How do I review spend by lead source?

Note the lead source on each record — yard signs, lead service, truck wrap, ad platform — then review the marketing category grouped by source at year-end to see where your money went.

Where does a truck wrap belong?

A wrap can sit under marketing or vehicle, depending on how you think about it. Pick one convention and keep it consistent so the category totals stay meaningful.

Does Cash Workspace track which leads converted?

No. It records what you spent and the lead source you assign; it does not measure conversions, ROI, or return. It also does not sync with your bank or read statements automatically.

Cash Workspace

Use the Freelancer template

Contractor finance · Marketing

Keep every marketing and lead-source cost in one place

A trades business pays for leads in a dozen scattered ways — yard signs at finished jobs, a monthly lead-service subscription, a truck wrap, door hangers, and an ad-platform spend that auto-charges your card — and none of it lands in one category. Recording each cost with its vendor, date, and lead source means at year-end you can see what marketing actually cost and which sources you paid for. Cash Workspace gives you one place to record each marketing buy with its receipt attached.

Start a free workspace See trade expense categories

The problem

Why marketing spend is scattered

Lead-generation costs come from many vendors on many cycles, so they never gather into a single overhead category.

A monthly lead-service charge auto-renews and quietly recurs without being recorded.
Yard signs, door hangers, and flyers are bought in bursts and forgotten.
A truck wrap is a big one-time cost that gets lost between vehicle and marketing.
Ad-platform spend trickles out daily and never gets totaled.
At year-end you can't say what each lead source actually cost you.

The workflow

Record marketing costs by lead source

Record each cost the same way and note the lead source so the year-end review is meaningful.

1
Record the cost
When you pay for signs, a lead service, a wrap, or ads, record the vendor, date, and amount.
2
Note the lead source
Note which source it is — yard signs, lead service, truck wrap, ad platform — so spend sorts by source.
3
Categorize as overhead
File marketing under one overhead category, distinct from job materials.
4
Attach the receipt
Attach the vendor receipt, subscription invoice, or ad-platform statement to the record.
5
Review by source yearly
At year-end, review spend grouped by lead source so you can see where the money went.

Record structure

What to record for each marketing expense

A consistent field set keeps marketing spend organized by source.

Lead source: Yard signs, lead service, truck wrap, ad platform, door hangers, referral fee.
Vendor: The sign shop, lead provider, wrap installer, or ad platform.
Date: When the cost was incurred or the subscription charged.
Amount: The total paid.
Recurring or one-time: Whether it's a monthly subscription or a one-off buy.
Category: Marketing / lead-generation overhead.
Receipt: The receipt, invoice, or ad-platform statement attached.

Example setup

An example marketing records setup

One way to organize lead-source spend inside your workspace.

Lead services

Monthly lead-service and directory subscriptions, marked recurring, with invoices attached.

Signage & print

Yard signs, door hangers, and flyers with receipts and the lead source noted.

Vehicle branding & ads

Truck-wrap invoice and ad-platform statements grouped for year-end review.

Common mistakes

Mistakes to avoid

Letting recurring lead-service charges slip by unrecorded.
Filing the truck wrap as vehicle cost so marketing spend is understated.
Not noting the lead source, so the year-end review tells you nothing.
Treating ad-platform spend as too small to record until it adds up.
Storing statements separately from the expense record.

How it helps

How Cash Workspace helps

One marketing category

Record every lead-generation cost under one overhead category so the total is clear.

Noted by lead source

Note the lead source on each record so you can review spend by where it went.

Receipts attached

Attach receipts, subscription invoices, and ad statements to each record.

Software & subscription records

Keep recurring subscriptions, including lead services, organized.

Trade expense categories

See where marketing fits among trade overhead.

Vehicle expense records

Decide where a truck wrap belongs and keep it consistent.

Year-end job records

Pull overhead categories together at year-end.

All finance workflows

Browse the full Cash Workspace workflow library.

FAQ

Marketing records FAQ

How do I review spend by lead source?: Note the lead source on each record — yard signs, lead service, truck wrap, ad platform — then review the marketing category grouped by source at year-end to see where your money went.
Where does a truck wrap belong?: A wrap can sit under marketing or vehicle, depending on how you think about it. Pick one convention and keep it consistent so the category totals stay meaningful.
Does Cash Workspace track which leads converted?: No. It records what you spent and the lead source you assign; it does not measure conversions, ROI, or return. It also does not sync with your bank or read statements automatically.

Organizing help — not tax, accounting, or legal guidance

Cash Workspace is a free workspace for organizing invoices, expenses, receipts, clients, and documents. This page is organizing guidance only — not tax, accounting, legal, or bookkeeping guidance. Cash Workspace does not connect to your bank, does not scan or read your receipts for you, and does not move or collect payments. Whether an expense is deductible depends on your situation, so confirm it with a qualified accountant or tax professional.

Make marketing spend one clear category

Start a free workspace and record each lead-source cost with its receipt attached and source noted, so you can see what marketing cost you at year-end.