Why Freshbooks Won the Bid for This Architecture Firm

A tool for tracking projects (and budgets) over time

As bugge plus architects transitioned from “side hustle” to “formalized business,” Amanda’s priorities included reviewing insurance compliance across three states and refining standard operating procedures, including contracting. Her first big task? Taxes. 

One thing that wasn’t on her to-do list, though, was finding small business software. Steven’s existing FreshBooks account was capable of helping manage all these priorities. Although they had no shortage of other options—including some specifically for architects—FreshBooks won the bid.  

“I had been having conversations with other architects who were starting to practice on their own, and FreshBooks kept coming up as a really lean, efficient, and budget-friendly option for professionals that contains the tools without the fluff,” says Steven about making the initial jump to FreshBooks. 

For Steven, FreshBooks became his go-to tool for writing contracts, tracking billable hours, and invoicing clients for projects. For Amanda, it offers her high-level insight into the company’s finances. In addition to generating standard financial reports that any small business needs, FreshBooks also helps them track budgets and time on projects that can last for months and have specific cost constraints.  

“I can put in what we have billed compared to what is in our contracted amounts. Seeing utilization rates— how far we’ve come and what we have left—and then being able to communicate that breakdown to clients has been really helpful,” says Amanda. “It makes it pretty easy to go in there and see where everything stands.”

The team also uses these reports at their weekly Monday morning meetings, where they discuss upcoming tasks, assign responsibilities, and schedule their deliverables. “We need to track where we are in real-time against our budget,” says Steven.  

Small wins are big

For the Bugges, it’s their unique combination of skills that has allowed their business to thrive—and the couple the opportunity to create a meaningful business that reflects their needs as a family.

“We have three young children, so having flexibility with our schedule is great,” says Amanda, who says she loves working with her husband and best friend. “It’s not easy working together all the time, but it’s been fun and rewarding to see the company grow and ride those waves with it.”  

As a small business, the Bugges understand that every win, big or small, is a big deal. From hiring their first billable employee to landing a signed proposal, every win is celebrated with a toast.

“It’s been a lot of fun to guide the ship–to be able to directly communicate with clients and consultants, while also doing design and then dictating the execution of the project,” says Steven. “I enjoy mentoring younger folks as much as working with experts in their field.”

Although Amanda and Steven have only been working on the business together full-time for two years, they are already talking about scaling up, with the goal of working on more mixed-use housing projects. But regardless of the size of projects they’re working on, it’s their goals of spending more time with their family and mentoring up-and-coming architects that matter most.

“Small businesses are the heart and breath of a lot of communities," says Steven, “and while bigger businesses will always be a huge source of revenue and opportunity, the small business is really where folks have the most influence on their own lives as well as in their own communities.”