The challenge: Handling payroll and scheduling for 14 teenagers

Dots and Doodles thrived under Laura’s leadership, but as the business grew, so did the demands on Laura’s time. Instead of helping customers explore their artistic side, she found herself spending the bulk of her time creating and updating schedules, managing shift requests, tracking time, and making sure everyone got paid.

Her ability to make a difference in the lives of her team was also in jeopardy. Laura doesn’t just consider herself a manager; she sees her role as that of a coach and mentor to her young employees, whom she refers to as the Doodle Crew, teaching them valuable work skills and helping them grow both personally and professionally. That’s hard to do when you’re spending hours in front of the computer just to make sure everyone knows when their shift is.

The payroll burden was particularly stressful. “I’m not a numbers person,” Laura says. “I’m not an accountant.” But she knew it was her responsibility as the business owner to pay her employees on time. 

At first, Laura used a familiar tool at hand to help her out, spinning up Excel spreadsheets to manage the schedule, and track/calculate hours against that schedule. But it didn’t take long before updating the spreadsheets themselves became almost as stressful as calculating payroll.

Laura needed a way to reduce the payroll weight on her shoulders, and to offer a flexible work schedule that could accommodate her staff’s school commitments — and ideally, one that would put the team in the driver’s seat, managing their own shifts and time off.

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Our studio is so special because of the people that we attract. They love coming to work. We love working with them. The energy feeds off each other.

— Laura Hilger, Owner

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The solution: Stress-free payroll and a team that's in the loop

A year after the studio opened its doors, Laura found a solution that would help alleviate her scheduling and time tracking challenges: Homebase. 

"We initially started using Homebase as a way for employees to clock in,” Laura says. “Before that, we just trusted when they were there, which is kind of crazy now that you go back and think about it."

With an easily updatable and shareable calendar, Laura soon found herself saving hours each week managing the schedule. It wasn’t long before Laura was also paying her employees through Homebase, which was a true gamechanger for Dots and Doodles. 

Homebase automatically calculates hours, breaks, and time off against wages, all in compliance with labor laws and regulations, eliminating the need for Laura to do the payroll calculations herself and reducing her anxieties about doing it right. And taxes are calculated and filed automatically, on time, reducing Laura’s burden at tax time. 

Now, payroll runs automatically, ensuring the team gets paid on time. Plus, messaging in Homebase keeps the team informed and connected, whether it's announcing a staff meeting or sharing fun updates. 

For the Doodle Crew, automatic reminders ensure they know where to be and when, plus when to take scheduled breaks and return on time — the kind of structure ideal for busy teenagers. 

Clocking in and out using the app is secure and straightforward, and they can easily make time off requests or trade shifts, with all requests logged and tracked for easy access. 

Most importantly, Laura knows that those hours are automatically synced to payroll, ensuring everyone’s paycheck is accurate — no manual math required.

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The impact: More space to focus on connections and creativity

Laura can now breathe easier knowing that one of her most important responsibilities—making sure her Doodle Crew gets paid on time and accurately—is taken care of. No more burning the midnight oil, hunched over a calculator and manually adding numbers into spreadsheets; Laura can now spend her time where it matters most: helping her young team members grow into confident, responsible professionals.

The Homebase app also sets the tone and expectations for the team, helping them build habits and skills that will carry into future careers beyond Dots and Doodles. 

Its ease of use—and the fact that employees can download it right to their phones—makes it a hit with her staff, who love being able to see their schedules, request time off, and track their pay in one place. “The fact that everything is on an app, that's probably our most valuable tool,” Laura says. “The notifications that they get to show up to work on time, I think that’s really helpful because they're young.”

For their part, the Doodle Crew values the transparency and flexibility the app provides. They can see who they’re working with, plan around their shifts, and communicate easily, all of which gives Laura more time to focus on building a strong workplace culture.

"I think I'm most proud when I see people succeeding in their roles and then being proud of themselves,” Laura says. “The more confidence you have in them, the better they'll succeed."

Since adopting Homebase, Dots and Doodles has seen a clear boost in both efficiency and team connection. Perhaps most importantly, Laura has shifted her workplace from a trust-based “honor system” to a system that actively builds and reinforces trust — thanks to reliable payroll management and communication tools that keep everyone on the same page.

Eliminating the burden of manually managing spreadsheets and stressing about payroll has helped Laura focus on Dots and Doodles’ core mission: inspiring creativity and creating a supportive working environment. With Homebase by their side, Dots and Doodles has blossomed from a small studio with big dreams into a vibrant art hub that pulses with creativity, joy, and unlimited potential. 

"I would recommend Homebase because I think as a small business owner, time is like your most valuable commodity,” Laura says. “And to have anything that saves you just a little bit of time is so helpful."

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