Wanna know one of the biggest mistakes I see creative entrepreneurs making? They try to save a buck by using 15 free / cheap tools instead of investing in a CRM. Sure, your bank account might be telling you you’re making a good decision, but how much time are you wasting? Like many of my clients, you could be saving 10-15 hours a month just by setting up a HoneyBook workflow!

Last time I checked, you would probably value 10 hours of your time (times 12 months) at more than $100, right? Let’s ditch the giant, digital purse you’re carrying around to keep track of the 15 different tools you’re using and show you how HoneyBook can become your sleek new wallet. Your back (AKA sanity / family) will thank you!

What Tools Can HoneyBook Replace?

Ironically enough, I’ve actually spoken to three people about this in just the past week. Here’s what your business might currently look like… if you’re anything like them! You have one separate tool / software for each of the following:

• Gathering an inquiry.
  • Via website contact form, Gmail, or TypeForm, etc.
• Responding to the inquiry.
  • Via Gmail.
• Scheduling a consultation call.
  • Via Calendly.
• Drafting & sending a proposal.
  • Via Adobe Suite / Microsoft Word and Gmail.
• Sending a contract for signature.
  • Via Docusign or Gmail, where they have to print it out, sign, and scan in to send back to you.
• Sending an invoice for payment.
  • Via PayPal, Stripe, Square, or even your personal Venmo (which is a huge no no and could result in your funds being frozen).

By the end of this, not only have you utilized at least FIVE different tools yourself, you’ve taken your client on a digital rat race. So when either one of you wants to refer back to a document, you’ve gotta hire a search party and private detective to find it again! Or put more simply, you’ve wasted not only your time, but your client’s time as well.

What the Same Process Looks Like with a HoneyBook Workflow

You know those infomercials where you watch them remove spaghetti and wine stains from the carpet and you’re like, “whoaaaaaa – how did they do that?” That’s the level of amazement I want you to prepare yourself for. Ready? Here’s what it could look like if you had HoneyBook set up for your business.

• Someone inquires from the HoneyBook embedded contact form on your site and automatically gets auto-populated into a potential client contact within the app.
• Your automatic HoneyBook workflow is triggered and they get sent an email response IMMEDIATELY (using their name) with more information and a link to book a call if they want to chat further.
• They book a call, you get sent a notification, and they get sent details about how to access the call.

The first action you have to take? Show up for the call. Then you’ll get details and draft a proposal for them to send through… you guessed it! HoneyBook!

• In the proposal will be all of the package details, payment terms, and the contract. Within one email, they’ll be able to sign and pay the first payment. (You can even automate subsequent payments so you can avoid having to chase them down later.)

Oh, and when you want to check out a detail about their project such as the date, location, or exact package? You just head to their name under your booked projects and it’s all neatly organized right there for you.

Noteworthy Mentions

Alright, since I know that one of the biggest issues for my clients switching over their on-boarding and client management process is the time it takes to implement, here are a few things you should know.

• HoneyBook offers a free service to take any of your existing materials and convert them into the app.
• If you’re overwhelmed about the inefficiency of your current process and how you’d update it for HoneyBook, I’m happy to help you do so via a strategy session.
• You will spend more time continuing down the path you’re on than taking one day to set up your entire HoneyBook workflow… I promise!
• HoneyBook offers a free trial for two weeks so you can get a sneak peek before you buy!

I also want you to consider your clients. Imagine how much more luxurious of an experience you could provide by saving them time and having gorgeous branding throughout your first impression / initial communications.

Setting up your business for how it is now, versus where you want it to grow, is thinking small. Have a little foresight – your future self will thank you!

PS Want to save 50% on your first year and take advantage of a free trial? Use my link by clicking HERE and it will automatically be applied!

(Disclaimer: I will receive compensation if you choose to purchase HoneyBook through my link, but as a user myself, I only recommend products I truly love.)