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6d β’ Business & Strategy π§
From 12 Hours to 2 Hours: How Templates Let Me Charge $1,800 Per Client π₯
Client 4 asked for "custom invoice automation." Quoted $2,400. Took 12 hours to build.
Client 5 got same automation from my template. Quoted $1,800. Took 2 hours.
Client 5 happier. I made more per hour.
THE CUSTOM TRAP:
Every new client feels special. Different industry. Different formats. Needs "custom solution."
First 3 clients, I believed this. Built everything from scratch.
Client 1: 9 hours
Client 2: 11 hours
Client 3: 8 hours
Average $1,500 revenue, 9 hours work. $167/hour.
Exhausting. Not scalable.
THE TEMPLATE BREAKTHROUGH:
After client 3, noticed something. All three workflows had identical logic:
Receive document β Extract fields β Validate data β Post to system β Notify
Only differences - field names, output destinations.
Built master template. Customizable variables for client-specific details.
THE NEW PROCESS:
Client consultation: "Show me your typical invoice"
Match to template: "This fits Invoice Template A"
Customize in 90 minutes: Field names, output endpoint
Test with samples: 30 minutes
Total time: 2 hours (was 9 hours).
PRICING DIDN'T DECREASE:
Still charged $1,500-$1,800. Sometimes more.
Client doesn't care if you used template. They care about problem being solved.
Template makes me MORE confident, not less valuable.
MY 3 CORE TEMPLATES:
TEMPLATE 1 - INVOICE PROCESSING
Extracts: Vendor, amount, date, line items
Validates: Math checks, duplicates
Routes to: QuickBooks, Xero, Sheets
Use: 60% of clients
TEMPLATE 2 - FORM EXTRACTION
Extracts: Customer info, selections, uploads
Validates: Required fields, formats
Routes to: CRM, database, Airtable
Use: 30% of clients
TEMPLATE 3 - DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION
Analyzes: Document type, routing rules
Extracts: Type-specific fields
Routes to: Department workflows
Use: 10% of clients
CURRENT NUMBERS:
8 active clients
7 use templates with minor customization
1 truly custom (complex requirements, charged $3,200)
Average delivery: 2.5 hours
Average revenue: $1,750
Effective rate: $700/hour
THE CONFIDENCE FACTOR:
Templates proven across multiple clients. Show prospects: "This workflow is running for 5 companies. Battle-tested."
Reduces risk. Increases confidence.
WHERE TO START:
Use existing templates
Customize for first client
Document what you changed
Abstract changes into variables
Next client gets 80% ready template
Stop building from zero. Start deploying from 80%.
What template are you building first?
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From 12 Hours to 2 Hours: How Templates Let Me Charge $1,800 Per Client π₯
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