I want to take a minute and give some awesome business info for my fellow photogs and vendors
When it comes to business, I am the super organized, color-coding, pretty files, all the office supplies kind of girl. I want things streamlined, systemized, efficient.
Being a business owner and mama, sometimes that is kind of tricky to do, and I was finding it difficult to juggle all my inquiries, what I’ve sent to whom, which package/location the client has selected, welcome gifts sent, along with print orders to submit, ship…the list goes on and on.
Enter Honeybook.
This Client Management System has my little organizational heart oh so happy and skipping for joy. Never again will I have to wonder where I’m at with any project, search my inbox to see if I received back that file, or try and locate a questionnaire deep in the depths of my email. I don’t have to search on old sticky notes or flip pages in my planner to see if one of my to-do’s was marked off…when I am out of town and receive inquiries, I never have to worry about losing track on what was already sent to whom…Honeybook keeps track of every single little detail – all in one very happy, organized, wonderful place.
When I first found Honeybook, it was a little daunting to be honest, only because it does SO MUCH!! But Honeybook is prepared for this and they equip you and help you every step of the way! From day one, their customer service team was working to help me out – they migrated all of my files in for me so that I was hitting the ground running. They also offer an orientation video course, as well as many help forums and how-to videos in case you’re having trouble or have questions on how to use things. Still need some help? Their customer service team is one of the best out there! They are friendly, timely and thorough on all their communication – working hard so that you won’t miss a beat! They know you are busy, so they try to answer your questions and get you back to what you do best ASAP.
Fastforward to now: Honeybook is so incredibly integrated into my client experience, I don’t know how I ever did this before them!
My homepage gives me a great glance at what is going on:
When a client inquires from my website, it automatically loads into my Pipeline – this is where all of my current projects live. With that, thanks to Honeybook syncing with my calendar, it’s quick and easy to see if I’m booked on the date they’re inquiring for.
From there, I can quickly and easily respond to the client with the appropriate brochure which clearly outlines all my collections, pricing and full details. This allows my clients to look at all of their options and choose which package fits them the best.
The submitted brochure makes creating the proposal soooo easy – by inputting in what the client selected along with my predetermined contracts and payment schedules, getting a client booked is a breeze!! Their portal allows them to review the services, sign the contract and make payments – all in one place!
I can easily adjust payment schedules, set percentages and due dates for any balance and give discounts – which is all tracked AND Honeybook connects to Quickbooks so doing taxes is a breeze!
Since I offer many different services (couple sessions, weddings, seniors, portraits, individual education and workshops) Honeybook allows me to have different contact forms, brochures and contracts – which streamlines and categorizes EVERYTHING!
They have so many tools to help you get work done efficiently and thoroughly.
The ability to make custom questionnaires, send timelines, recommend other vendors – it is allowing me to serve my clients so well in one space, never lose track of anything and obtain (as well as deliver) all the information I need. The calendar allows me to see what project is coming up, as well as being able to see when payments are due and coming in – soooo helpful!
On top of what it offers for my clients, there are a few other amazing things Honeybook does: I can connect with other vendors, refer them easily to my clients, as well as post for opportunities/needs and see what opportunities there are in my area as well. I can look at reports to see what my inquiry:booking ratio is, see how I’m doing from month to month with booked projects, payments collected and download reports for bookkeeping. Seriously EVERYTHING I need is here in Honeybook.
Honeybook is only $400 per year – which is INSANE for the amount of time and energy it saves me (I want to be working smarter and faster – not harder, and spending my time where it is best spent – WITH my clients, family and friends) BUT use this link and save 50% on your first year!! Trust me – it is SOOOO worth the investment!
This is just a quick overview for y’all – stay tuned for a more in depth look at what all Honeybook can do for you, as well as video clips to see how I navigate the entire system so you can see how much of a breeze it really is!