I’ve tried a LOT of different ways of booking clients.
Finding efficient ways to book clients is kind of my thing. I’ve taught entire classes at henna conferences on how to integrate different online systems to create a smooth client booking workflow. Up until about two weeks ago, I was a HUGE advocate of building your own system that works best for you, primarily using free tools from Google. I have tried pretty much ALL the CRM things, especially those that are targeted to gigging creative professionals (ie ManagerSal, Dubsado, 17hats, Giggio, SproutStudio, Flolu, Wave Financial), and I never found one that I liked as much as my own system of using a carefully structured and elaborate Google Form for lead collection + Google Sheets with lots of color coding and booking status for tracking clients + Square for Invoices.
But let me tell you something… my mind has finally been changed.
HoneyBook is, I admit, better than anything I myself have cobbled together, even with my 20 years as a computer nerd who tries really hard to create slick, functional systems for her gig based business.
I was seriously considering creating my own custom gig booking software just for henna artists, to speak specifically to our needs, since nothing else really did. I took a course at the Rhode Island School of Design on app design because I was so serious about NEEDING to create a solution for an all-in-one integrated henna client booking system. I was learning SQL so that I could work with the kinds of databases I knew I’d need to make such a system work.
Then it was time that the henna season was (finally!) starting to heat up again, and I realized there was NO way I was going to get this app up and running in time to use it for this year. But I really needed SOMETHING! So I asked around, and got a LOT of the same recommendations as I was used to, using the tools I had already tried, and largely written off. But two friends, in particular, said that HoneyBook was really good, and I was a fool to not give it a second chance. And wow, they were SO right!!!!!!!
HoneyBook had already done everything I was brainstorming that I wanted to do in my own app, and more.
Why is HoneyBook perfect for henna artists, face painters, and other creative professionals who primarily work at events?
I am totally in love with HoneyBook! My workflow is sooooo smooth now. Dubsado was a close second, but the fact that HoneyBook integrates with Gmail and has a great mobile app really won me over.
Top reasons HoneyBook is awesome for henna artists
- contact form autopopulates contracts/invoices/etc
- send contract + invoice together at once to really cut down the back and forth
SO many clients book right away, if you’ve asked the right questions in your contact form and don’t need to follow up for more info! - collect payments right within the system
- adds everything to Google calendar
- has an app to smoothly track stuff on your phone
- keeps everything organized by stages
so you can easily see who still needs to sign their contract, or pay you, or answer your last email, or whatever - keeps all communications in one spot
- has a slick client portal that makes you look really professional
- can be whitelabeled if you just message them to nag and ask
(so you send clients to bookme.yourwebsite.com rather than honeybook.com/user/yourbizhere) - I could go on, but these are the main onesI
I Just REALLY wanted to share with all the henna artists who stumble across my blog that HoneyBook Is What You’ve Been Looking For!!!
They will even take your existing contracts, invoices, contact forms, etc, and do all the grunt work of setting up a system that makes them work together for you!!! I took advantage of this and was very glad I did.
If you’d like to give it a try, this link will give you 20% off!
Want to get more in-depth advice about how henna artists and other creative event service providers can make the best use of Honeybook? Here’s a video class I created along with my colleague Mandy of JSK Photography that will show you:
-How to skip over frustrating back-and-forth with clients
-How to avoid haggling
-How to automatically generate contracts
-How to conduct efficient remote bridal consultations
-How to collect payments and get contracts signed seamlessly
-How to automatically add bookings to your Google Calendar
-How to automate tasks and messages like pre-booking check-ins, payment reminders, testimonial requests and more
