The Photo Scene Podcast
Episode 9: Client Management Systems with Kendra Courtney
EPISODE SUMMARY
Join us for this episode as we chat with Kendra Cortney, a master wiz in all things Dubsado and workflow management. As photographers, we know all too well how much admin time we put in behind the scenes. In this episode, Kendra teaches us how using Dubsado to create and manage your workflows can save you time and energy on the backend of your business. If you’re burning out trying to keep all your processes straight, you won’t want to miss this episode!
EPISODE SHOW NOTES:
About Kendra:
Since starting college, Kendra has been a scrappy entrepreneur. To pay for college, she launched a part-time photography business with her now-husband. Then, she began to take on virtual assistant work for some extra cash. One thing that struck her as she was running her photography business was how much admin work there was on the backend and how hard it was to give her clients the best service possible when she felt drained by all the other work there was to do. While working as a virtual assistant, she found that many of her clients were struggling with the same. Through some internet sleuthing and Facebook community groups, she discovered Dubsado. She quickly learned all the ins and outs of how this system can help to streamline a lot of the work processes related to client management. Since then, Kendra has become an expert on Dubsado strategy and setup and now consults with clients looking to automate and streamline their workflows with Dubsado.
What is Dubsado?
Dubsado is a client management system that helps create and automate repeatable workflows for generating leads, responding to leads, all the way through to booking and onboarding clients. Interestingly, Dubsado was created with the photographer’s workload specifically in mind.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Why Kendra loves Dubsado:
- It came highly recommended by others
- Dubsado has the most customization options and features; It allows you to use custom code to tailor design and workflow options
- If there’s a feature that doesn’t exist yet, there’s usually a workaround
- It allows for payment to come through PayPal
- The Dubsado Facebook community group provides a lot of support
- Offers basic bookkeeping such as categorizing payments by service rendered or by incoming and outgoing payments.
At what point in starting your business is it a good idea to set up a Dubsado workflow?
- Once you’re clear on what exactly you offer so, if you offer wedding photography and engagement photos, you will need separate workflows for each. Getting clear on what you will offer is the crucial first step.
Why is it important to have workflows in place?
- It saves you time on the backend, which means you can dedicate more time to your craft or personal life.
- Less stress and anxiety because you don’t have as many tasks to worry about, so you feel less overwhelmed.
- You can better serve your clients. For example, if you have an automated response that goes out when a client contacts you which includes your pricing guide or a scheduler to book a discovery call, you are likely one of the first of many they contacted who got back to them. It leaves a good impression, makes their decision easier, and they’ll be more likely to book you over others if you’re the first to respond.
“Having these systems can help you be present and enjoy your life more because you’re not a screen all day checking emails and sending contracts.” – Kendra
What does creating workflows in Dubsado entail?
Once you’re clear on the services you offer, Kendra recommends mapping out workflows for each of the below client phases and tailoring the workflows for each of the services you offer:
- Inquiry
- Booking
- Onboarding
- Delivery
- Offboarding
Once you’re clear on the steps of each phase of the customer journey, you create the assets. This includes emails, forms, pricing guides, questionnaires, or schedulers that can be set up to go out automatically as your lead progresses through the client journey. Once you’re clear on your services, your workflows and assets are ready; they can all be set up in Dubsado. You have the option to be as hands-on or hands-off with your leads as you like, depending on the time you have. Dubsado is highly customizable to your needs, which is great!
Dubsado can be difficult to understand if you aren’t clear on your offerings and work processes; however, if you feel you could benefit from automating some of your workflows using Dubsado, we have your back!
Kendra specializes in the strategic setup of Dubsado workflows, and she can help with every step of the planning process, setup, and implementation. Connect with her through the links below!
PLUS, we will be collaborating with Kendra on a hybrid mentoring/group course program where Kendra will provide personalized Dubsado guidance via Zoom plus, a self-guided course that includes educational videos, templates, and strategies that you can learn on your own time and implement directly into Dubsado to streamline your workflows and business.
Connect with Kendra:
IG: kendracourtneyco
Website: kendracourtney.com
FB group: Dubsado Safari
Get 30% off your first month or year of Dubsado
TIMESTAMPS:
(01:34) About Kendra Courtney, Dubsado specialist.
(11:23) What are the benefits of using Dubsado?
(14:19) Why is it important to have workflows and when should you automate them in a system like Dubsado?
(22:26) How easy or difficult is it to set up Dubsado?
(23:51) How to begin setting up your workflows in Dubsado
(30:17) How is using Dubsado beneficial to clients?
(33:47) Does Dubsado offer bookkeeping features?
