Contractor Management Built for Solopreneurs

You're running a one-person business, but you're not really alone. You have a VA in the Philippines who handles admin work, a designer in Argentina who creates your graphics, a developer in Poland who maintains your website, and a copywriter in the US who writes your content. You're the CEO, project manager, and accounts payable department all in one.

Right now, you're probably managing this in a spreadsheet. Contractor names, email addresses, rates, payment methods, last payment dates. Invoices come via email. You mean to pay them, forget about them, they follow up. You scramble to find the original email, copy payment details into Wise or PayPal, take a screenshot, email it back.

At 5-15 invoices per month, that's 2-4 hours just moving money around. Time you could spend on actual business development, client work, or product creation. But you can't afford to mess this up—these contractors are essential to your business running smoothly.

Platforms like Deel or Remote.com charge $49-99 per contractor per month. For 8 contractors, that's $392-792/month or $4,704-9,504/year. You're paying for employee infrastructure—payroll, benefits, compliance—that independent contractors don't need. That's a significant chunk of your revenue when you're bootstrapping.

The spreadsheet method: Most solopreneurs start here. A Google Sheet or Excel file with contractor details, rates, and payment history. It works until you forget to update it after a payment, or you can't remember if you paid someone last week or two weeks ago. Come tax time, you're reconciling your spreadsheet with bank statements while your accountant charges $150/hour.

The email chaos: Invoices arrive via email. You create a folder, maybe tag them, possibly remember to move them there. When it's time to pay, you search through emails, copy payment details, send money via Wise or PayPal, screenshot the confirmation, and email it back. Repeat 5-15 times per month. It's manageable, but it's tedious.

The Notion workaround: Some solopreneurs try using Notion for contractor management. They create a database with contractor profiles, payment history, and invoice tracking. It's better than spreadsheets, but Notion isn't built for payments. You still need to manually update payment statuses, track confirmations, and export data for accounting.

The "I'll remember" method: A few solopreneurs just wing it. They remember who they need to pay, when they paid them last, and what they owe. This works until it doesn't—a forgotten payment, a missed invoice, a contractor who's waiting two weeks for payment and getting frustrated.

Solopreneurs don't need complex project management or team collaboration features. They need simple, efficient contractor coordination tools that save time and prevent mistakes.

Simple contractor database: All your contractors in one place with their rates, specialties, payment preferences, and contact info. No more spreadsheets. No more "which email did they send their PayPal to?" Just open the app, see who you work with, and what you need to know about them.

Invoice management: Contractors submit invoices through the platform. You review, approve, and pay via your existing Wise, PayPal, or Payoneer account. Mark as paid, they confirm receipt. Everything tracked and documented. No more email threads or lost invoices.

Payment reminders: See who needs to be paid this week, who's waiting on payment, who's been paid. Get reminders before invoices are due. Never forget a payment again. Keep your contractors happy and your reputation intact.

Tax documentation: Collect W-9s or W-8BENs automatically when contractors join. Track cumulative payments per contractor. Generate 1099-NEC forms at year-end. Everything your accountant needs, organized and ready. No more scrambling in January.

Time tracking: See how much time you're spending on contractor management vs. actual business work. Identify bottlenecks. Optimize your workflow. Get back to doing what you do best—running your business.

Absolutely. Many solopreneurs manage contractors manually for years. Here's what that looks like in practice.

The spreadsheet system: Create a simple contractor spreadsheet with columns for name, email, specialty, rate, payment method, payment details, last payment date, and YTD total. Update it after every payment. Set a recurring calendar reminder every Friday to check who needs to be paid. Keep it simple and consistent.

The email organization: Create a dedicated email folder for contractor invoices. Set up a filter to automatically tag them. When invoices arrive, move them to the folder and add them to your "to pay" list. After paying, move them to a "Paid" subfolder and update your spreadsheet.

The payment process: Set aside 1-2 hours every Friday afternoon for contractor payments. Open your spreadsheet, check who needs to be paid. Log into Wise for international contractors, PayPal for domestic ones. Copy payment details, send money, screenshot confirmations, email them to contractors, update your spreadsheet.

The tax documentation: Create a Google Drive folder for tax forms. When you hire a contractor, send them a W-9 or W-8BEN form via email. When they send it back, save it to the folder with their name. At year-end, export your payment spreadsheet, calculate totals per contractor, and send the data to your accountant for 1099 generation.

This works. It's free (except for your time). It's flexible. But it takes 2-4 hours per month, and one mistake—a forgotten payment, a lost invoice, a missing tax form—can damage contractor relationships or create accounting headaches. As a solopreneur, you can't afford either.

Kontrable is built specifically for solopreneurs managing independent contractors. No complex features you don't need. No team collaboration tools. No enterprise pricing. Just simple, efficient contractor management that saves you time and prevents mistakes.

Use your existing payment accounts: We don't try to be your bank. You already have Wise, PayPal, or Payoneer. They're great at moving money. We just tell you who to pay, help you track payments, and keep records for accounting. Your money stays in your account until you send it.

Simple and fast: Add a contractor in 30 seconds. Review and approve an invoice in 10 seconds. See who needs to be paid this week in one glance. No complex setup. No training required. Just open the app and get to work.

Automated tax documentation: Contractors fill out W-9 or W-8BEN forms when they join. We track cumulative payments automatically. At year-end, export 1099-NEC data for your accountant. Everything organized and ready. No more January scrambling.

Pricing that makes sense: $99/month for up to 25 contractors. No per-contractor fees. No transfer fees. No hidden costs. If Deel would cost you $392/month for 8 contractors, we cost you $99. You save $293/month, or $3,516/year. That's real money when you're bootstrapping.

Kontrable launches in Q1 2026. Early access users get 50% off for 6 months—$50/month instead of $99. Join the waitlist below to get notified when we open beta access.