Running a model agency on spreadsheets and email: is it enough?
The short answer: a spreadsheet will carry a small agency for quite a while. It starts to break when several people work from the same data, or when sensitive documents are involved.
What's different
| Topic | Spreadsheets and email | CastTool |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Usually already paid for. The real cost is time. | A subscription based on roster size. |
| Up-to-date information | Depends on who saved the last version. | One record, with status and history per request. |
| Checking availability | Separate messages to each model, with replies across different channels. | A signed link, and the reply lands on the request. |
| Website | Has to be updated by hand. | Shows whatever is approved in the database. |
| Documents | IDs often sit in inboxes or on shared drives. | Private storage, with an expiry date per document. |
| Getting started | Immediately, with nothing to change. | Setup and moving your data take a few hours. |
When a spreadsheet is enough
If you work alone or as a pair, manage a small roster and rarely juggle several requests at once, a spreadsheet and a tidy inbox will serve you fine. Software wouldn't add enough to justify the switch.
Five signs it's time
Do at least two of these sound familiar?
- You have to ask around to find out whether a model has confirmed.
- Your site still shows models who left months ago.
- Invoice details get copied from emails into a template.
- Copies of IDs sit in email attachments.
- Applications arrive through several channels and some get lost.
These details come from the vendors' public pages and reflect the date shown. If something needs correcting, use the contact details in our legal notice.
Set up your agency this afternoon.
Fourteen days, no card. Once you've confirmed your email you pick your subdomain, and you decide on a plan when the trial ends.