Playbook 03

Getting paid, without the spreadsheet

The work is done. Now it needs to be invoiced, and next month it needs to happen again without you rebuilding it. Here is the money, in the order it happens.

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The money

Five steps, in order

01

Price your services once

closet edit · shopping day · seasonal refresh

Write down what you offer and what each one costs. Every proposal after this starts from that list, so you stop quoting from memory.

02

Send a proposal before the first session

she signs on her phone

She sees what's included, what it costs, and signs. You both know the shape of the work before anyone books a car.

03

Attach the contract

cancellation · deposit · the awkward bits

The terms ride along with the proposal, so the things you don't want to argue about later are agreed before there is a later.

04

Invoice when the work is done

card, or Venmo and Zelle

The invoice comes from the proposal, so nothing gets retyped. She pays by card, or through the Venmo or Zelle handle on your profile, and you mark it paid.

05

Put ongoing clients on a retainer

the invoice goes out on its own

For the client you see every month, set it once. The invoice goes out each month without you writing it, and you find out when it's paid.

Without it

How the money usually goes

  • 01The price is whatever you said on the phone, and she remembers it differently.
  • 02The contract is a PDF you emailed, unsigned, that nobody can find.
  • 03The invoice is a spreadsheet you rebuild every month for the same client.
  • 04Chasing the deposit is the first conversation of every engagement.
After the first one

What you have once it's set up

  • A price list you wrote once and never retype.
  • A signed proposal and contract for every engagement, on her phone and yours.
  • Invoices that come from the proposal, paid by card or by the handle you already use.
  • Monthly clients billed without a monthly chore.
See what she sees →
Questions

The money, in brief

Do I need Stripe to send an invoice?+

No. Card payments run through Stripe, and you connect that once. If you bill by Venmo or Zelle, put the handle on your profile and the invoice offers it, with the amount and memo filled in on Venmo. You mark it paid when the money lands.

Does she need an account to sign a proposal?+

No. The proposal is a link. She opens it on her phone, reviews what's included, and signs.

Can a proposal take a deposit?+

Yes. A proposal can collect a deposit when she signs, and the invoice at the end credits it.

What does a retainer actually do?+

It creates and sends the invoice on the schedule you set, from a template you wrote once. Payment works the same way as any invoice.

Which plan is this on?+

Proposals, contracts, invoices and retainers are on every paid plan. The paperwork is table stakes; the closet and the lookbooks are the reason to be here.

Before the next invoice

The studio your clients would see

The first 25 studios lock in a lower rate for life. See the founding cohort