Dubsado Optimization Tips to Start the New Year Organized
As a new year begins, it’s the perfect time to audit your Dubsado account (and other tools!) to start with a clean slate. Taking a little time now to tidy up your setup will ensure you’re ready to run your business efficiently and make the most of every client interaction in the coming year.
Here are our top tips for sprucing up your Dubsado account so you can hit the ground running:
1. Step 1: review what worked (and what didn’t) last year
Before diving into Dubsado cleanup, take a moment to evaluate your client process from the past year. This reflection helps you identify what’s working, what’s not, and how to make meaningful adjustments in your setup going forward.
Ask yourself:
What worked well?
Did your processes save you time and reduce manual tasks?
Were your clients consistently satisfied with communication and service?
Did your forms and questionnaires capture all the necessary information upfront?
What didn’t work well?
Were there recurring issues, like clients submitting late payments or missing details?
Did you frequently need to tweak workflows or resend forms?
Were there points where clients seemed confused or overwhelmed?
2. Audit (or create) workflows for efficiency and consistency
Take a walk through your workflows from inquiry to offboarding. Are there steps you always delete or adjust manually? If so, it might be time to remove or refine them.
Look for:
Gaps in communication, for example: Are clients frequently asking what happens next? Add automated email updates at key stages, like after a contract is signed or a questionnaire is completed, to keep them informed.
Opportunities to improve efficiency, for example: Are you duplicating effort by customizing emails for every client? Use canned emails in your workflows to save time while maintaining a personal touch.
Features you could automate or enhance, for example: Are you manually reminding clients about deadlines? Automate reminders for tasks like form submissions, invoice payments, or appointment scheduling.
This is your chance to streamline your workflows and ensure every step reflects the high-quality service you deliver.
📌 Need help defining your processes and getting started with workflows? We’ve got you covered with a step-by-step Youtube video series.
3. Refresh your email templates
Your emails should feel like they’re written just for your clients—even if they’re automated!
Update your email templates with fresh, engaging copy that reflects your brand voice.
Need a little dopamine drip during your workday? You can add emojis to subject lines and gifs to email bodies to bring personality and warmth to your communications.
We recommend using naming conventions with the service type, phase of the process they are in, and the action of the email to keep you organized when searching through your template center and to easily populate when using in a client project. For example: “💍 Wedding | Lead | Send Proposal”.
Remove any old and outdated email templates to remove the overwhelm.
Don’t forget to give your email signature a refresh if it needs one!
These small tweaks can make a big difference in how your clients perceive your business.
4. Update or delete old appointment schedulers
Do you have outdated schedulers hanging around? Clean them up! Review all active schedulers and remove those you no longer use or that don’t align with your current services.
Use this quick checklist to tidy up:
Align your scheduler availability with your current working hours and personal calendar. Pro Tip: Set random availability changes in Dubsado’s scheduler while managing your day-to-day flexibility by blocking off times in your externally connect calendar opposed to updating each individual scheduler template in Dubsado. This keeps everything streamlined and ensures clients can only book during times that work for you.
Verify that each scheduler is connected to the appropriate confirmation and reminder email templates to keep clients informed and prepared.
Review all your settings like duration, buffer times between appointments and other settings to avoid scheduling conflicts or unnecessary back-to-backs.
5. Refine and remove old form templates
Unused forms clutter your account and make it harder to stay organized. But before archiving or deleting forms, take a moment to evaluate if they can be improved:
Improve your templates. If you frequently find yourself asking clients for the same details during a project, consider adding those questions to your intake forms or questionnaires to streamline communication and reduce back-and-forth. Similarly, if clients often have recurring questions before booking, incorporating those FAQs directly into your proposals can provide clarity upfront and boost conversions. To address common friction points like late payments or missing details, update your contracts with clear expectations and consequence clauses to set the tone for a smooth, hassle-free process. Lastly, bring more of your brand front and center by using Dubsado’s customization capabilities to make your forms visually beautiful—highlight your unique style through colors, fonts, and logos to leave a memorable impression on every client.
Archive old forms. Not ready to delete a form just yet? Create a project called “Old Forms” and move outdated forms there. This keeps your templates section clean while allowing you to access archived forms if needed. Note: removing forms from your template center won’t remove the forms from current client projects they are attached to.
Optimize your workflow. ****Avoid duplicating and customizing forms in your template center for each client. Instead, add the template form (like a contract) directly to a client’s project, where you can customize it without affecting your main templates. This ensures consistency and avoids unnecessary clutter in your templates section.
Remove packages or payment plans you no longer offer.
Use section headers like "Old Packages" to group outdated packages for reference if you’re not quite ready to delete them altogether and move them to the bottom of the templates area.
Review active packages to ensure pricing and deliverables are accurate and up to date. Pro tip: don’t just add the deliverable, but the benefit of the deliverable.
Check that your active payment plans reflect current policies, such as installment amounts and due dates.
Ensure you have attached upcoming and overdue payment plan reminder emails to each installment.
This simple cleanup ensures your packages section is easy to navigate and reflects your current services.
Start the year strong with a clean Dubsado setup
A little time spent organizing your Dubsado account now will pay off in smoother processes and a better client experience in the months ahead. These tips are easy to implement and will help you get the most out of your tools as you grow your business.
Ready to dive in? Tidy up your Dubsado and make the New Year your most organized yet!
