The Copperleaf Blog
Notes on budgets, billing and running a small agency without a finance team.
The 80 percent rule for project budgets
Why we warn the project lead at 80 percent and not at 100, and what three agencies changed once they had a few days of warning.
Recent posts
CustomersOct 2, 2026How Northlight closed their books in an hour
A four-person studio, two currencies, and a month end that used to take a full day.
GuidesSep 25, 2026Retainers or projects: which one keeps the lights on
What a year of billing data says about steady income for small agencies.
ProductSep 18, 2026Invoice each client in their own currency
Multi-currency invoicing is now on the Studio and Agency plans.
GuidesSep 11, 2026Five numbers to check every Monday morning
Hours logged, budget used, invoices out, cash in, and the one project nobody mentions.
GuidesSep 4, 2026Logging time without dreading Friday afternoon
Small habits that get hours in the day they happen, not from memory a week later.
CompanyAug 28, 2026What we learned pricing our own product
We charge agencies the way we tell agencies to charge. It took two tries.