Freelancers: Automate Quotes, Bills and Invoices

The three things to automate first

1. Bills and supplier invoices

If your software subscriptions, contractors, or service providers send invoices by email, this is the easiest win. Connect eggz to your Gmail or Missive, and every time a supplier bill arrives, it creates a draft bill in Xero. You review, approve, and it's posted. No typing.

For a typical freelancer with 10-20 bills per month, this alone saves around 45 minutes a week.

2. Quotes to clients

This one changes the speed of your sales cycle. When a client emails asking for a quote, you build it in eggz and publish it to Xero as a quote. When the client accepts, mark it accepted and press Convert to invoice. eggz creates the linked invoice in Xero with every line carried across, so you never retype a quote you already wrote. It arrives as a draft, which means nothing reaches your books or your reports until you authorise it.

It is also the least visible cost in a freelance week, because rebuilding a quote as an invoice never feels long enough to measure until you count how often you do it.

3. Client invoices and payment chasing

Once your invoice is in Xero, a tool like Chaser can handle the follow-up. Write your reminder sequence once (polite reminder at 7 days, firmer nudge at 14 days, direct request at 21 days), and it runs automatically for every outstanding invoice.

According to Xero's 2025 Small Business Insights, Australian small businesses wait an average of 27 days to get paid. Freelancers with automated reminder sequences typically see this drop below 20 days.

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Setting up automation with eggz (step by step)

Step 1: Sign up
Go to app.eggz.ai/sign-up and create your account. Every account starts free, with the first 50 documents included. The first 100 founding members get 50% off annual plans for life.

Step 2: Connect Gmail or Missive
Authorise eggz to access your Gmail or Missive using OAuth. eggz doesn't scan your whole inbox. It processes emails based on rules you set.

Step 3: Connect Xero
Authorise the Xero connection. eggz links to your Xero organisation and uses your existing contacts, accounts, and tax settings.

Step 4: Set your first rule
A common starting rule: "When an email arrives with a PDF attachment that looks like an invoice from a supplier, create a draft bill in Xero." You can get more specific as you go.

Step 5: Set up quote templates
Add your standard service line items so a new quote is a two-minute job rather than a blank page. Build it, publish it to Xero, and mark it accepted when the client says yes.

Step 6: Review your first week
After a week, look at what eggz processed cleanly versus what needed your attention. Every bill lands as a draft you approve, so the number worth watching is how many you approve without editing anything.

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Common freelancer automation scenarios

Web developer / designer:
Client briefs come in by email. You build quotes in eggz and publish them to Xero. When a client accepts, one click turns the quote into the invoice, lines and all. Software and hosting bills (AWS, Figma, Google Workspace) land as draft bills automatically.

Consultant / advisor:
Monthly retainer invoices go out automatically. Ad-hoc project quotes are built in eggz from your saved service lines. Expense claims from travel or contractor costs post directly to Xero.

Tradie / contractor:
Client calls, emails, or texts asking for a quote. You build it in eggz on your phone. They accept, one click raises the invoice in Xero. Material supplier invoices land as bills without you touching them.

Creative freelancer (photographer, copywriter, etc.):
Project quotes from client briefs. Invoices on project completion. Stock image libraries, software subscriptions, and equipment hire all process as bills automatically.

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What it costs and whether it's worth it

eggz starts at $90 a year. At that price you need to recover well under an hour of billable time a year to break even, which is one supplier bill you did not re-key.

The less obvious benefit is cognitive load. Financial admin doesn't just take time. It interrupts focus. Knowing that your bills are being captured and your invoices are being chased without you having to think about it changes how you work.

One thing to consider: if you're just starting out and have fewer than 10 documents per month, you might not need automation yet. Xero on its own handles small volumes fine. But if you're past that point, the time cost of manual admin grows faster than most freelancers expect.

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Frequently asked questions

Can Australian freelancers automate their Xero invoices?
Yes. Tools like eggz connect directly to Xero and build the invoice from an accepted quote. You review and authorise it; the data entry is what gets handled for you.

What's the easiest way to automate quotes in Xero?
eggz is the most direct path for email-to-Xero quoting. When a client emails asking for a quote, you build it in eggz and publish it to Xero as a draft quote. When the client accepts, one click converts it to a linked draft invoice with every line already filled in.

How do I automatically record bills in Xero as a freelancer?
Connect your email (Gmail or Missive) to eggz, and every supplier invoice that arrives by email creates a draft bill in Xero automatically. You review and post. No manual data entry.

Does eggz work for sole traders in Australia?
Yes. eggz is built for Australian sole traders, freelancers, and small businesses. It handles GST automatically and is designed around the standard AU business workflow of quote → job → invoice → payment.

How do I stop chasing unpaid invoices manually?
A tool like Chaser, connected to Xero, handles automated payment reminders. You write the reminder sequence once and it runs for every outstanding invoice. Most users see average payment times drop by 5-10 days.

What's the minimum Xero plan needed to use add-ons like eggz?
eggz works with Xero Starter, Standard, and Premium plans. You just need an active Xero subscription with invoicing and bills enabled.

Is it safe to connect my Gmail to Xero?
Yes, when done through OAuth-based tools like eggz. eggz uses Google's OAuth protocol so it never stores your password. You authorise specific read permissions and can revoke at any time from your Google account settings.

Can I use eggz if I have a bookkeeper?
Yes. Many eggz users have bookkeepers who access Xero directly. eggz creates draft records in Xero that your bookkeeper can review, approve, or code. It reduces the back-and-forth of sending documents to your bookkeeper manually.

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Create your account. Built for Australian freelancers on Xero. Every account starts free, with the first 50 documents included. The first 100 founding members get 50% off annual plans for life.