From Design Soloist to Team Leader
VibeStyle is a Ukrainian web design and development agency that today consists of 18 professionals — primarily designers, along with several developers and project managers. But its story began as a one-person freelance operation on Upwork, where Klym offered design services for websites, CRMs, and business systems.
The journey started with small freelance gigs. Over time, the workload became overwhelming.
I had a lot of clients and a lot of work, and then I understood I needed to expand my power. I have only two hands — but if I build a team, my time and capacity increase. I can create more and more, and I can also share my vision and ideas with others. Now, my team creates all the projects, and they understand what I like, what I dislike, what’s good design and what’s not.
This decision to scale marked the turning point from freelancer to agency owner. Initially, the agency operated manually, combining internal design efforts with occasional implementation (through Webflow, WordPress, or custom code). The agency grew organically and reached a headcount of 18, but maintaining consistent client acquisition soon became a challenge.
Life Before GigRadar: Manual Bidding and Limited Reach
To manage lead generation, Klym hired a dedicated lead generator. This person was responsible for finding jobs and sending proposals on Upwork.
We had one lead generator who tried to find new clients. Sometimes I helped as well — sending lots of bids manually. But it was a routine task, and time was limited. We’d often send a proposal one or two hours after a job was posted — and that’s just too late.
The problem wasn’t just speed — it was also scale. If a client was online and ready to hire within the first 20–30 minutes, being late meant losing the opportunity.
They also explored other channels. VibeStyle tried to find clients through LinkedIn and Instagram, and occasionally experimented with other freelance platforms like Freelancer and Fiverr. But those methods proved unreliable.
LinkedIn and Instagram gave us a few clients, but it was a cold lead — a cold contact. Sometimes you send a message, and they reply one month, two months, even three months later. It’s a long sales process. You don’t know if the client really needs something or just scrolling. It’s very hard to find exactly who needs a website refresh or new design right now.
As a result, Upwork remained the most effective client acquisition platform for VibeStyle — but the lead generation process was inefficient and inconsistent.
Why VibeStyle Chose GigRadar
Klym knew something had to change. Hiring more lead generators would be costly and complicated. That’s when he discovered GigRadar — a tool that automates the Upwork bidding process.
I was a bit afraid to use GigRadar at first. I had some doubts. So I went to Google, I checked reviews, the website, social media — everything I could find. For me, it’s very important to analyze before I work with a new company. But what helped was that GigRadar was loyal — they offered a test period at a lower price. I decided to try it for one month. I paid for the test, and then I understood: this AI technology really can help.
GigRadar gave VibeStyle an entirely new approach to lead generation: automated, fast, and always-on. It could send proposals in minutes — even at night, during weekends, or while the team was offline. That solved one of the biggest bottlenecks.
If you want to win a job, you need to send the proposal within 15 minutes. That’s almost impossible if it’s a person. They might be at lunch, sleeping, or just slow. But GigRadar doesn’t sleep.
Transforming the Way the Agency Works
GigRadar became VibeStyle’s primary tool for lead generation on Upwork. Bids were now automated and sent based on pre-set criteria — using what GigRadar calls “scanners.” Each scanner focuses on a specific type of project (e.g., crypto design, law, finance), allowing the agency to customize and test their outreach.
Every two months, the team reviews scanner performance, removing or adjusting ones that aren’t converting.
We go to our GigRadar profile, analyze everything — response rate, job matches, conversions. If we see a scanner isn’t working well, we change the template, adjust the target jobs, or just stop using it. This is our money — and if a scanner works badly, we lose money.
The automation allowed for flexibility. When the agency had extra capacity, they turned up the proposal volume. When fully booked, they reduced bid frequency or raised budget thresholds to only attract premium clients.
Klym still occasionally sends proposals manually — especially when invited by repeat clients or if he spots a high-value job GigRadar missed. But 90% of bidding is now automated.
Maybe now I need two or three lead generators to match what GigRadar is doing. But it’s a similar price — and GigRadar never skips, never stops. That’s the difference.
Business Impact: Measurable Growth and ROI
Since integrating GigRadar, VibeStyle has achieved impressive results:
- Clients acquired via GigRadar: ~200
- Revenue generated via GigRadar leads: ~$100,000
- Time to ROI: ~1 month
- Team growth: from 5 to 18 members
We had a presentation a few months ago comparing our results before and after GigRadar. I think maybe without it, we’d still be successful — but we wouldn’t have 18 people. Maybe 14. I can’t say exactly — but GigRadar helped me increase the team and automate some key processes.
Even though the agency’s proposal conversion rate dropped slightly (from ~25% manually to ~10–15% via GigRadar), the overall volume of proposals — and resulting jobs — increased significantly, enabling more growth with less manual effort.
GigRadar helped me adjust everything — volume, pricing, even strategy. It’s not just automation. It’s smart automation.
Features That Stood Out
VibeStyle found several GigRadar features especially useful:
- 24/7 bidding: Proposals are sent within minutes of job posting
- Custom scanners: Each niche (e.g., crypto, law) has its own targeting strategy
- Proposal statistics: Allows tracking what’s working and what needs adjusting
- Scalability: Easy to ramp up or scale down depending on current workload
- No staffing overhead: Eliminated need for extra lead generation staff
If you have only one scanner, that’s not good. Sometimes the projects don’t match. But with GigRadar, I can run multiple scanners and adjust them all based on what converts.
A Side Benefit: English Practice & Confidence
Interestingly, the frequent client interactions triggered by GigRadar also helped Klym improve his English.
My English increased too with GigRadar. I had a lot of meetings with clients — Indian, European, American. It gave me practice. Two years ago, I could explain something, but it was hard. Now, sometimes it’s even easier to speak English than Russian.
Final Advice to Agencies Considering GigRadar
For agency owners who are still unsure whether to give GigRadar a try, Klym offers a clear recommendation:
If you’re a founder or CEO, you need to always try new technology that can automate your business. Maybe it won’t work for everyone — but you won’t know until you try. Start with a month. Don’t be afraid. Analyze everything. For us, it worked — and I’m happy.
Summary: Results with GigRadar
- ~200 clients landed
- ~$100,000 in revenue from GigRadar-sourced projects
- ROI achieved in ~1 month
- Scalable lead generation with no staffing headaches
- Consistent bid volume and smarter outreach
VibeStyle's success story is proof that smart automation can unlock sustainable growth. GigRadar helped them save time, optimize their efforts, and build an agency that thrives on quality and consistency.
