Stacks
From proposal to payment in two tools. No middleware required.
How this stack works
Client interested → open Bonsai, select your proposal template. Fill in scope, deliverables, pricing tiers, and timeline. Brand with your logo. Send link — client views in browser, no account needed.
What your client sees: A professional branded proposal with clear scope, pricing options, and an approve button.
Verification: Proposal sent. Bonsai shows "Sent" status with view timestamp.
Client approves → Bonsai auto-generates the contract from your proposal scope. Client signs with e-signature. You get a notification and both parties receive a PDF copy.
What your client sees: A pre-filled contract based on what they just approved. No surprises.
Verification: Contract signed. Bonsai shows "Active project" status.
At billing milestone → create invoice in Bonsai from the project. Line items pre-populate from scope. Add any time tracked. Set payment terms. Client receives invoice with card and bank transfer options.
What your client sees: A clean invoice that matches the proposal they approved. One-click payment.
Verification: Invoice sent. Bonsai shows "Awaiting payment" with due date.
Bonsai syncs payment to QuickBooks automatically via native integration. Categorize income by client. At quarter end, run P&L report. Export for accountant.
Verification: Payment recorded in QuickBooks. Income categorized correctly.
Sourced from independent practitioner research. Enter your rate to see dollar impact.
| Activity | Without stack | With stack | Handled by | Saved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposal creation and formattingBonsai: Proposal template productivity report (2024) | 3 hr | 0.5 hr | Bonsai | -2.5 hr |
| Contract drafting and reviewBonsai: Contract template time savings study (2024) | 2 hr | 0.2 hr | Bonsai | -1.9 hr |
| Invoice creation and sendingOperating.app: Invoice automation benchmark (2024) | 1.5 hr | 0.1 hr | Bonsai | -1.4 hr |
| Bookkeeping and categorizationBusinessDojo: QuickBooks ROI for independent consultants (2024) | 2 hr | 0.3 hr | Quickbooks | -1.8 hr |
| Total weekly time saved | 6 hr | |||
Why this stack
Two tools that talk to each other. Bonsai handles the entire client-facing workflow — proposals, contracts, invoicing, and basic time tracking — in one product. QuickBooks handles the accounting your practice needs at tax time.
The native Bonsai → QuickBooks sync is the critical link. Payments received in Bonsai push to QuickBooks automatically. You don't maintain two sets of records. Your accountant sees clean data at tax time.
This is the leanest path from "client said yes" to "payment in account." No Zapier. No middleware. No third system that can break at midnight before a client call. Two tools with a direct handoff.
The tools
Your complete propose-to-pay engine. Create a branded proposal with scope, pricing options, and deliverables. Client approves, contract auto-generates with your terms and e-signature. Track time against the project. Send invoices with payment links.
Integrates with
StripePaymentsPayment processing for invoicing clients, subscriptions, and revenue tracking.
QuickBooksFinanceAccounting integration for expense tracking, invoicing, and financial reporting.
GmailCommunicationEmail integration for automated follow-ups, proposals, and correspondence tracking.
ZapierWorkflow AutomationNo-code automation connecting tools into seamless multi-step workflows.+7The accounting layer Bonsai does not fully cover. All payments flow into QuickBooks. End-of-quarter profit/loss reports, expense categorization, and tax-ready financials your accountant will thank you for.
Integrates with
StripePaymentsPayment processing for invoicing clients, subscriptions, and revenue tracking.GmailCommunicationEmail integration for automated follow-ups, proposals, and correspondence tracking.ZapierWorkflow AutomationNo-code automation connecting tools into seamless multi-step workflows.
HubSpotClient ManagementAll-in-one CRM with email sequences, meeting scheduling, and pipeline automation.What you're getting
Setup timeline
How these tools connect
Make it yours
Could you just use Bonsai?
For some solo consultants, Bonsai alone is sufficient. If you're comfortable managing your taxes directly in Bonsai's reporting, you can skip QuickBooks entirely and stay at one tool. Add QuickBooks when your accountant asks for it — typically once you cross $50K/year in revenue or start managing quarterly taxes seriously.
Swap options
