TEA Case Studies

Curious about how other freelance editors use The Editor's Affairs to take control of their business admin? In these case studies, I've asked TEA users to share their experiences of bringing TEA into their working life. I hope you enjoy reading their stories!

If you're a TEA user and would like to be featured in an upcoming case study, get in touch.

If you'd like to know more about using TEA in your own business, check out the TEA website.

TEA Case Study: Rachel Small

A bit about yourself

What's your name and the name of your business?

​I’m Rachel Small, and my business is Rachel Small Editing.

How long have you been an editor and a freelancer?

I've been a freelance editor since 2010.

Which editorial services do you provide?

​I offer developmental editing, stylistic editing, copy editing, proofreading, and manuscript assessments.

What are your niches?

I specialize in fiction and creative non-fiction (especially travel stories and inspirational/spiritual memoirs), as well as material for businesses. I’m especially interested in businesses related to the blue economy.

A bit about your TEA package

How long have you been using TEA?

I’ve been using TEA since May 2020, and I can’t live without it!

Do you have any customizations for your TEA?

I have the following customizations:

• A manual-entry “Amount to Quote Before Tax” column (this shortcut helps me quickly log my payments and figure out how much tax to charge), in addition to the regular automated one.
  

• Additional currencies – “Amount Invoiced” and “Amount Received” displayed in US$ and GBP, in addition to CAD$ (this is helpful for my accountant, and it saves me the hassle of converting the currencies myself when I want to know how much I’ve made total in CAD$).
  

Your quest for TEA

What made you get TEA in the first place?

​I was spending way too much time using a calculator and Word documents to keep track of all my income and expenses and my editing speed.

Were there gaps in your admin processes that TEA helped you address?

TEA has helped me streamline my admin processes to the point where I no longer dread tax time!

What is your TEAtime routine?

Do you keep your TEA Income and Expenses spreadsheet open so that you can record your project details, income, and expenses as they come up?

Whenever a payment comes in, I log it in the Income and Expenses spreadsheet. And I usually end up sitting down for an hour or so every three months to log my expenses.

Do you use the TEA Project Timesheet template to start a new timesheet for each project?

Before I start a new project, I set up a TEA Project Timesheet using the template (which takes no time at all!). This stays open with the manuscript, and I update it after every work session. I love knowing exactly how much time I have left on a project.

What’s the current state of your business affairs now that you use TEA?

Now that I have TEA, my time tracking is exponentially more efficient, and I’m no longer getting headaches at tax time. It’s also much easier to see when I need to be charging more.

Any final remarks?

I’ve always known Excel is a great tool, but I had no desire to put in the time and energy to make it do what TEA makes it do! I love using these spreadsheets. Massive kudos to Maya for her expertise and incredible attention to detail in creating these customized spreadsheets for busy professionals. I highly recommend TEA for every editor! Cheers!

Where can people find out more about you and your business, Rachel?

Email: editor.rachelsmall@gmail.com

Website: RachelSmallEditing.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-small-6571a220