We just wanted one place where projects, time, contracts and invoices fit together. Bonsai does that.
— Aliko, Account Manager
A Growing Agency, a Growing Stack
Based in Leeds, 21 Degrees Digital has 15 people covering paid media, SEO and web projects. As client work increased, so did the number of tools in use:
• ClickUp for tasks and time
• SharePoint for files
• HubSpot for sales tracking
• Better Proposals + SignNow for pitching and signatures
• Many Requests for client requests
• Xero for invoicing (updated manually)
Switching between six different apps slowed the team down and hid the real cost of each retainer.
Our ClickUp workspace was so cluttered it felt easier to start fresh than clean it up.
— Rachel, Operations Lead.
Looking for One Home
The team tested HoneyBook, HubPlanner and Many Requests, but none connected projects and finance the way they needed. Bonsai’s all-in-one approach—projects, proposals, time and billing under one roof—stood out.
Most tools ask you to bend your process. Bonsai already matches how agencies work.
— Rachel
Moving Over in Three Steps
1. Importing data – live retainers, past time logs and HubSpot contacts were brought into Bonsai.
2. Setting up templates – PPC, SEO and web task templates were created so projects start in minutes.
3. Team training – a short remote session got everyone comfortable in the new system.
Three weeks later ClickUp was cancelled; only Bonsai and Xero remained.
Day-to-Day with Bonsai
• Project tasks, tracked hours and invoices now share the same data, so costs and margins are clear.
• A proposal can turn into a signed contract and first invoice in one workflow, saving admin time.
• The resource planner shows who has capacity and who’s off that week, reducing scheduling clashes.
Features the Team Uses Most
• Resource & capacity planner
• Services catalogue for consistent rates
• Proposal-to-invoice automation
• Live profitability dashboards
Everyone uses their bit of Bonsai, and leadership still gets one clean view of how we’re doing.
— Aliko
