Automating Invoicing: How One Zap Saved a Web Designer 5+ Hours Every Week

Metal Potato is a web design company that works with a diverse range of clients, from celebrities to online shops and international governments. The company specializes in creating responsive websites that look great on every device. In the last year, websites designed by Metal Potato brought in over $75 million. The company prides itself on its customized work and problem-solving ethos. Andrew MacDonald, the Chief Spud and web designer at Metal Potato, was looking for a way to automate the invoicing process to save time and focus more on designing sites.

Andrew MacDonald, Chief Spud and web designer at Metal Potato, was spending a significant amount of time on administrative tasks, specifically invoicing. Each time a client made a payment, Andrew had to manually copy all the important details such as the amount paid, date, name, email, and service purchased to create a contact and invoice. This process was not only time-consuming but also repetitive and tedious. Andrew's goal was to focus more on designing sites and less on these administrative duties. He was looking for a solution that could automate the invoicing process and save him time.

Andrew turned to Zapier, an app automator, to streamline his invoicing process. He created a workflow, or 'Zap', that automated the process of creating contacts and invoices in Freshbooks whenever a new payment was received through Stripe. The Zap would search for an existing contact or create one, create an invoice, and then update that invoice. All of this was done instantly when new payments arrived from Stripe, eliminating the need for manual intervention. This solution allowed Andrew to focus on his passion for web design, rather than administrative tasks. Andrew's key to success was experimenting with different workflows and persisting until he found a solution that worked for him.

• The implementation of Zapier's automated workflows significantly improved the operational efficiency at Metal Potato. Andrew was able to redirect the time he previously spent on invoicing to his core work of designing websites. This not only increased his productivity but also allowed him to focus on what he was passionate about. The automation also reduced the risk of errors that could occur in manual invoicing. Furthermore, the success of this automation encouraged Andrew to explore other areas of his work that could be automated, leading to further operational improvements.

• Saved over 5 hours every week on invoicing

• Automated the process of creating contacts and invoices

• Eliminated the need for manual intervention in the invoicing process