Small studios
What's a good all-in-one tool for a small design studio?
Short answer
Choose one that keeps the client side of every project in one place (intake, scope, agreement, time, invoices) and gives each person a role, so a contractor sees only their projects and a bookkeeper only the money. PaloWorks does that with six roles and a project planner, sized for a studio of a few people.
Free for 1 client, 3 active projects. No card to start. Updated by PaloWorks.
What to look for
Roles, not one shared login
A contractor should not see your clients' invoices; a bookkeeper should not edit a scope.
In PaloWorks
Six roles: owner, admin, member, bookkeeper, contractor and viewer. Contractors see only assigned projects; viewers see no money.
Who is busy, and when
A small studio's bottleneck is usually one person's week.
In PaloWorks
On Pro and Studio, a project planner with a Gantt view, team capacity and reports.
Every project the same way
A studio's process should not depend on who ran the project.
In PaloWorks
Templates for intake, scopes and agreements, so every project starts from the same steps.
Clients who see one studio
Links from five different tools look like five different businesses.
In PaloWorks
Every client link carries your studio's name and branding; Studio adds a custom subdomain.
Several businesses, one sign-in
Many studio owners also run a side brand or a partner workspace.
In PaloWorks
A workspace switcher, each workspace with its own clients and team.
How it works in PaloWorks
Step 1
Set up the studio
Pick your niche and starter templates, then invite your team with a role each.
Step 2
Run projects the same way
Intake, scope, agreement and deposit from templates, whoever leads the project.
Step 3
Plan the work
Assign people to projects and see the week in the planner.
Step 4
Bill and report
Invoices from milestones and logged time, reminders, and reports on what the studio earned.
When PaloWorks is the wrong pick
- Studio includes three teammates besides the owner. A larger team will outgrow it.
- PaloWorks does not run payroll, HR or accounting; keep those in their own tools.
- If your studio's work is mostly internal production with no client-facing documents, a general project manager may fit better.
Comparing tools? Read PaloWorks compared, including what the others are better at.
Questions people ask
- Can freelancers I hire use it without seeing everything?
- Yes. Give them the contractor role: they see and log time on the projects you assign, and no clients, invoices or revenue.
- Can my bookkeeper get access?
- Yes. The bookkeeper role reads invoices and money across the workspace and can export, but changes nothing.
- Can I use my own domain?
- Studio includes a custom subdomain for your client links.
- What does it cost?
- Pricing lists each plan and what it includes. There is a free plan to start, and you can move up when the team grows.