About the Agency
Family Design Studio is a small creative agency specializing in web and graphic design, primarily serving clients in the USA and Europe. The team consists of 5 to 7 professionals, with Mariia leading sales efforts as the agency's Sales Manager. Their main client acquisition platform is Upwork, where they have been active for over four years. Family Design Studio is a boutique creative agency focused on delivering web and graphic design services to clients across the globe. With over four years of experience on Upwork, the team has built a solid foundation and is known for its quality work and commitment to client success.
Before GigRadar: Manual Bidding & Missed Opportunities
Before discovering GigRadar, Mariia and her team relied entirely on manual bidding to win projects on Upwork. Their lead generation process was largely based on gut feeling, occasional research in forums, and a general trial-and-error approach to proposals.
We started without any strategy, just based on our feelings... We read blogs and forums, but everything was manual.
They used Upwork exclusively, having found platforms like Fiverr ineffective for their business model. Though they occasionally attracted clients through Instagram partnerships, Upwork remained the core engine for their growth.
However, this approach had major limitations. The agency faced several challenges before using GigRadar: responding late to job posts often resulted in lower visibility, manual bidding was time-consuming and lacked consistency, and the team struggled to maintain a competitive edge in a saturated market. Additionally, they were unable to operate effectively on weekends, which meant missing out on valuable 24/7 opportunities.
When we do it manually, we can write something good enough… but it can be 20 hours later. Our answer will be at the end. With GigRadar, people see our job answer quickly.
Choosing GigRadar: A Faster, Smarter Way to Bid
The decision to try GigRadar came from the agency’s CEO, who discovered the platform early in its development. The goal was clear: respond to job posts faster and more consistently.
“We joined at the very beginning. The main reason was speed—and GigRadar works without weekends.”
Other reasons for choosing GigRadar included the ability to save time through automated job scanning, operate even when the team was offline, receive support from the GigRadar team in creating effective outreach scripts, and leverage AI-powered cover letter generation to enhance proposal quality.
Despite initial skepticism around pricing and platform safety, the team moved forward with onboarding and eventually adjusted their plan to better fit their needs.
Implementation and Adaptation
Family Design Studio initially experimented with GigRadar for both web and graphic design. However, they encountered issues with the graphic design scanner returning irrelevant jobs. As a result, they now use GigRadar exclusively for web design projects, where the tool has proven highly effective.
Mariia highlights that they still combine GigRadar with manual bidding to maximize results:
Manually bidding and GigRadar bidding is a good team. But relying only on GigRadar is not for us.
They also took advantage of custom scripts for outreach, noting that GigRadar’s team provided helpful guidance in refining their cold messaging approach.
One challenge remained with custom questions on Upwork, where the AI sometimes missed context. Despite occasional misfires, Mariia stated that the tool consistently brought in high-quality leads that “covered the bad ones.”
Results: $36,000+ in Revenue and 24 Clients in One Year
Over 12 months of using GigRadar, Family Design Studio saw steady, predictable results in their lead generation:
- ~2 clients per month from GigRadar
- ~$3,000 monthly revenue from GigRadar-acquired clients
- 24 total clients over the past year
- $36,000+ in revenue generated via GigRadar
- Consistent income from long-term client contracts
Let’s say around $3,000 per month. These clients came from GigRadar and stayed with us for several months.
This performance was achieved with a reduced subscription plan, which they opted for after testing a larger (and less cost-effective) plan initially. Even with the smaller budget, GigRadar paid for itself within two months.
We started with a bigger subscription, and it wasn’t good for us. But once we switched, it became the best option. The investment paid back in two months.
Most Valuable Features
Family Design Studio found the following features most impactful:
- Fast and automatic job alerts for web design
- Cover letter scripting support from the GigRadar team
- 24/7 bidding, including weekends
- AI-generated proposals that save time and improve response speed
While not without its learning curve, the agency appreciated the flexibility to tailor scripts and teach the AI over time.
It’s nice that we can teach the AI bots how to write good cover letters. It gets better.
Advice to Other Agencies
Mariia’s message to other agencies considering GigRadar is clear:
GigRadar won’t solve all your problems. You have to treat it as a partner, invest time to learn how it works, and adjust it to your needs. But if you do that—you will earn money. Definitely.
She also emphasized the importance of maintaining a professional Upwork profile:
- Keep your portfolio updated
- Respond to client messages as quickly as possible
- Always keep the availability badge turned on
Final Thoughts
GigRadar helped Family Design Studio shift from reactive to proactive bidding. It allowed them to increase response speed, maintain consistency, and grow monthly revenue—all without overwhelming their small team.
Whether you’re an agency struggling to keep up with bidding or looking for a way to scale your outreach without scaling your workload, GigRadar is a proven solution.
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