FREELANCE AUTOMATION CHECKLIST
A 20-Item Audit to See What's Automated (and What Isn't)
SoloStack — solostack.madethis.app
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Use this checklist to audit your current freelance business processes.
For each item, check off whether it's done and mark "Automated? Y/N" to
identify your highest-priority automation opportunities.

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SECTION 1: CLIENT ONBOARDING (5 Items)
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[ ] 1. Intake questionnaire
    Do you have a standard form that collects all client info before kickoff?
    Automated? Y/N ___

[ ] 2. Welcome email template
    Do you have a canned response that goes out immediately after contract signing?
    Automated? Y/N ___

[ ] 3. Contract delivery
    Is your contract sent automatically (or in one click) after a client says yes?
    Automated? Y/N ___

[ ] 4. Invoice / deposit request
    Is your deposit invoice sent as part of the onboarding sequence — not manually?
    Automated? Y/N ___

[ ] 5. Kickoff call scheduling
    Do clients book their kickoff call via a scheduling link (not email back-and-forth)?
    Automated? Y/N ___


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SECTION 2: INVOICING (5 Items)
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[ ] 6. Milestone invoices
    Are invoices sent on defined project milestones — not "when you remember"?
    Automated? Y/N ___

[ ] 7. 7-day payment reminder
    Is there an automatic follow-up 7 days after an invoice is past due?
    Automated? Y/N ___

[ ] 8. 14-day payment reminder
    Is there an automatic follow-up 14 days past due?
    Automated? Y/N ___

[ ] 9. 21-day payment reminder
    Is there an automatic escalation at 21 days past due?
    Automated? Y/N ___

[ ] 10. Final project invoice
    Is the final invoice sent within 24 hours of project completion — automatically?
    Automated? Y/N ___


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SECTION 3: SCHEDULING (5 Items)
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[ ] 11. Discovery call booking
    Do prospects book discovery calls via a link — not by emailing you?
    Automated? Y/N ___

[ ] 12. Kickoff call booking
    Do new clients book kickoff calls via a scheduling link?
    Automated? Y/N ___

[ ] 13. Check-in / status call booking
    Do clients book mid-project calls without emailing back and forth?
    Automated? Y/N ___

[ ] 14. Calendar buffer rules
    Does your scheduling tool enforce buffers between calls automatically?
    Automated? Y/N ___

[ ] 15. Reminder emails before calls
    Does your scheduling tool send automatic reminders to clients before calls?
    Automated? Y/N ___


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SECTION 4: CLIENT COMMUNICATION (5 Items)
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[ ] 16. Weekly status update
    Do you have a templated weekly update you can send in under 5 minutes?
    Automated? Y/N ___

[ ] 17. Scope change response
    Do you have a canned response for scope change requests — sent within 24h?
    Automated? Y/N ___

[ ] 18. Revision request acknowledgment
    Is there a template for acknowledging revision requests and setting timeline?
    Automated? Y/N ___

[ ] 19. Project complete / wrap-up email
    Do you have a standard wrap-up email sent automatically at project close?
    Automated? Y/N ___

[ ] 20. Testimonial request
    Is a testimonial request sent 1–3 days after final delivery — automatically?
    Automated? Y/N ___


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SCORING YOUR RESULTS
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Count your "Automated? Y" responses:

0–5:   You're running almost everything manually. Start with Section 1
       (onboarding) — it's the highest ROI and most repeatable.

6–10:  You've built the basics. Focus on Sections 3 and 4 to eliminate
       scheduling friction and communication overhead.

11–15: Strong foundation. Optimize the automations you have and connect
       your tools with Zapier to reduce manual handoffs.

16–20: Fully automated. Your focus should be refining and testing your
       automations — not building new ones.


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NEXT STEPS
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Priority order for building your automations:
1. Onboarding (highest ROI, repeats with every client)
2. Invoicing (removes awkward payment conversations)
3. Scheduling (immediate time savings)
4. Communication (consistent client experience)
5. Offboarding (captures referrals and testimonials you're currently missing)

For done-for-you templates that make automation possible:
Visit solostack.madethis.app

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