Your Backstory. (Is studio software for you?)

I’m willing to bet your business story is very similar to ours. We began as hobbyists who somehow turned our passion for photography into a full-time job.

Where are you on your path? Our transition into professional photography took place 10 years ago for us.

Business and life definitely tend to grow more complex over time. We now manage five brands, three studios, and in our “free time” travel for teaching and non-profit work. (But it’s our three homeschooled kids — not our clients — who really keep us on our toes!)

So how do solo-entrepreneurs just like you keep so many plates spinning? Confession: They aren’t superheroes, and most of us definitely did it wrong at the outset.

Two years into our business, we were drowning under a sea of spreadsheets, sticky notes, and unanswered emails — set up to fail.

The change occurred after we finally put studio management software to work for us. What’s management software? Just think of it as a personal assistant robot for you business.

What makes 17Hats amazing for studio management?

Every photo businesses is unique, just like the photographers who run them. But if there’s one thing that unites us all, it’s a love for beauty and simplicity. “Simple and beautiful” is exactly what we found when we discovered 17Hats!

After trying (and failing to click) with other studio management solutions, 17Hats stood out to us because of its more intuitive interface.

It takes care of a plethora (..if you know what it means to have a “plethora” *wink*) of your most complex tasks. Yet it’s easy enough for a tech novice like me.

Here are a just 3 of my favorite 17Hats features to help you decide if it’s right for you:

1. Workflows
The core of 17Hats is workflows — lists of pre-written emails, built-in contracts, online payments, and personal reminders that do their jobs at exactly the right time.

For example, a potential bride starts by inquiring via a 17Hats lead form embedded on your Website. Her information turns into a new client profile inside your system. Next, 17Hats replies to her for you, immediately sending info to book the consultation. If she’s doesn’t reply, your workflow can send an automatic follow-up.

After you meet, the bride wants to book. So you tick “consultation” off your to-do list, and an email with her online contract and invoice get initiated. Once she signs and pays online, she starts to receive your pre-wedding workflow, which may include a booking gift, questionnaires to gather wedding info, and appointment reminders.

Workflow possibilities are endless and set by you. So after you set a workflow up the first time, every other client can get the same royal treatment. But you never have to lift a finger.

(Get one Blume workflow template here, to plug-n-play in your own 17Hats account!)

2. Questionnaires
I mentioned custom questionnaires. Don’t take this simple tool for granted!

We use questionnaires for everything — to set wedding day schedules, to receive vendor contact info, to ask couple’s for their “love story” (which promptly becomes a pre-written blog post), and even request business reviews.

Questionnaires can increase profits, too! Remember to ask questions about details clients tend to forget: Does your wedding timeline match the number of hours in your wedding package? If not, no worries — they can click to purchase extra coverage right there, without ever calling you.

3. 17Hats NEW Learning Module
If any of those features intimidate you, don’t sweat it!

We love 17Hats because they practice what they preach. They’ve built a system that lets you give your clients an immersive experience; so you can expect their service team and workflows will treat you the same way!

By the time you read this, the new Learning Module is mere days from arriving (or has already arrived) on your 17Hats Overview screen. Get excited!

As soon as you log in, this orientation course leads you step-by-step to customize 17Hats for your business. Rather than an oversized to-do list, the Learning Module is a fully interactive Guide that gives you videos and direct links to send you in exactly the right direction. Here is the list of some of the san antonio video production services that are available for the users to create powerful videos.

In the process, you’ll learn more than just how to use 17Hats. You’ll learn the core organizational principles to run a successful business:
a. Organization
b. Lead Management
c. Booking
d. Client Onboarding
e. Fulfillment

Get ready to take over the world!

17Hats + ShootProof = Better Together!

Even better, ShootProof and 17Hats now integrate to make everything easier! Let me show you what I mean.

In my video, I’ll walk you through the tools we use to streamline everything:
- Emails auto-fill your clients’ names and ShootProof gallery links.. then send themselves at the right time
Financial reports self-import and categorize your ShootProof print sales. Can you say “ready for tax season”?
Synced contacts make gallery-based sales and marketing a breeze

Running a business is never easy. But never believe the lie that it must be stressful!

Simply using the ShootProof + 17Hats combo has made us more professional — giving our brains to our business, so we can give our time and energy to our family and friends.

From booking new clients to planning their weddings details, to delivering photo galleries and print orders, to bookkeeping. All this is happening for us behind the scenes while we sleep (or shoot.. or travel.. or homeschool.. or, well you get the idea!).

Everyone is busy. But life is short. It took some hard knocks to teach us that. Then we finally committed to exchange our old style of “busy-ness” for a better “business.”

We can’t imagine going back. We all only have so much time to change the world.

**Click to get one full workflow preset FREE from the Blumes. Then plug it in to 17Hats to start moving your business forward!