When I say this one online business tool will revolutionize your client experience, I mean it. The handy-dandy platform I’m talking about is Dubsado, a customer relationship management (CRM) system. While it sounds like a corporate business snoozefest term, it’s actually a small business owner’s best friend. From invoicing to automated emails and more, CRMs will make your client processes smoother than ever while also saving you loads of time.

Here’s 5 functions that make Dubsado the online business tool that changed the game for my photography business! 

ONE - Invoicing is easy peasy! 

You can’t save a date until that retainer is paid, so having a solid invoicing system is super important and directly affects your conversion rates. CRMs make it simple to send over an invoice and your client can pay with just a few clicks. 

Not to mention, there are options for automatic payments and automated reminders so you’ll never have to take time to remind your clients. Plus, Dubsado integrates directly with PayPal, Stripe, and Square to send the moolah straight to your bank account! 

And forget having to send a million emails when you are booking a new client. You can easily send over all documents and forms in one message, making it faster for you AND your client. Which brings us to… 

TWO - Contracts! 

Definitely not the most fun part of the job, but contracts are a must to protect you and your business. With Dubsado, the signing process is easy and straightforward for your clients. You can also download, print, cancel, or adjust contracts at any time! 

If you don’t have a contract in place, I would highly recommend sourcing one from a lawyer or resource you trust. I can’t recommend the Legal Paige enough when it comes to all things legalities! I used her trusted contracts with every single client. 

THREE - Let’s talk about questionnaires! 

You want to make your clients feel like they won the lottery with you as their photographer, right? A sure-fire way to do that is to get to know them better while also making them feel supported! Enter the beloved questionnaire. 

In Dubsado, questionnaires are under the templates > forms tab. You can customize your form to have multiple-choice, check all that apply, paragraph answers and more! Some ideas for questionnaires could be an “getting to know you” about your clients, day of planning and organizing, vendor information, and even feedback requests! For more ideas on where to start, Laurken Kendall has some pretty killer templates for photographers! 

To make it even better, you can add multiple questionnaires to each workflow and automate them to send on certain dates or points in your onboarding process. Speaking of automations…

FOUR - Automate, automate, automate! 

It’s time to let the CRM do the work. Setting up automated emails to send things like reminders and follow ups will save you SO much time and cut back on quite a few “oops I forgot” moments. 

Make a list of the emails you find yourself sending over and over again! You know the ones, information about your process, emails for contracts or invoices, shoot day reminders and more. You can save them in Dubsado under canned emails and add those to your automations as well!  Automating your emails is very simple, but such a convenient way to level up your client experience and cut back on admin tasks you hate doing. 

FIVE - Set up those workflows! 

Workflows, while they may seem daunting at first, will set you up for smooth sailing! For each package you offer, you can set up a workflow, or a series of steps you will complete for a particular package, from inquiry to testimonial requests! 

Inside these workflows will be emails, contracts, invoices, proposals, questionnaires, and any to-do tasks you need to complete! The best part? A large portion of your workflow can be automated. 

Wonder what a workflow might look like? Here’s one for a fun adventure engagement session! 

Inquiry 

Thank you for inquiring email - automated 

Follow up if no reply - task

Schedule engagement session- task 

Send contract 

Send invoice - automation triggered by contract signing 

Welcome email - automation triggered by invoice paid 

Get to know you questionnaire - automated 3 days after invoice paid 

Reminder email - automated 3 days before project date

Backup Photos - task

Cull photos - task

Edit sneak peeks - task

Edit full gallery - task

Send full gallery - task

Blog + post on social - task

Send testimonial request - automated for 3 weeks after project date

Do you see what I mean?? The ease and efficiency of setting up a workflow with automations is a GAME CHANGER, especially when growing your business, taking on more clients, and juggling more tasks than ever before. 

So there you have it! My 5 favorite functions of Dubsado that make it one of my absolute must-have online business tools for any growing photography business! 

Using one all-inclusive platform, you can both uplevel your client experience AND create systems and processes that keep you organized. Which, for any growing business, is absolutely necessary! Not only will you look more professional, but your clients will feel more supported and YOU will feel more confident in your abilities.

Choosing Dubsado was a no-brainer for me. And it undoubtedly has improved my business in so many ways. I feel on top of my game, stress-free, and more excited to do my job because of it!!!! 

And because of that, I can’t recommend it enough. You can start using the platform for free and even have up to 3 clients on the platform to test it out to see if it’s right for you. 

It won’t take you long to see just how useful it is. So when you’re ready to get on the Dubsado train for real, I’ve got a little something-something to save you some cash (who doesn’t love that?) Use my code jennvphotography for 20% off your first month or your first YEAR! 

For more hot tips and useful resources on growing your photography business, make sure to check out my mentorship options or keep an eye out on the blog!