Transform your Smartsheet knowledge into a business. We guide aspiring and existing experts on how to build scalable templates, dashboards and consultancy services that drive recurring income
For freelancers, the challenge is often how to increase income without working more hours. But how do you turn your expertise from a service into a digital product, and how do you price it?
In this article, we use the Cloud-based work and project management platform Smartsheet as an example. We suggest which freelancer roles may already have the expertise to monetise their own products/packages and how to price them.
We also offer some basics for those who are curious to learn how to even start understanding how to use and build a Smartsheet solution for a client or their own business.
Job platforms such as Upwork have already partnered with workflow solutions like Smartsheet on their site. Clients from many industries, including IT, finance, marketing, construction and healthcare, are looking for freelancers with Smartsheet experience.
Having a Smartsheet freelancer profile on Upwork, for example, allows clients to easily find you and see the list of projects you have worked on building Smartsheet systems and templates.
However, rather than haggling over an hourly rate with a client about setting up a system for them, why not create industry-specific dashboards and templates you can sell over and over again, alongside a consultancy set-up and a universal training video?
Which freelancers are ready to profit now?
Any role that deals with repetitive admin, data handoffs, or project oversight is pretty much ready to monetise Smartsheet knowledge. You probably already understand most of your clients’ biggest pain points, so you just need to build and sell the solutions and templates. Here are some examples:
| Freelancer role | High-value problem solved | Template focus |
| Project / Programme Manager | Chaos in Multi-Project Reporting: Clients need one executive view of status, budget, and risk across several initiatives. | Portfolio Management Dashboard: A linked system to track 5–10 sheets, consolidating metrics into one Dashboard. |
| Operations Consultant / Business Analyst | Broken Internal Processes: Clients suffer from manual data entry, email approvals, and forgotten steps (e.g., onboarding). | Automated Intake & Approval Funnel: Uses Forms and Automation to standardise and enforce process steps without manual checks. |
| Senior Virtual Assistant (VA) | Lack of Centralised Organisation: Clients need a clean, collaborative system for day-to-day business operations. | Comprehensive Client Management Workspace: Tracks communications, deliverables, contracts, and invoices in one automated hub. |
| Marketing Consultant / Creative Lead | Content and Budget Tracking: Teams need to align content production with budget and secure approvals quickly. | Editorial/Campaign Calendar Set: Links content production status to automatic stakeholder approval workflows and budget sheets. |
Which pricing model to offer?
The secret to passive and high-value Smartsheet income is to sell a Signature Solution Package, such as a digital product that includes service time.
You are selling the solution (say which takes you 10 hours to build once) for a fixed price and then repeating that sale many times.
| Income Stream | Deliverable | Price Range (GBP) | Rationale |
| 1. Passive Income | The Template Set: The core blueprint (linked sheets, reports, forms) sold as a digital download. | £150 – £350 | Scalable. Appeals to clients with internal Smartsheet skill. You create it once and sell it indefinitely. |
| 2. Active Hybrid Income (Recommended) | Signature Solution Package: Template Set + 4 Hours of Setup & Training. | £500 – £1,000 | High ROI. This covers your expert configuration time and solves the client’s entire problem, justifying a massive fee hike. |
| 3. High-Rate Consulting | Full Implementation & Retainer: Custom system build, team training, and 3-6 months of ongoing support/optimisation. | £1,200+ plus £300/mo. retainer | Premium Service. Necessary for complex systems like Salesforce integration or company-wide portfolio governance. |
The £500-£1,000 Signature Solution is the sweet spot because it can save a client thousands in staff hours while providing you with repeatable, high-rate income.
Get freelancer-focused news and career tips each week.
Sign up for our newsletter here:
Monetising expertise: Training & digital assets
To maximise income, package your knowledge into reusable digital products:
Recorded video training
For your Signature Solution Package, record a generic training video once. This video explains how to use the dashboard, submit forms, and interpret reports. You provide this non-shareable video link to every client, cutting out hours of repetitive live screen-sharing.
Webinars & mini-courses: Teach specific, high-demand skills (e.g., Mastering Conditional Forms or Gantt Chart Automation). Platforms, including Thinkific or Teachable allow you to host these courses for an established passive revenue stream.
UK Smartsheet case studies
Understanding how large UK organisations use Smartsheet validates the demand and value of your skills. Once you create your own products and have client feedback, you can publish case studies on your own website or in your project/client portfolio or social media profile. If you are new to this, create a product to improve your own company and reveal what you learned online, highlighting your expertise and real-life use of the tool. For example, what was easy, tricky and most useful that saved you time and money.
Your pitch to prospective clients should reference successful use cases: “I can build you the same level of compliance visibility [insert client or project name here] achieved.”
Here are some sample case studies:
NHS Property Services: This service adopted Smartsheet to gain better visibility and tracking for its fire safety compliance initiatives. This is a classic example of using Smartsheet for Governance and Auditing, which is a high-stakes area where clients will pay handsomely to avoid mistakes.
Leeds Bradford Airport: The airport implemented Smartsheet to make its project and portfolio reporting effortless. They shifted from cumbersome, manual processes to a single platform, saving countless hours. This demonstrates the demand for Dashboard Design and Data Consolidation expertise.
Smartsheet for beginners
If you want to quickly move from beginner to being able to build complete, client-ready solutions. Here is an accelerated plan to consider:
Master the Core App in 5 Days
Focus on the fundamentals of building and managing the sheet itself, because this is the foundation for all client solutions. The Smartsheet 5-Day Crash Course
Become certified in the Builder Path (Sheets, Forms, Reports, Dashboards).
Builder Path: This is the core skill path. Completing it ensures you know how to build a complete solution (Sheets, Forms, Reports, and Dashboards).
Audit option: Some platforms, such as Coursera, allow you to audit a course for free, which gives you access to the video lectures and reading material without the graded assignments or certificate. Search for “Smartsheet Tutorial for Beginners” on these sites to find introductory courses you can audit.
- This will mean signing up for a Smartsheet subscription to access the applications. Here is the pricing.
| Day | Focus Area | Key Actions for Freelance Readiness |
| Day 1 | Sheets & Columns | The Template Gallery inside Smartsheet is a useful free learning tool. -Create a basic sheet from a template (Task List is a good start). -Understand primary columns v. others. -Practice adding special column types (Dropdowns, Dates, Contact Lists). How to use It: When you create a new sheet, start from a complex template (like a Project with Gantt or Event Planner). First examine: Study how the columns are set up, which formulas they use, and how the reports and dashboards are linked. Second deconstruct: Try to break a component (like an automation or a formula) and then fix it. Third customise: Practice adapting a template to a specific freelance use case (e.g., changing the Event Planner into a simple Client Onboarding Tracker). |
| Day 2 | Formulas & Hierarchy | Learn basic formulas (SUM, AVG, COUNT, IF). Use hierarchy (indenting/outdenting) to create parent/child tasks for better organisation. |
| Day 3 | Automation | Set up Update Requests to automatically collect information from clients/team members. Create simple Alerts (e.g., when a task status changes to “Complete”). |
| Day 4 | Sharing & Views | Learn to share a sheet with specific permissions (Viewer, Editor, Admin). Practice switching between Grid, Gantt, and Card views to see the project data differently. |
| Day 5 | Forms & Reporting | Create a Web Form to collect data (e.g., new project requests) that feeds directly into your sheet. Build a simple Report pulling data from your sheets based on criteria (e.g., all tasks assigned to “Client Name”). |
Build dashboards (client view): Signature solution
A Dashboard is your most critical tool because it’s what you deliver to the client for executive visibility.
Create one useful, multi-sheet template set solving a niche problem (e.g., a GDPR Compliance Tracker).
What to Include: A freelance-ready dashboard typically uses widgets to show:
- KPIs: Key metrics like % Complete or Tasks Overdue (often pulled from reports)
- Quick links: To the main sheets and reports
- Instructions: Simple text explaining how to use the solution
- Charts: For visual status updates
- Practice: Take one of your completed practice sheets and build a clean, professional dashboard that summarises the entire project’s health in one view
Smartsheet Certified Professional Path
If you want a credential to put on your freelance profile, the Smartsheet Certified Professional is one to consider. Freelancers with this certification are in high demand on platforms like Upwork.
While full certification takes time, pursuing the Builder Path learning track on Smartsheet University is the fastest way to get structured and quality training.
According to SmartSheet:
The time to become a Smartsheet Certified Professional varies, but you should budget approximately 15-20 hours for the self-paced training modules plus time for the exam and portfolio review. The core product training alone takes about 14 hours, while the exam and portfolio submission have a 60-day deadline to complete once activated.
However, those taking the training can hop on the community discussion board for more real-life concerns.
How much does it cost to become Smartsheet Certified?
Learning & Certification Pass (see costs via this link) holders get two attempts at each certification exam, as well as access to instructor-led and self-paced content on Smartsheet University.
Focus on high-value freelance use cases
To market yourself, don’t just say you know Smartsheet. Instead, list how you can solve a specific client problem.
Common Freelance Solutions:
- Marketing Campaign Tracking
- Client Onboarding & Intake Process
- IT Project Tracking
- Event Planning Management
- Invoice/Billing Tracking
Next steps
If you are already using Smartsheet on projects, then you are already at an advantage. However, if you have never used the tool before, one of the best ways to start is to use it for your own freelance business. Consider areas you want to fix, build and automate, such as email and marketing campaigns, budgeting, billing, etc. Join community boards to ask questions and to get the most out of your learning experience.
DISCLAIMER: This article is for information and educational purposes only and does not constitute business advice.