Own a creative biz? Want an easier client management solution? 

Ok, let’s start here.

I bypassed Honeybook more than a few times. Somehow convinced myself that it wasn’t for me. That for some reason, my creative biz didn’t fit in the Honeybook box because it wasn’t wedding based.

This, my friends, made me a fool. A F O O L !

Here’s how my normal workflow would go:

1. A potential client would email me through my website. I would have to check more than one email address daily, making sure nothing was missed. And even then, I missed them due to spam. Stupid spam folder.

2. I’d write back, ask about what they are interested in, and how can next connect.

3. We’d then schedule a time to chat, which would take a few emails back and forth.

4. Then we’d decide to work together, and then the real work on my end started.

5. First, send a proposal. Open Word, find a past client’s proposal that was most similar and customize for this client. 

6. Find which email address I communicated with this client from. Send proposal via email. 

7. Wait for response.

8. “Looks great” response would come through, then I do this all over again with a project agreement. Open Word. Customize an old contract, send it off.

9. “Snap a photo of the last page signed and send back to me!”

10. Ugh. Seriously. Face palm.

11. Draft invoice for deposit in Quickbooks. Download. Save. Send. Wait for check to be delivered via snail mail. 

12. And then, finally, we’d start the project.

I’m tired already and we haven’t even started.

But here’s the thing. As a small business owner, I don’t have the funds or the brain space to use another, and yet another, app for these things. Just e-sign contract agreement apps can cost a minimum of $15 a month and that’s just for e-signatures. I still have to draft the contract myself.

Then we get into payment processing, digital proposals and email management galore. 

I thought this worked.

And honestly, it did work. But little did I know that there is such a better, and so much easier way.

On my IG story today, I’m going through a simple Honeybook overview and how I was able to get each and every one of these steps, the initial client onboard particularly, into one simple place.

My first project through Honeybook, the client on boarding took 1 day. Deposit paid and everything. Versus the weeks it used to take me. In fact, I’ve been able to onboard almost double my normal client load in the same amount of time, simply because of this simple process.

The important pieces are this – I was able to send the proposal, contract, and deposit request IN ONE EMAIL. No more back and forth. 

I got paid the day after I talked to the client, and their project got started the day after that. We just took 3 weeks (or more) off the books that would have been complete wasted time.

Basically, what I’m trying to tell you is that there is no other software or platform out there that does this for creatives. And frankly, I’m not even taking advantage of everything I COULD be doing.

Book keeping, calendar syncing, analytics and reports, client inquiry forms, time tracker, referrals, and file library.

Features I’m currently loving:

TEMPLATES

I am able to upload contract and proposal templates (Honeybook even took the ones I had and input them for me!), so all I need to do is click SEND and it customizes itself to my new client and project.

Speaking of project, I can upload, make and/or customize project templates using a list of services I already offer. So. Simple. It makes me feel stupid for not doing this before.

Emails - I can customize email templates for each stage of the client management process. No “generic” emails ever sent again, and I feel so confident that I won’t forget something, because it’s already done for me!

REMINDERS

I am an accountability rookie. I do not like accountability (for myself or others… freedom lovers unite). But Honeybook reminds me all the time when something is due, or someone needs something, or I said I would do something. No more missed deadlines or slacking on response times.

PAYMENT

You guys, it is the easiest thing in the world. I don’t even need to create an invoice. Just a *templated* payment schedule for projects, and viola. Payment made and money in my bank account. Simple as pie. Actually, easier, and much faster, than pie. Pie is hard.

50% OFF

Because I love this software so much, and feel like such a fool for not utilizing this sooner (like, wayyyyyyy sooner), I want to offer you other creative biz bosses (or even if you’re not creative, but like, a bookkeeper, this could still totally work fo you… seriously), access to Honeybook for a major discount. 

First of all, get a trial period for absolutely free. And if you don’t like it, ditch it. But you’ll love it. So I’m so excited to be able to partner with Honeybook to give you 50% off your year of Honeybook. 

I know that you will love it as much as me, and I wouldn’t tell you to go for it if I thought this was a waste of your valuable time. Because let me tell you – just in time saved using this little but very mighty app, I’ve TRIPLED what would be the cost of Honeybook is clients booked and deposits paid in ONE MONTH. 

That’s a lot of money that I would not have made otherwise, or it would have taken me A LOT LONGER to make it.

Anyway, I really would love to offer you this as a gift from one overworked and overwhelmed biz boss to another.