01 · Context
The hidden cost of repetitive tasks for an independent entrepreneur
Manon selects models for advertising campaigns, magazines and fashion shows. She runs 3 to 4 castings a month, on her own.
Every casting follows the same sequence: receiving the brief, sending it to modelling agencies, collecting proposals, selecting, then handing a presentation to the client. Part of this work comes down to her expertise. Another part is what she herself describes as « redondantes, mais nécessaires » tasks (translated from French: "redundant, but necessary").
For an independent entrepreneur, these tasks have a cost that goes beyond the time spent. Every hour spent on formatting is an hour taken away from prospecting, strategy or a new client.
02 · Step 1
Map your processes before automating
Before developing anything, we broke a casting down into steps and measured the time Manon spent on each.
One step stood out clearly: the client presentation. It required at least 4 to 5 hours per casting, spent checking every link, choosing every photo and laying out every document. It was the longest step, and the one that drew least on her eye as a casting director.
That is the criterion we apply to every engagement. Selecting the models, the heart of her profession, stays entirely in her hands.
Automate first what takes a lot of time and little judgement.
03 · Step 2
A custom platform rather than a stack of tools
Many automation offers consist of connecting existing tools to one another. The result works, but the work stays scattered across several applications.
We made a different choice: a single platform, built around Manon's process and organized into three spaces, her agencies, her clients and her projects.
- 01
From brief to agencies
Manon enters the client brief, and the emails for her agencies are drafted automatically.
- 02
One page per casting
The selected models, their agencies and their links are gathered in one place.
- 03
The generated client presentation
The document handed to the client is built from her selection.
- 04
The pre-drafted confirmation
As soon as the client chooses, the email to the agency is ready.
The tool adapts to her habits, not the other way round. Manon did not want to impose a form on her clients to receive their briefs; the platform imposes none.
04 · Results
15 minutes instead of 4 to 5 hours
Manon reinvests that time in her business: taking on more projects, prospecting for new clients, working on her strategy and launching a side project around AI casting. « Aujourd'hui, je peux travailler sur plusieurs projets en même temps. » (translated from French: "Today, I can work on several projects at the same time.")
She also expects to be more responsive to her clients, which will let her run several castings side by side without giving anything up on the quality of the result.
A task eating up hours every week?
Book a call05 · Support
« Écoutée, comprise » (“Listened to, understood”): what the support changes
A custom platform is only worth the understanding of the business that comes before it. That is what Manon remembers first.
Asked what we could improve, she highlights effective support and short lead times: « Rien à redire ! » (translated from French: "Nothing to complain about!") And to a fellow professional who might hesitate, she answers bluntly: « Fonce ! En tant qu'entrepreneur, on est sur tous les fronts. Cet outil est un gain de temps essentiel qui permet de se concentrer sur le fond. » (translated from French: "Go for it! As an entrepreneur, you're on every front. This tool is an essential time saver that lets you focus on what matters.")
J'utilise quotidiennement l'outil qu'Elma Lab a conçu pour mon travail. Elles ont développé une plateforme sur-mesure qui me permet de ne plus passer des heures sur des tâches redondantes, mais nécessaires. Dès le départ, j'ai eu la sensation d'être écoutée, comprise. Chacun de mes besoins a été identifié, puis solutionné grâce à des outils performants. Le résultat : un gain de temps considérable et une charge mentale diminuée. Je recommande vivement.
Translated from French"I use the tool Elma Lab designed for my work every day. They built a custom platform that means I no longer spend hours on tasks that are redundant, but necessary. From the start, I felt listened to, understood. Each of my needs was identified, then solved with high-performing tools. The result: a considerable time saving and a reduced mental load. I highly recommend them."
06 · For you
How to tell whether your processes can be automated
Most companies have their own "client presentation": a task that comes back with every file, that cannot be skipped and that does not call for judgement. Three questions help you spot it.
- 1Which step do you repeat identically for every client or every project?
- 2How long does it really take you, measured rather than estimated from memory?
- 3Does it format a decision already made, or is it where you decide?
If a task is frequent, long and merely formats a decision, it is an excellent candidate for automation. To go further, see our method for choosing which tasks to automate first.
07 · Method
The Elma Lab method, step by step
- 1
Audit of your business
We map your processes and measure where your time goes.
- 2
Mockup validated with you
You see the platform before it is built.
- 3
Build and integration
We develop the platform, integrate your data and add AI where it saves time.
- 4
Documentation and support
You are autonomous, and we remain available to evolve the tool if you wish.
08 · FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Recurring tasks that always follow the same logic: writing standard emails, preparing client documents, follow-ups, compiling information. For Manon, preparing client presentations went from 4 to 5 hours to 15 minutes.
No. Manon works alone and handles 3 to 4 castings a month. It is precisely for independent entrepreneurs, who are « sur tous les fronts » (translated from French: "on every front"), that every hour saved counts the most.
No. The platform is designed from your existing process. Manon keeps her habits, such as receiving free-form briefs from her clients.
It depends on your business, which is why every engagement starts with an audit. Manon gets back 3 to 4 hours a week.