Hey there, Dubsado community! Are you ready to take charge of your business and also take charge of the way you use Dubsado - and quickly?
Well, you're in luck because I've got just the guide for you. As a previous Certified Dubsado Specialist who has set up 30+ Dubsado accounts, I know the struggles you face and the overwhelm you might be feeling getting into a new CRM.
If we haven’t met yet, I am Taryn Rachelle the Community & Partnerships leader for Dubsado. Also previously I was a Certified Dubsado Specialist and I know my way around this platform.
Because I know first hand the overwhelm you might be feeling jumping into the platform I want to make easier on you so you can get started systemizing your business and giving back more time to your day!
Whether you've just signed up during Dubsado's birthday sale (woohoo!), you're a Dubsado newbie or you just aren’t sure where to start, don't worry!
Say goodbye to endless scrolling in search of a starting point because this blog post is your ultimate roadmap to success!
So grab your favorite beverage, open up Dubsado, and let's dive into the top 5 things to set up in your account, which you can do in 30 minutes or less 😊
First things first, let's streamline your inquiry process and save you some time. Creating a simple inquiry workflow is as easy as 1-2-3 (or 1-2-3-4, in this case). Here's an example to get you started:
Step 1: When a lead comes in, Dubsado will automatically send them an inquiry canned email. Trust me, this little time-saver will make your life so much easier!
Yes these can be personalized to not sound like a robot!
Step 2: Add a tag with the name of the service the lead is interested in. This simple step will help you organize your projects and keep everything neat and tidy.
Step 3: Change the project status to "inquiry received." This way, you'll always know which projects are still in the inquiry stage.
Step 4: Create a to-do to review the lead. This ensures that no inquiry slips through the cracks, and you'll never miss a potential client again.
See? These simple steps can be done in just 5 minutes, leaving you with more time to enjoy that second cup of coffee.
If you are a visual personal life me, I got you. Here is a visual below of this EXACT workflow:
P.S. I timed myself setting this up and it took me 3 minutes to complete 😱
Now, let's add a personal touch to your outgoing emails. Setting up your email signature in Dubsado is super easy. Just head over to your account settings and customize your signature to include your name, contact information, and a touch of your unique personality.
Your clients will appreciate the professional yet personable touch!
Here is an example you can copy & paste into your email signature and update with your photo and information(and change all links!):
Taryn Rachelle
Partnerships & Community Leader, Dubsado
www.dubsado.com | partnerships@dubsado.com
We all know that getting paid is the best part of running a business (hello, cha-ching!).
So, let's make sure you're all set up to accept payments seamlessly. Not only do we have amazing ways you can get paid but there is a newer feature we added in where you can require auto pay for all debit/credit card payments…aka no longer hunting down clients for late payments!
Currently we have Stripe, Square, Paypal & ACH payment options within your payment settings for you to easily integrate. Head into your settings and click payments and invoices to select your payment processor and turn on auto pay! Here is a blog post that will walk you through each one
While we're at it, it's worth mentioning that Dubsado has its very own payment processing system coming soon, making it even easier for you to get paid. Keep an eye out for updates on this exciting feature.. p.s. our email list always finds out first so make sure to keep a lookout in your inbox.
There is no worse feeling than someone booking something on your calendar only to then see you are now either double-booked or working more than you planned that day.
Calendar conflicts can be a real headache, but fear not! Dubsado has your back.
By integrating your calendar with Dubsado, you'll never double-book or miss an important appointment again. Say goodbye to those embarrassing "Oops, I'm so sorry, let's reschedule" emails. Your calendar and Dubsado will be in perfect sync, ensuring a smooth and stress-free scheduling process.
Within this feature you will also be able to set up video conferencing especially if you use gmail to sync your google meet (or we have the option for zoom as well!)
One of my favorite parts of the calendar integrations is you can choose which calendars within your calendar you want to import and/or export information into.
This allows your calendars to be synced and have those chefs kiss moments looking at your schedule.
Okay, let's demystify the back end of a project, shall we?
This is where some people tend to get a bit confused, but don't worry, I am going to make this extremely easy to understand so you are in control of your projects.
Let’s call this your Client’s Project Command Center.
Job Name: This is the name of the project. You will see this AND your clients will see this within their client portal
Project Date: This is the date this project or event is happening. You can set a start date and end date. You will be marked as busy or away depending on what you choose!
Contracts: Let’s keep things legal people. Here ONE contract can be assigned to the project. If you need additional contracts throughout the project they will need to be sent as sub-agreements
Client Information: Most of this will be auto populated through your lead capture but this is information about the client like their name and contact information. You can also add an alternative contact (this is great to add a significant other for our wedding users)
Portal: Your clients are all given a client portal but you can choose to use or not use it. This is where they can find forms, invoices, schedulers & more. Make sure to activate if you want you clients to have access and send them a link to their portal
Project Location: If there is a location of the project you can put that here
Custom mapped fields: These are custom text or date fields you can set up to capture even more information about the client and/or project.
Referral source: Your referral sources are how this client found you. That way you can keep track of where your leads are all coming from!
Team member selection: If you have a team and you want them to be responsible for a project you can assign it to them there
Take some time to familiarize yourself with the client information side of a project in Dubsado. From contracts to questionnaires and everything in between, this is where the magic happens. Get cozy with the back end, and you'll be running your projects like a pro in no time.
1. Invoices: This is where all invoices and payment plans for this project will live.
2. Forms: Any forms added by workflows or manually will be in here for you to edit and send to clients!
3. Appointments: These are all individual schedulers and group schedulers that are pending or confirmed. You can also send schedulers manually to clients through here of through workflows automatically
4. Workflows: Remember that inquiry workflow you set up (or that you are about to set up? That and any other workflows applied to this project will show up here.
5. Tasks: Any to-do’s that are created through workflows or tasks that you create manually will end up here. Reminder: Dubsado is not meant to be a project management tool but there are some aspects of task management that can be handled in the platform!
6. Notes: These are PRIVATE notes about the project. These do not get seen by the client but allow you to keep track of notes from calls or anything else you want to keep note of about the project.
These are the top 5 things you need to set up in Dubsado to kickstart your journey to business bliss. Remember, Rome (and a successful business) wasn't built in a day. Take it one step at a time, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions along the way. I'm here to support you every step of the journey.
Now go, conquer that to-do list, and let Dubsado work its magic. Your version of freedom is within reach, and I can't wait to see you thrive!
If you haven’t signed up for Dubsado why not after reading how easy it is to get started on day 1?
& if you have signed up and need more support check out our certified specialists who can get your Dubsado looking and running like a well oiled machine.
Ready to put these tips into practice? Log in to your Dubsado account now.
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