I used to think “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” when it came to business matters and workflow. There was such a fault in my reasoning but I had a system down for things and I didn’t see why I should disrupt the system if it was working. The truth? Running a business is a lot like conducting a circus – out of control, exciting, but sometimes a little chaotic. The more I get to know entrepreneurs, the more I realize how ill equipped we are to run streamlined businesses – mostly because we are artists at heart who are secretly yearning to step away from our computer screens and get back to the art. Isn’t that really why we started our business? For the simple love of the art?
I didn’t leave my 9-5 corporate job to work on my business around the clock, 24 hours a day. Amen? Over the years of building my business, I have learned that I am foolish to think that I can do it all on my own. We need others, we need help, we need to let go of control of each piece of our work and take control of our lives (the ones we should be living beyond a computer screen!) In December of this year I realized I needed to relinquish control to truly pursue less work, more life, and I put down $500 to invest in my business and prove it. I joined Honeybook after hearing a buzz about them in the industry. What is Honeybook? It’s a place to keep your business pipeline up, running, and organized. It’s basically a personal assistant for your clients and it streamlines your business, your communication in the most beautifully branded, intentionally designed way. Why did I finally make the leap after four years of doing things my way? Because I knew there was a better way. I wasn’t foolish to think that my system was best, I had just been hesitant in the direction I wanted to go. When I flew to San Francisco in January, I actually went to the Honeybook HQ and sat in a conference room with the CEO, Oz. He asked for feedback, wanted to know how I felt about features, asked honestly how they could make it better and I knew right then that I wasn’t just a customer, I was part of the vision.
I’m not getting paid to say these things, I am writing this out of a true love for the way Honeybook has transformed the way I do business. Instead of mailed contracts and collecting checks from clients, everything is online. Each client has their own folder, their own pipeline that tracks the progress from initial inquiry to final delivery. Proposals, contracts, invoices, and questionnaires are all formatted into your account so with the click of a button, your clients are getting their questions answered (before they even have the chance to ask them!) So why Honeybook? There are quite a few different softwares that claim to do the same thing. The thing that sold me the most was their personal concierge service. I had been afraid to sign up with a workflow system because I knew I didn’t have the hours to devote to learning it, implementing it, and understanding it. Within an hour of signing up my packages, pricing, contracts, emails, and templates were all uploaded and ready. My girl (Alex, hey girl!) uploaded all of my current clients, their wedding dates, emails, and invoice information. Everything is in one place and instead of having multiple file cabinets in my office or a million folders in my email inbox, I have it all in one site.
Sound interesting? I’ll tell you more about it all when I teach my first FREE webinar: 6 Lessons I Learned Creating a 6 Figure Photography Business on Thursday evening at 7PM CST. I want to tell you the things that I once thought (like the lie: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it… it doesn’t have to be broken to be made better!) and I’ll show you first hand how I run my business while working less, living more, and creating a client experience that can’t be beat! The best part? Honeybook has partnered with me to make this webinar unforgettable and I can’t spill all the beans but I can tell you this: you really, really don’t want to miss this. Before you sign up for Honeybook, join me for an hour and I promise it will be worth your time! Our Wednesday webinar is totally maxed out and at capacity so we just had to add on a second one for all of you eager entrepreneurs! I’ll see you on Thursday, chill the wine, this will be a happy hour you won’t soon forget!
Click here to sigh up for a coffee (or wine) date with me on Thursday at 7PM CST!
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Registered! I can’t wait!
HoneyBook was a huge game changer for my business too! This is so awesome to hear!
Just came across this and it sounds very valuable, Jenna! Is there any chance you recorded and saved it? I’d love to watch 🙂