When you’re starting out in a new venture, you forgo a lot of things that bring you ease because you’re in build mode where every penny counts… that was me too. In fact I stay pretty permanently in that space of DIY because there are so many things I think people overpay for, that they can manage themselves with a little ingenuity.

But I’m here to tell you today why Honeybook is not one of those things, and how it can help your business -and your sanity- one client at a time.

I could go on and on about how Honeybook has up-leveled my game tremendously, but there’s not enough time to point out ALL their features (there are a LOT) so I’ll stick to my favorites.
This picture above is what I see when I log in. It gives me updates at a glance that I can dive right into. Or I can go right to “projects” at top to view my active clients.

Alright, see those squares at top with numbers in them? That’s my pipeline. During busy season you have a lot of clients to juggle and it’s essential you’re organized or you can drop a ball somewhere. I used to have a piece of paper that I would use to keep track of where I was with each client. But a paper doesn’t send you reminders or sit neatly on your screen. With Honeybook you get to customize your pipeline to fit your business’ order of operations. Then as you correspond with each client, it automatically checks off each box for you so you always know where you’re at with each session. Genius!

But let’s talk about my favorite feature, and the reason I think Honeybook pays for itself tenfold. THE.TEMPLATES.
Guys. Honeybook has customizable contracts built right into it. So when a potential client inquires, you can send them a brochure of services if you like, or a questionnaire to gather necessary information, or go right to a proposal, which breaks down your fees, explains what’s included, and has a contract attached to it. All with your own voice and branding. You can even see when the proposal is viewed and signed. And if they sit on it, Honeybook sends you a reminder that you might want to follow up with them.
It’s like having your own virtual assistant and it’s awesome.

Here are a few of the tools Honeybook gives you at your fingertips: If you have Quickbooks, you can sync it up to your bookkeeping. You can view your money made, your money-making projections for the year and what your biggest lead source is. You can send emails right from inside Honeybook, and it keeps it all organized within their client portal, which can have multiple people added to it, making group projects a breeze.
You can even set up automated workflows in a sort of “if this then that” way, so you don’t have to think about what comes next. You can track time inside the program, for freelancers who bill per hour. You can integrate a contact form into your website’s coding so you always know where your leads are coming from… seriously there are SO many features that make Honeybook worth every penny in my book.

It’s important you know that I have not been paid to write this post, this is all coming from my own desire to share this awesome tool with you. But I do have a referral code that you can use to give yourself 50% off your first year of Honeybook, if you’re on the fence: http://share.honeybook.com/lauren27638

I know there are comparable companies out there like Dubsado and 17 Hats… I did a lot of research on the three and ultimately Honeybook was a no-brainer for me, but I know people who are happy with the other two as well. It’s really a matter of personal preference, but I do plan on writing a comparison post for anyone wondering what the differences are and why I picked Honeybook. So be on the lookout for that as well.

Cheers,

Lauren