This post is part of Erin Cantwell Co.’s 15-Minute Business Wins for Creatives series. Quick, actionable tasks that move your creative business forward without the overwhelm.

Whether you’re freelancing or running a studio, your creative business likely has a few money leaks, and you probably don’t even know it.

I’m not talking about obvious expenses like that software you forgot to cancel. I’m talking about the sneaky profit drains that chip away at your bottom line month after month: underestimating project time, giving away free revisions, absorbing costs you should be passing to clients.

Here’s your 15-minute financial triage to stop the bleeding:

Minutes 1-4: Find Your Time Leaks

• Look at your last 3 completed projects
• For each one, write down: estimated time vs. actual time spent
• Calculate the difference in hours
• If you’re consistently over, you’re either losing money on fixed-price projects or working for less than your intended hourly rate

Minutes 5-8: Spot Your Scope Creep

• Review those same 3 projects
• List any work you did that wasn’t explicitly included in the original agreement
• Note any “quick changes” that turned into major revisions
• Add up the extra hours. This accidental free work is one of the biggest project budgeting mistakes that freelance creatives make!

Minutes 9-12: Audit Your Expense Absorbing 

Check your recent projects for costs you paid that clients should have covered:

• Stock photos or graphics you purchased
• Printing or materials for client work
• Rush shipping or delivery fees
• Software subscriptions used solely for their project
• Write down the total you absorbed last month

Minutes 13-15: Pick One Leak to Plug 

Choose your biggest money leak and commit to ONE fix:

• Time leaks: Add 20% buffer to all future estimates or more if you are seeing that you’re consistently over your estimate by more than 20% 
• Scope creep: Create a “project additions” email template (charge for changes)
• Expense absorbing: Build a standard markup into your pricing or bill expenses separately

The tough but necessary truth: Every hour you underestimate is money out of your pocket. Every “small change” you don’t charge for trains clients to expect free work.

COO Tip: You’re not being greedy by charging for your time and expenses. You’re being professional. Businesses that don’t track their leaks aren’t sustainable for the long haul and often don’t survive.

Most creative businesses fail not because they can’t find clients, but because they can’t keep the money they earn. Stop treating your time and resources like they’re unlimited.

Pick one leak. Plug it this week. Celebrate a quick but impactful win!