5 Ways that I Use Honeybook in My Calligraphy Business

I started using Honeybook in October of 2018 and since then, it’s totally transformed by business! From streamlining my client workflow to cutting down on unnecessary paperwork, Honeybook has helped me attract and book dream clients, elevate their client experience, and ensure that I’m protecting myself and getting paid for my work.

If you’re new here, welcome! I’m Alane the girl behind the pen here at Write Pretty for Me. I found calligraphy in 2013, started making money from it in 2016 (mind is still blown that this is real life!), and am so grateful to be able to say that it’s now my full-time career! I’ve learned a lot in 5 years of full-time entrepreneurship and I’m thrilled to share my knowledge and experience with you to help you achieve your wildest dreams even faster than you thought possible!

First thing’s first — what is Honeybook?!

Honeybook is a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) geared towards creative entrepreneurs. It’s a system that allows you to communicate with leads, book clients, and get paid all in one place. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

Before I found Honeybook, my client workflow went something like this…

1. Client would email, DM or text me

2. Lots of back and forth emails / DMs / texts to find out what they’re looking for

3. Share my pricing in the body of an email / DM / text and wait for them to approve

4. Create an invoice in Google Sheets, download it as a PDF, and email it to the client with my Venmo info

5. Also create a contract in Google Docs, download it as a PDF, and email it with the invoice

6. Receive the deposit via Venmo and transfer it to my bank account

7. Mark it as paid on the google sheet, adjust the total due, resend to the client for their emails

8. Get the signed contract back from the client, print it, countersign it, scan it back onto my computer, and send back to the client

9. Stare at the printed contract like, “wtf do I do with this?” and just shove the paper in a drawer

10. More back and forth emails to finalize all of their wedding details

11. Struggle to find specifics and lost email chains

After setting up Honeybook for my business, my client workflow now looks like this:

1. Inquiry comes in via the lead form on my website and has all of the information needed

2. Send a canned email response along with a scheduling link to book a Zoom consult call

3. Post-call, create and send a proposal, invoice and contract all in one file (using templates, of course, so I never start from scratch!)

4. Client views the file, submits the deposit via credit card (which automatically gets transferred to my bank) and signs the contract electronically

5. I electronically countersign the contract and send a canned booking email with links to their copy templates and client folder

6. Nothing gets lost, everything is digital, and I easily keep track of where their project is at in Honeybook’s pipeline!

As you can see, having Honeybook has saved me so much time, has made my whole client workflow seamless, and ensures that nothing falls through the cracks! Here are 5 main ways that I use Honeybook on the daily in my calligraphy business:

1. Collect Leads

Within Honeybook, you can create a contact form and then embed it into your website (view mine here!) or copy and paste the link directly into your Instagram profile if you don’t have a website. Because my contact form is generated through Honeybook, all inquiries from my website feed into Honeybook’s project pipeline, which allows me to track and manage them within the system. I love that I can see what stage each lead is in, whether it’s an “inquiry,” “follow up,” “proposal sent,” or “retainer paid.”

2. Communicate with Clients

One of the things I love most about Honeybook is the template library. I’m able to set up canned email responses so as soon as an inquiry comes in, I tweak the template to personalize it for that lead and then send it off along with my service brochure!

I have email templates saved for every step of the client process, from the inital response to the final congratulations email, which saves me a ton of time and allows me to focus on more important things.

Using the HoneyBook platform, each client has their own portal, so all of our messages are in one place, which means I don’t need to scroll through my inbox to find or piece together email threads! This makes it so much easier to keep track of each and every detail. Plus, you can still respond through gmail once the Honeybook thread has been created!

3. Schedule Consultation Calls

A newer feature, Honeybook now has a call scheduler built into it so you can easily book calls, appointments, etc (and this removes the need for a third-party app like Calendly!). I include a consult call scheduling link in my initial response to the lead. The client can click the link, view my availability, and book a time for a Zoom call that works for them! What I love most about this feature is that it connects to my google calendar, which I operate my entire life out of, so I can be confident that nothing will ever get double-booked!

4. Share Proposals, Invoices and Contracts

With Honeybook’s Smartfiles, I’m able to share a proposal, invoice and contract all in one place. What I love most about this feature is that I’ve been able to create a base template. Rather than having to start from scratch with every single client, I can just tweak and update the template based on the specifics of each client’s proposal. This saves me SO much time, especially since, due to the nature of custom work, my proposals are custom to each client.

Also, as a creative, I love how visually appealing Smartfiles are. There’s so much opportunity to include photos of you and your work to really give your client a personalized feel. They create a seamless booking experience for my clients, and I’m even able to include pages that answer FAQs and let them know what to can expect next.

5. Collect Payments

Once the client approves the proposal, they can issue the first deposit directly through the file via credit card. My bank account is hooked up to Honeybook, so all of my payments are directly deposited into my bank account within just a few business days.

One of the biggest things I learned early on in my business was this: the easier you make it to book with you, the more likely people are to book with you! Clients don’t want to jump through hoops in order to pay and secure a spot on your calendar. With Smartfiles, they can sign the contract digitally and submit payment with a credit card, making it a super seamless and easy booking experience.

So there you have it! Honeybook was one of the first major investments I made in my business and it easily paid for itself the first month I used it. If you’re ready to give Honeybook a try, follow this link for 25% off your subscription!

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using my link, I earn a small commission. I only share products that I use myself and would be of benefit to you! Plus, purchasing through an affiliate link is a nice way to say “thank you” to creatives who are sharing their knowledge for free 😉