An awesome CRM and automation is the #1 thing I wish I had known about when I first started my business. At the time, I probably would have thought that spending $250/year on software like Dubsado was insane, but I was wrong and you should learn from my mistakes!

About a year and a half into my business, right in the middle of busy season, I realized that I forgot to send an invoice. *cringe*

I was wasting so much time sending the same emails over and over again. Not to mention the time it took to schedule meetings! Ugh. I do not miss those days. Add to all of that the mental load of carrying around to-do’s like “send guestlist spreadsheet to Client A” and “Don’t forget to follow up on that unpaid invoice from Client B”- and I was barely staying afloat!

Enter, Dubsado. 

I was desperate. I needed software that I could rely on to send invoices, receipts and emails and I needed it set up NOW.

After experimenting with another CRM, I landed on Dubsado. I remember binge-watching all of their onboarding and setup videos in awe, thinking “I can’t believe I’ve been doing all of this myself like a darn fool.”.

So, what can Dubsado actually do for you?

• Automate your workflow
• Share your calendar to book meetings (this can be done automatically upon inquiry if you want!)
• Send proposals so clients can select their package (this is awesome for photographers!)
• Share contracts (and receive signatures from all parties!)
• Send invoices and accepts payment (Square, Stripe or PayPal).
• Send emails (welcome package, tips and tricks, check-in’s)

 

And honestly so much more!

Getting Started With Dubsado

I highly recommend giving yourself a FULL WEEK to set up your system. Yes, a week. I said what I said.

First, grab a sticky note pad and a big empty wall (the back of a door works great!). You’re going to walk through every step of your current process and visually map it out. You’ll want to think carefully about each point of contact, communication, and how you can serve your clients. You’re going to come back to this, but for now, it’s there as a guide.

 

 

Now, head into Dubsado and get your package and payment schedule in. Then refer to your flow chart and add in any necessary canned emails. Next, add the contract. You’ll want to decide if you are going to use the Proposal-Contract-Invoice capabilities (it’s one of my favourite features!) – you are, it’s time to setup the proposal. If you plan to use the scheduler (which, trust me, YOU SHOULD) it’s time to head over there and build that up. Lastly, a contact form for your website! Finally, it’s time to build your workflows.

Now that you have all of the content from your workflow put into Dubsado, you are ready to pour yourself a coffee and get down to business.

I’ve mapped out the first few steps below. I like to start with my “post-it note” workflow and then add in things specific to Dubsado at the end. Ex: changing the project status! You can change the project status all along the way moving it from “new lead” to “coffee date” – “proposal sent” – and finally moving it into “jobs”.

 

Does this seem like a lot? It is. That’s why I suggested you give yourself a full work week to get this done! You will likely need to repeat this process for all of your packages.

A few personal Dubsado workflow tips for wedding pros:

• you have the option to have automation begin right as soon as an inquiry comes in. You can have them select the package they are wanting to book and add that specific workflow right from the contact form. I only sort of use this feature. I like to have the workflow added to the client, but I don’t have automation begin until they sign the contract. You could easily have an automated email go out to the client, but I prefer to personalize that first email, so I do this step manually.
• I have a separate Proposal-Contract-Invoice for each package that I offer. The “proposal” is really more of a detailed write-up about what’s included, what the client can expect, payment etc.
• I have templates for design proposals etc. These still require a TON of customizing, but having the base setup as a template helps me save time and offer clients a consistent service!

 

Ready to dive in? You can set up Dubsado for FREE (you get 3 clients, and one of them should be yourself for testing!) but if you’re ready to go all-in, if you use the code confettiandco you’ll save 20% and I will save $25, so it’s really just a win-win!

If you liked these Dubsado workflow tips for wedding pros and want more, leave me a comment below and tell me what else I should cover.