Hey there fellow business owner! Today I’m really excited to share about something that has honestly transformed our business. I hope this can do this same for your growing business!!

When we were first starting out, Drew and I were saving everything we made to purchase new equipment and education. After we purchased the gear we needed, had some solid education under our belts, and we started to pay ourselves verses putting everything we made back into the business, I realized that it was getting SO hard to keep up and stay organized with all the details! I was emailing PDF contracts, emailing invoice totals (we didn’t even have a PDF invoice), Drew was constantly running to the bank depositing checks and cash, I was having to dig into my email every few days to make sure I wasn’t forgetting a certain detail, I was re-writing the same emails over and over again, and just generally felt super disorganized. We weren’t sure how we were going to be able to take on more work with how disorganized things felt on the back end. Around that time is when I stumbled across Honeybook and ya’ll, it’s been one of the best business investments yet!!

Before I dive in, there are other software systems that all pretty much provide the same service & from what I’ve heard, they do a great job! I’ve heard the most about  17Hats and know of a few others like Shootflow and Dubsado, but Honeybook is what I started with and I’ve been over-the-top impressed/satisfied with my experience so I’ve stuck with them!

What is Honeybook?

Honeybook is a management software that allows you to:

Track & manage your sessions

• You can add client notes to each one
• All communication & files are under the specific project or session to keep you organized
• Sessions are organized by date so you see your upcoming schedule & avoid double booking

Automatize important items like emails, brochures, and questionnaires

• Automation is a game changer and an essential factor in growth! If I ever send something more than 3 times, I make a template for it. This not only saves me time, but it helps me serve our couples to the best of my ability by creating a consistent experience.

Manage inquires

• This is so convenient and a huge time saver! You can create and use a custom contact form from Honeybook and embed the code on your website.  That contact form them populates the information straight into your pipeline & sends you a notification email.

Send digital invoices and contracts

• Another feature that is so convenient! We still emphasize and prefer that clients pay with checks, but I got to a point in my business where it just felt more professional to offer an online payment option. There are small fees, but you can offer credit cards or direct bank transfer through Honeybook. Since we’re Dave Ramsey enthusiasts, we currently only offer direct bank transfer.
• Having digital contracts has really improved our client experience because it makes it so easy for them (and me!) to return their signed contract. We require a deposit and signed contract to officially book their wedding date and  what used to take 2-3 weeks now only takes a few hours! This was another small item that felt like a huge leap toward professionalism in our own business.

Set alerts & reminders

• This helps me stay on top of when I need to send certain items (e.g. our pre-wedding questionnaire to our couples 2 months before their wedding date, final invoice remind, etc.)

Give you reports on your business ($ made in a certain month, how many leads are turning into business, etc.) & has a bookkeeping section

• To be honest, I don’t utilize these features as much as I’d like! This year I hope to more 🙂

Collaborate with other creatives

• You can connect with other creatives on Honeybook for wedding or session referrals, location recommendations, vendors for styled shoots, and just meet new people! I really love this feature and have found it to be SO helpful! Last year I found a few vendors (e.g. DJ, florist, and out of town makeup artist) for our brides who weren’t having any luck. I also found vendors for an out of state styled shoot I was coordinating which made the process pretty seamless.

How did I get started?

I tested out the 30 day free trial, but after day 3 of the trial I was hooked!! If you’re interested, use this code for 50% off your first year!!

Want to know more about how to use Hoenybook? Check out this post here!

I hope you find this helpful! Any questions? Leave them in the comments below and we’ll be in touch soon! Wishing you the best as you continue to grown and refine your business practices!

Cheers,

Mon