Workflows · Issue No. 1

How your business actually runs money.

Eight workflow examples to start. The same primitives fit many more. Find the shape closest to yours, then read what running it on Settle looks like.

Begin with the shape underneath

For

Freelancers

Workflow

Project billing

read →Settle

For

Agencies

Workflow

AR + AP

read →Settle

For

Local services

Workflow

Recurring clients

read →Settle

For

Multi-channel

Workflow

Channel revenue

read →Settle

Eight to start. Many more fit.

Chapter 1 · The shape underneath

Different industries. Same shape underneath.

A contractor calls it a job. A consultant calls it an engagement. A designer calls it a project. The vocabulary shifts; the shape is constant. That's why one platform fits eight industries cleanly.

Quote / Deposit

Agree on the work

Project / Job

Do the work

Invoice / Bill

Send the ask

Reminder

Nudge if needed

Payment

Money lands

Ledger

Record stays

Same steps · four vocabularies

Industry	Step 1	Step 2	Step 3	Step 4	Step 5	Step 6
Contractor	Estimate	Job	Stage invoice	Friendly nudge	Check / ACH	Job history
Consultant	SOW	Engagement	Retainer invoice	Polite check-in	Wire / ACH	Engagement ledger
Designer	Quote	Brief	Project invoice	Quick check-in	Stripe	Project history
Local services	Booking	Service	Monthly bill	Heads-up	Card on file	Family record

Chapter 2 · The archetypes

Find yourself in one of these.

Four flagship spreads first. Four more in the gallery below.

For freelancers

Freelancers.

Send the invoice. Get paid. Move on.

You bill clients project by project. You want the invoice to take two minutes and the payment to land without a follow-up call.

Read the workflow

Workflow shape

Project billing

Scope

Invoice

Get paid

Same shape as every other workflow. Different vocabulary, same primitives.

For agencies

Agencies.

AR and AP in one place. Stop billing through three tools.

You run a small team billing multiple clients. You also pay subcontractors and vendors. You want the money in and the money out tracked in one system.

Read the workflow

Workflow shape

AR + AP

Client invoice

Vendor bill

Retainer

Follow-up

Same shape as every other workflow. Different vocabulary, same primitives.

For local services

Local services.

Recurring monthly billing for the families and businesses you serve.

You teach, train, clean, or maintain on a recurring schedule. You have 30 to 200 clients paying you monthly. You want them paying online without you texting reminders every Friday.

Read the workflow

Workflow shape

Recurring clients

Monthly schedule

Auto send

Gentle reminder

Paid

Same shape as every other workflow. Different vocabulary, same primitives.

For multi-channel businesses

Multi-channel businesses.

Your money lands in five places. See it in one.

Etsy, Amazon, Acuity, Stripe, the occasional check. Each platform pays on its own schedule. Settle imports every channel into one revenue view so you can see what you actually made.

Read the workflow

Workflow shape

Channel revenue

Import CSV

Map columns

Channel view

Net revenue

Same shape as every other workflow. Different vocabulary, same primitives.

Chapter 3 · The gallery

Four more shapes. Same platform.

05Hourly + retainer

For

Independent professionals

Hourly or retainer. Same client every month. Less invoice admin.

You work with repeat clients on hourly or monthly retainers. You want the recurring invoice to send itself and the late-payment chase to stop being your job.

See the workflow

06High-value engagements

For

Consultants

High-value engagements deserve a high-trust billing surface.

You send high-value invoices and clients expect a polished billing experience. Sometimes your clients send YOU the PO and the invoice format they need.

See the workflow

07Quote + stage billing

For

Contractors and trades

Deposit, progress, final. Each invoice tracked through to paid.

You don't get paid in a single lump. You bill a deposit to start, draws as the work progresses, and a final on completion. Settle tracks each invoice from sent to paid so nothing slips.

See the workflow

08Multi-currency

For

Cross-border billing

Bill in their currency. Track in yours.

You invoice clients in another country. They want to pay in their currency. You want one place that holds every invoice, in every currency, alongside your domestic ones.

See the workflow

Your workflow not listed?

It runs on Settle just the same.

These eight are the most common shapes we see. The primitives underneath, invoice, payment, reminder, intake, ledger, client and vendor intelligence, fit every service and platform-paid business we've met. If yours is different, that's a feature, not a problem. Start free, or tell us about your workflow and we'll show you how it fits.

Get Started Tell us about your workflow

Questions? Email [email protected]. A human answers.