Intro
Starting your freelance journey as a photographer comes with its fair share of admin hurdles, but that’s where the CRM platform Dubsado shines.
Offering a seamless way to manage all of your behind-the-scenes tasks, from juggling client bookings to managing invoicing, this powerful little tool is all about making your workflow as seamless as your photography.
Step One: Getting Started with Dubsado
Kicking off with Dubsado is as simple as setting up your profile and inputting your photography packages. Think of it as organising your digital desk: a spot for everything, from your emails to your invoices.
It’s about getting those all-important admin bits sorted first, so you can focus more on capturing stunning images and less on the dreary paperwork.
After getting your business details inputted, here’s what you should do next:
1. Upload your logo: First things first, navigate to the settings section in Dubsado and locate the option to upload your logo. This is the perfect first step in infusing all your client communications with your photography business branding.
2. Pick your colours: If you already have branding colours, great! Navigate to the colour settings and match them. If you're starting from scratch, choose colours that complement your logo or general branding. Consistency is key for a cohesive look across your documents, emails and website/portfolio.
3. Email integrations: Next, head over to the integrations tab and select the option to connect your professional email address. Follow the prompts, link your email with Dubsado, and streamline all your communications directly through this super-tool.
4. Calendar sync: Simplify your scheduling process by linking your calendar to Dubsado. Navigate to the calendar settings and follow the instructions to sync all your bookings, shoots and meetings from various platforms into one centralised location.
5. Add your contact details: Dubsado features a handy little tool called ‘smart fields’, which is a kind of automatic generative fill – allowing you to add your details to all your templates at the click of a button.
6. Set up your payment processor: Navigate to the finance settings in Dubsado and select the option to connect your payment platform or bank.
Step Two: Creating Client-focused Journeys
Imagine your photography bookings flowing effortlessly, from the first hello to the final masterpiece. That's the power of client-focused journeys in Dubsado.
Here's how to make it happen:
1. Map out the client journey: Start by sketching out every step of your client's journey with you, from their first email to delivering their gallery and beyond.
2. Create a lead capture for your website: Lead capture forms are smart and simple ways to get your potential clients quickly linked to your Dubsado account, automatically creating a ‘project’ (or job) for that lead.
3. Build your packages: Add all your photography packages to Dubsado and select which add-ons are available for each package, e.g. prints and albums.
4. Prep your templates: Let's get those documents ready to roll! Whip up some templates for contracts, questionnaires and invoices that speak your language and reflect your brand.
5. Set up Canned Emails: Head over to Dubsado's email settings and craft some templates that feel warm, welcoming and brilliantly helpful.
6. Define Your Payment Plans: Need to take a deposit or split large invoices into instalments? That's where payment plans come in. You can even set up payment reminders.
7. Simplify scheduling: Customise your booking page to reflect your brand’s personality and add your availability and booking options.
With these simple steps, you'll be weaving client-focused workflows in Dubsado that not only make your life easier but also make your clients feel special and supported.
Step Three: Getting Down with Workflows
First: Build your workflows
Now you’ve done the groundwork it’s time to build your workflows. My preferred method is to split these into different sections of the client journey - ‘Enquiry’, ‘Booking’, ‘Pre-shoot’ and ‘Post-shoot’. Remember you can use one workflow to start the next workflow automatically!
You’ll likely have multiple versions of these for the different types of shoots you offer. If your workflows are similar, you can copy an existing workflow and tweak it for each shoot type.
Second: Test your workflows
Now that you've got your client workflows all set up and your business operations running like a well-oiled machine, it's time for a quick check-up before the big reveal.
It's all about running through your process manually, putting yourself in your client's shoes to see how everything flows.
Grab a cuppa, take a deep breath, and let’s get this critical final step nailed!
Wearing both your business owner and client hats, here are your top tips for Manual Testing:
1. Take it step by step, walking through the entire process to ensure everything flows smoothly.
2. If you're still in the trial phase, stick to using the same email address for multiple tests. This way, you won't burn through your sample clients, and Dubsado won't create duplicates.
3. When testing Dubsado forms as if you were a client, use incognito mode or private browser windows. This ensures you're seen as a client, not the business owner.
4. Remember, there’s no need to process real payments during testing. Simply apply them manually to mimic a client's payment process.
5. Give your forms and emails a thorough once-over. Check for any pesky typos or missing info that might throw off your clients.
6. Last but not least, jot down any issues you come across and work through them before you go live.
Third: Connect your workflows to your lead capture and embed it on your website
Don't miss out on any potential opportunities to connect with clients. Embed your lead capture form on your website and apply the relevant workflows so that once a lead is captured, you can nurture those connections and transform them into paid jobs and happy clients.
Step 4: Optimising your Photography Business with Dubsado
Now that your client workflows are running smoothly, let's fine-tune your business operations for maximum efficiency. Dubsado offers a treasure trove of tools to help you manage your photography business with ease, and here's how to set them up:
1. Lead & Job Tracking: Customise your project statuses and Dubsado will reward you with a bird's eye view of which clients have reached which phase in your client journey.
2. Reporting and Analytics: Gain valuable insights into your business performance with Dubsado's reporting and analytics features. Customise your dashboard to display key metrics like revenue, expenses and profit and delve into the details of where your clients are finding you.
3. Keep on track of tasks: Your dashboard will show all your upcoming workflow tasks, so you’ll never miss a thing.
Conclusion
There you have it – your crash course in mastering Dubsado to take your freelance photography business to new heights!
With Dubsado by your side, you can say goodbye to the endless paperwork and administrative headaches and hello to more time doing what you love – capturing breathtaking moments behind the lens.
So, what are you waiting for? Dive in, get creative, and let Dubsado work its magic in streamlining your photography business.
Got more questions?
Ashwood VA are here to help you every step of the way. If CRM platforms like Dubsado can’t help, hiring a Virtual Assistant to take care of your business admin tasks could be the way forward!
Get in touch or take a look at our Services to see how we could free up your time so you can focus on your vision.
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