In swoops Bonsai. On this Bonsai Evaluation submit, we’ll break down what it’s, how one can use it, how a lot it prices, and extra. Prepared?
What’s Bonsai?
Bonsai is a web based platform that goals to assist freelancers streamline their quite a few day by day duties.
If you create an account, go to the dashboard to entry issues like your contracts, invoices, proposals and consumer info. By holding every part in a single place, you’ll be able to keep organized and hopefully accomplish duties extra effectively.
Bonsai’s purpose is to give you every part you want for a contract undertaking, from begin to end (or proposal to cost). You’ll obtain a 14-day free trial whenever you enroll, which ought to offer you time to get a really feel for a way Bonsai can affect your day by day life.
What are you able to do with Bonsai?
Right here’s what you are able to do with Bonsai.
Hold monitor of purchasers, initiatives and duties
Out of your dashboard, you will have a piece for purchasers, the place you’ll be able to retailer info like purchasers’ contact info and social media profiles, and even how a lot cash they owe you.
For instance, let’s say I enter info for my three foremost purchasers, Finance Firm, Journey Weblog and Beverage Web site.
Then you’ll be able to create initiatives for every consumer. Below Finance Firm, I could add initiatives for bank card items, scholar mortgage items and fairness items. For Journey Weblog, the initiatives may very well be January weblog posts, February weblog posts, and so on.
Lastly, you’ll be able to create particular duties underneath every undertaking. As an example, underneath January weblog posts, I would add every particular person weblog submit as a process, assuming I write a couple of weblog submit per thirty days.
That is basically a digital model of a binder crammed with folders and color-coded tabs. Monica Geller from Associates and Amy Santiago from Brooklyn 9-9 would have a area day with Bonsai in the event that they had been freelance writers.
Time your self
Within the prime proper nook, you’ll see “Begin Timer.” If you click on this, you’ll be able to select a selected undertaking and even a process to time. You too can add notes, like “analysis” so you recognize you spent that point researching, not writing.
The timer is very useful in case you cost purchasers by the hour. I don’t cost hourly, however I nonetheless favor to make use of the timer. If I cost $100 for a chunk however understand it required 10 hours of labor, I would suppose twice earlier than taking up the same project.
Earlier than signing up for Bonsai, I used a time tracker known as Time Physician. This system skilled a number of glitches over the months I used it, which was annoying as a result of I used to be charging by the hour again then. To date, Bonsai’s timer has been extra dependable and correct.
Create invoices
Kim T., a author who has been utilizing Bonsai for 2 years, says the invoicing software program is likely to be her favourite a part of the platform. “Bonsai is nice for easy invoicing and cost,” she explains.
“Easy” actually is the suitable phrase. You possibly can create an bill, then hyperlink it to the timer in order that the period of time you spend on a undertaking routinely exhibits up within the bill. This could prevent time plugging in numbers in case you cost hourly.
Or it’s possible you’ll select to create invoices manually. Bonsai gives you with bill templates, so that you don’t have to start out from scratch.
I despise creating invoices in Microsoft Phrase, even with Phrase’s templates, so I’ve to agree with Kim — Bonsai’s invoices are an enormous plus.
Write proposals and contracts
Time to pitch an enormous undertaking? You may want to put in writing a proposal.
Bonsai gives a number of proposal templates relying on what sort of labor you’re proposing. There’s one for writing initiatives that divides the proposal into Context & Aims, Timeline and Why Me.
There are additionally templates for different forms of work, like Design or Consulting. (As a result of everyone knows a minimum of one author who has experience in a couple of area!)
As soon as a consumer accepts your proposal, you’ll be able to write up a contract. Bonsai’s contracts are much more customizable than its proposals, and it’s the customizability that Kim says makes Bonsai stand out from different platforms. There are quite a few contract template choices, together with a “customized” possibility that helps you create a contract from scratch.
File enterprise bills
The Bills part is the place you’ll preserve monitor of things like Uber and Lyft rides, airplane flights, enterprise meals — something a consumer may reimburse you for. You possibly can subdivide bills into classes like Promoting, Workplace Bills and Provides. Bonsai will monitor which billable bills you will have been reimbursed for and which of them you’re ready to be reimbursed for.
You too can monitor non-billable bills, which will be helpful when tax season rolls round and also you’re pondering, “Oh, what enterprise bills can I write off?”
Be your personal accountant
The extra purchasers you will have and the extra numerous your freelancing work is, the extra probably you might be to profit from an accountant. However in case you’re already paying for a subscription to Bonsai, why trouble hiring an accountant? Use the platform to behave as your personal accountant!
You possibly can hyperlink the Accounting part to your Bills and Invoicing sections to trace your enterprise finances. The format is beneficial for monitoring each billable and non-billable bills so you’ll be able to see how a lot you’re spending in your writing profession versus how a lot you’re bringing in.
What may enhance about Bonsai?
The invoicing could also be handy, however the system isn’t flawless.
You possibly can solely customise invoices to some extent. The sections are “Merchandise identify,” “items,” “price” and “whole.” However for one in every of my purchasers, I must have a separate part for “merchandise code,” and I don’t want a “items” column.
It will be nice if I may simply exchange “items” with “merchandise code,” however sadly this isn’t an possibility.
If you arrange an bill, you select a cost technique, and some of those strategies contain charges. I at all times request direct deposit once I can, however Bonsai fees a $5 payment for direct deposit. I’d moderately simply create an bill by Microsoft Phrase and pocket the $5. They do provide prompt payouts as a sort of different although, and the payment is 1.5% of the whole bill to have it deposited into your account instantly.
Kim has been utilizing Bonsai for for much longer than I’ve, and though she’s a fan total, she finds herself wishing she may use the platform for extra advanced duties.
“It’d be great if I may take a consumer/undertaking and run a report that tells me the whole quantity billed because it pertains to the whole hours spent,” she says.
We will solely hope Bonsai continues to develop every part in order that freelancers can do much more with this system.
Backside line: Do you have to give Bonsai a strive?
In case you’re a contract author with a number of purchasers and/or initiatives, it’s actually value organising a Bonsai account. Storing all my info in a single place has made me really feel much less frazzled.
Your capacity to entry sure options is determined by which plan you choose. Listed here are your choices:
Bonsai Starter ($24 per thirty days): Capacity to create invoices, proposals and contracts, monitor bills, entry a fundamental CRM, and use chat assist.Bonsai Skilled ($39 per thirty days): All of the options you’ll be able to entry with a Starter membership, in addition to the flexibility to subcontract by Bonsai and white-label (or legally exchange a model’s emblem with your personal). You too can add a number of customers to your account and combine with Zapier, Calendly, and Quickbooks.
In case you’re searching for a extra reasonably priced deal and are open to long-term dedication, you’ll be able to join annual billing. You’ll obtain the equal of two months free, which involves solely $17 per thirty days for Bonsai Starter and $32 per thirty days for Skilled.
You may give the two-week trial a go and see if you wish to join Bonsai Plus. Nevertheless, I don’t see a lot use for Premium until you both have some very particular, superior wants, otherwise you make use of different folks and wish to add them to your account.
This submit accommodates affiliate hyperlinks. Which means if you are going to buy by our hyperlinks, you’re supporting The Write Life — and we thanks for that!
Picture through JKstock/ Shutterstock