17hats CRM is a platform for photographers, virtual assistants, coaches, balloon artists, the Jolly Old Fellow, lawyers and so many others!

[Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. I’m also an ambassador for them because I do believe in the product and have only been able to grow my business because of the tool they have built.]

Running a business is half your skill and the other, business management! As your business grows and evolves, you may decide to hire out some tasks or you may want to keep them in house. One tool that can help you save some money over a traditional hire would be a CRM like 17hats. You may have heard of companies like Honeybook, Dubsado, Cloudspot, Studio Ninja, Pixieset and others that have some CRM functionality but in my experience, they all fall short of what 17hats can offer. They have a variety of features and some of them are truly great but if you want a CRM with depth and breadth of features that integrate well with one another than look no further than 17hats.

While I joined 17hats in 2017, I didn’t use the software much until 2018 when I started digging into it. Then when 2020 hit, I took a workshop through 17hats.com and it all clicked! My business has doubled since then and I’ve even helped over 25 business owners set up their systems since 2020.

CRM for Photographers & 17hats

Are you worried about your hard earned money going to pay for ANOTHER subscription?! I get it! I was nervous to spend the money because I was still building my business but I learned very quickly the benefit it provided was worth every penny and more! This tool can be the foundation for growth as allows you to spend more time with clients and on continuing to grow in your craft!

With your membership, you have access to a variety of tools and business support within the system. These features include: 

• Document templates for Quotes/Proposals, Contracts, Invoices and Questionnaires; 
• A comprehensive way to input all your products and services for quick access; 
• Workflows that allow whatever level of automation you prefer for your business and creates a consistent client experience all while keeping you organized; 
• An online scheduler that allows you to quickly share your availability with clients and allows you to set boundaries and better manage your time well; 
• The ability to keep all your contacts (clients and non-clients alike) in one place; 
• Create to-do lists so you don’t forget what you need to do; 
• Lead capture forms (aka inquiry or contact form); 
• Bookkeeping; 
• Integrations with other programs 
• And so much more! 

The only things this doesn’t manage for you is website hosting (not their niche), email marketing (regulations requiredmake this a poor business focus) and gallery hosting (it does integrate with Shootproof!).

CRM for Coaches

One of my favorite features of 17hats is the ability to build workflows and adjust them as my business evolves! A workflow is defined by Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary as: the sequence of steps involved in moving from the beginning to the end of a working process. 

This is exactly what happens within your business for each and every client…even if they are a friend or family member. It all starts when a lead inquires and then you need to walk them through your process until you consider their project completed! 

Creating a Client Process

Before you can ever create a workflow, you need to know your process or at least think through it for the season your business is in now. Some questions to ask yourself would be:

• What happens when someone inquires? (Where do they inquire?)
• What happens when they are ready to book?
• What happens between booking and their project date so you and they are prepared to complete it?
• What steps need to happen in order for the project to be completed and how will you end your time with the client?

If you are like me, it can often feel like learning a new language or instrument when learning a new platform. Lucky for you,17hats has made that so easy with their excellent customer support chat, help center step-by-step directions as well as their educational offerings throughout the year. There is also an amazing community of 17hats members on Facebook that can help problem solve or think through some different use cases. It’s okay if there is a learning curve (and there will be!) because as they say, the best things aren’t easy!

So if you are tired of using paper and pen or using multiple programs to manage the backend of your client experience, look no further than 17hats and start streamlining today! By guiding people on every platform to your lead capture form, you are helping lead them through the process and you can complete your entire client experience from within 17hats. You can also choose the primary way you wish for your clients to compensate you which means no more running to the bank on a weekly basis to deposit cash and checks to keep your business moving forward.

17hats Referral Code

You can grab a discount for your first year here!

17hats for Virtual Assistants

Danielle Hardesty is a portrait and branding photographer based in the Chicagoland area. She loves serving those that want their photos to be authentic, not perfect. When she isn’t capturing photos, you can find her dabbling in interior design, music and eating some Giordano’s pepperoni and spinach deep dish pizza or Chipotle!