When I launched my startup, I expected long hours, tough decisions, and constant learning. What I didn’t expect? Becoming a part-time accountant, job board manager, and spreadsheet firefighter.
Like most founders, I wore every hat: CEO, customer support, sales, and operations. But what drained me most wasn’t the hustle it was the overhead.
Each week, I was losing 10+ hours to back-office work: chasing down invoices, reconciling payments, formatting receipts, and updating a half-dozen spreadsheets just to stay organized. None of it moved my business forward. It just kept the lights on.
I tried QuickBooks. I tried templates. I even sent invoices from Word. But every tool felt like a workaround. I didn’t need a tool for accountants. I needed one for founders.
So I built it.
The Hidden Cost of Startup Admin
When you're early-stage, spreadsheets feel like a badge of honor. You patch systems together, keep costs low, and make it work.
Until it doesn't.
I had separate docs to:
Track client payments (including cash and bank transfers)
Manage jobs and applicants
Log expenses and receipts
Send branded invoices
Export data to accounting software
And none of it talked to each other.
This disjointed setup didn’t just waste time. It introduced errors, slowed decisions, and made me feel constantly behind on simple admin work.
I didn’t need 10 tools. I needed one that was built for someone like me bootstrapped, time-poor, and moving fast.
Building What I Needed: One System to Run My Startup
I wasn’t looking to build a new SaaS product. But no tool I tried actually worked the way I needed it to. So I created BuiltForStartups a back office in a box for founders like me.
It’s everything I wanted in one place:
✅ Branded invoice creation (no more Word docs)
💰 Easy manual payment tracking (for non-card clients)
🧾 Automatic receipts
👥 Client and job management
📤 One-click export to QuickBooks
It’s not bloated software. It’s a streamlined system that removes friction and helps early-stage teams stay lean, focused, and in control.
Reclaiming My Time (and My Sanity)
After switching to BuiltForStartups, I got back 10+ hours a week. That’s 40+ hours a month—an entire extra work week.
Here’s what changed:
I stopped bouncing between tools and tabs.
I knew which clients paid, and who to follow up with.
My job posts were centralised and manageable.
I looked more professional without hiring help.
But the real win? I finally had the breathing room to work on the business not just in it.
Why Founders Need Systems That Scale with Them
Early-stage founders don’t need bloated enterprise software. We need tools that are fast, focused, and founder-first.
That’s why I built BuiltForStartups. And if you’re drowning in spreadsheets or patching together systems just to survive, you don’t have to anymore.
Try it free
Free up your time. Run your startup like a pro, even before you hire one.