Automate your Interior design business - a guide to getting started with Honeybook CRM software
Are you stuck and overwhelmed in your interior design business? You know that there are better ways to run your business, but you are not sure where to start?
As part of my business, I assist interior designers with finding the best software for their interior design business - during our 2 hour Technical audits I often get asked which software(s) would be best. Should I choose Designfiles or MyDoma, Trello or Asana, Honeybook or Dubsado? Let’s talk about CRM - Customer Relationship Management software, today.
An example of the Honeybook dashboard showing your project pipeline. Image: Honeybook.com
So what is CRM software and how can it help my interior design business ?
If your client experience is scattered over several platforms and there is no consistency, then a simple CRM software will help you streamline your processes, elevate your client experience and at the same time increase your productivity. So, in a nutshell, CRM software will streamline your business processes (the back end) and create an elevated client experience.
Client communication all in one place! No more looking through emails anymore. Image: Honeybook.com
Which CRM software should I choose for interior design software?
Two of the most popular CRM options in the interior design industry are Honeybook and Dubsado - both softwares have similar features such as lead capture forms, contracts, invoices, a scheduler and automation for workflows.
If you are an interior designer you will still need additional software to run your business, as neither of these programs is for project management and team communication - look into Designfiles, MyDoma, Trello, Asana and Clickup for these features. It is also not capable of managing and tracking purchase orders, managing products and order tracking - look into Designfiles, MyDoma, Trello, Studio Designer, Houzz etc. And finally - although CRMs have invoicing and payment capabilities, they are not financial software - so have limited options when it comes financial reporting or tax.
So which one should I choose? Honeybook or Dubsado?
If you don’t have any CRM software in your business, both will a game changer for you! Honeybook has a super user-friendly interface and has an intuitive workflow, so it is very simple to setup and to get started. Dubsado on the other hand has a much steeper learning curve and takes a lot more time and effort to get set up.
When deciding which platform would be best - you need to keep in mind that Honeybook might limit your business growth with time because of the simple workflows, if you think you will need more complex workflows and automations with time, then Dubsado will be the best option.
In my business I am using Honeybook in conjunction with Trello and Designfiles and I find this combination to be quite effecient as I was able to set up everything on my own, without investing in technical consultation fees to get everything up and running.
Here are some of the ways Honeybook CRM can assist you:
Manage and track initial enquiries
Project status - see your projects in one view - from Inquiry, Follow up, Proposal sent, Contract signed etc
All in one Client portal - your client can log in, see all their information and respond to your emails all in one place
Create forms, contracts, proposals and invoices with payment options
‘Smart’ proposals - clients can select packages, or add on a la carte items and then move straight to the contract and payment
Great proposal templates
Email templates
Create a cohesive professional look - from a branding point of view, this is great as all your documentation will have the same feel and look.
Well-designed, functional app for when you are on the go
Set up automations - this is a whole topic on its own! For example, send your client welcome guide after a contract is signed
Scheduler - connect your calendar to create great scheduling integration. It will automatically send a confirmation and 2 reminders.
Integrations: Email platforms, Google contacts, Zoom, Quickbooks, Calendly, Slack, Asana, Monday and Zapier
The well designed, functional Honeybook app. Image: Honeybook.com
How to get started with your CRM and automations
Setting up your client experience to be on auto pilot can be daunting and it can take considerable time to get everything set up. You can use an external service to help set up your workflow and automations right from the get go, but I would caution against this approach. It might seem tempting to get everything set up ASAP, but there some very important steps you should take before you can be confident that you are setting up everything correctly
Make sure that you have your processes streamlined and that you have repeatable processes - only then, you will be able to identify which tasks can be automated. It will also be helpful to have all your client documentation ready to use - email templates, welcome guides, services guides, investment guides, proposal templates, contracts, questionnaires etc.
Getting to know your CRM software will also set you up success - start with the basics, here are some of the first items I set up to get me familiar with my software
Set up the Scheduling link - I replaced my free Calendly link on my website, now I can benefit from the 3 reminders which will be sent automatically
Created a client contact form for my website, once a client completes this it will automatically create a new client in Honeybook. I also created two Zaps (Zapier) which will automatically create a new client card in Trello (where I do the actual Design project management) and add the lead to my Mailchimp list
Added my contracts as templates, so they are ready to use
I moved all my Gmail email templates to the Email templates
Set up my first basic automation - once a contract is signed, a welcome email with information will be sent out automatically
Explore the Honeybook templates, there is a section for Interior design with customizable templates to get you started
Honeybook templates for interior designers, these are great to start with. Image: Honeybook.com
Once you have some of the basics set up, you can start implementing one automation at a time and make sure it works perfectly, before you move on to the next automation.
Timing is also so important - if there is a slow period in your business, then that would be the ideal time to get started. If your day to day design life is too hectic, you might get started, only to not fully implement the software. If you are going to get this up and running, then make sure you set yourself up for success. If you are already overwhelmed, then this might not be the best time or alternatively outsource some of your work, to free up some of your time.
Some examples of automations
Send an auto reply to new enquiries
Send out your Client questionnaire after the consultation invoice has been paid
Send out your Client welcome guide after the contract has been signed
Send out your exit questionnaire and request a Google review after the project is wrapped up
Should I invest in CRM software?
After reading all of this, you are probably wondering if you need to learn and implement yet another software into your business…and the answer is definitely YES!
Implementing CRM software is one of the best strategic investments you can make for your business, that will actually yield benefits in terms of efficiency, productivity and client satisfaction. With CRM software you can truly take your business to the next level and free up some of your valuable time to get back to the creative side of your business!
I love Honeybook so much, I am confident it will change your design business. I am happy to share my referral link with you - you will get 25% if your first year on Honeybook - this is an affiliate link, so I will get a small commission if you sign up through my link.
If you have any other questions about software or getting you set up with a Virtual Assistant, then schedule a free call here. As soon as you have done that, you will be in my Honeybook pipeline honey!