Did I ever tell y’all about the time I was on vacation and I booked a client at one of my highest price points? And that happened without me even touching my computer.

What about the time that I onboarded a new client during one of my busiest weeks of the year and I never had to send a single email or touch my keyboard?

I promise these stories aren’t too good to be true, friend! They’re just the byproduct of having some strong systems in place and investing in tools within your business that will keep things moving along even when you’re out of town. In my business, that one tool that keeps my business moving forward even if I’m crazy busy and just don’t have the time is my CRM, Honeybook.

Honeybook is a client relationship management tool (CRM) that covers almost all aspects of creating and executing a successful client project. From creating proposals and quotes, to storing and sending contracts, to submitting worksheets or timelines for each project, Honeybook does it all! And I can honestly say that any tool that enables me to book a high-paying client without even turning my computer on is one I’ll be using for years to come.

But today, let me share with you just how I utilize Honeybook to keep my business running smoothly and what features have proved most beneficial over the years.

When I tell people that story about how I booked a client when I was on vacation, they always assume there’s something I’m not telling them. Nothing can be that easy, right?

Actually, it can! One of my favorite features in Honeybook is how intuitive and connected their proposal system is. Once I chat with a potential client, I’m able to send over a custom proposal that outlines our scope of work and the level of investment. With the click of a button, I can automatically outline a payment plan with due dates and attach the proper contract I’ll need on file.

If you don’t have a contract set-up already, you need to get one sorted. A contract not only clarifies everything for your client and keeps you on the same page but it keeps your business protected so you aren’t up at night! I recommend looking into a contract from The Contract Shop that you can set-up and send off in 15 minutes. Click on over to take a look at their Graphic Designer Template.

When a client receives my proposal, they can look things over and click “Accept” to move forward. Immediately, they’re taken to their first payment to reserve their project date and my client contract to make things official. Other than sending the initial proposal, which I base off of templates I’ve loaded into Honeybook so I do very little work on that end, it’s about as seamless as booking new clients can be!

Plus, I love that their invoicing system allows for clients to opt into auto pay where they can safely store their credit card or bank info and pay recurring invoices automatically. It negates missed or late payments and makes things so much more convenience for my clients, too.

But even after a new client books, Honeybook ensures that I can serve them well. Their Workflow feature allows me to create templates for different workflows based project types. From mentoring clients to branding clients, I can write out the exact steps that need to happen at every point in the process and turn that into a workflow in Honeybook. When I book a new client, I can apply a workflow to their project which then auto-populates corresponding tasks and due dates to keep me on track.

Workflows can also automatically send emails or brochures on your behalf using templates. I like to use this feature for new client onboarding so they’re getting all the info they could possibly need almost immediately after deciding to work with me. This makes educating my clients so easy and ensures they have answers to all of their most common questions.

But one of the most important features of any CRM to me personally is its ability to handle worksheets and fillable online client homework. With all my client projects, I utilize quite a bit of client homework and having those resources available to my clients online in any easy-to-access way makes all the difference. Instead of emailing my clients with .pdfs of their homework, I can send them a link to a custom project timeline or a branding worksheet. Their answers are saved automatically so they can take breaks and revisit each piece of their homework as many times as they’d like before submitting. As someone who sends her clients long worksheets as part of their branding homework, this feature is a game changer!

Honeybook’s features extend deep into the backend of your business, too. Their front-facing touchpoints, like private project spaces for client projects or branded online worksheets, are wonderful! But their integration with different bookkeeping platforms and their reports feature make a big difference on the backend of things.

Personally, I love that they have a fairly robust reporting section where I can keep my finger on the pulse of my business. From my booking rates to knowing where inquires are coming from, I can track it all! Before I started using Honeybook, I only had a vague idea of my booking rate percentage or what percentage of my inquiries were coming from social media. But now I can view all sorts of charts and graphs that help me make sense of what’s working and what’s not!

So frequently, I get emails or DMs from fellow designers or boss ladies who wonder how I keep track of everything. My biggest resource I share with them is Honeybook! It’s got so many everyday features that are integral to keeping my business running, and I love that I can manage tasks, assign workflows, and even track time inside each client’s project individually.

If you’re curious about how Honeybook could work for your business, I’d encourage you to give it a try! I hear they’re even rolling out their Canadian version soon, as well.

Try Honeybook for free for 14-days or snag your first year for 50% off right here!