All service-based business owners need a Client Relationship Management (CRM) system to manage clients. If you research CRM systems, you’ll discover that the leading three are Dubsado, HoneyBook, and 17Hats. I use Dubsado, and I’m a huge fan of their comprehensive system, but I realize it is not the system for all service-based business owners. It has a learning curve and can come with more bells and whistles than a person might need. As a business owner, it's up to you to decide what's important for you and your business. 

WHAT IS A CRM?

A CRM manages clients from lead generation to final payment. Your CRM will manage documents (send and receive onboarding and communication pieces), process payments (send invoices, collect payments), and streamline your workflow (automate processes, manage workflow). 

MANAGE DOCUMENTS

A strong CRM will manage and house the documents you share with clients. Both HoneyBook and 17Hats manage, send, and receive proposals, contracts, and invoices. You can also send emails, questionnaires and more. All of the client-facing documents you send out have some level of customization and automation. Both platforms also have great templates to start from if you’re struggling on what to include in a package, questionnaire, email, brochure, and etc. They both also store every attachment you send your client to a project library that can be accessed by both you and your client. So there’s no more need to search through emails to see what you’ve sent.

PROCESS PAYMENTS

Payment processing is vital to the success of your business. Both HoneyBooks and 17Hats send and process invoices and payments. When you send a client an invoice, they pay through a 3rd-party payment processor like PayPal, Stripe, or Authorize.net. The 3rd-party payment processor takes a portion of your payment (usually a set amount per transaction + a percentage of the cost). While there is a fee, the process of billing and receiving payments is worth the fee. Additionally, a good CRM will integrate with accounting software like QuickBooks and provide reports or analytical information. 

STREAMLINE WORKFLOW

One of the most important reasons to invest in a CRM is the streamlining of your workflow, which helps to generate income for your business and to keep business owners sane. I can’t tell you how many clients I have worked with who were using a simple spreadsheet or nothing at all. It leads to lost revenue and lost time. If your workflow is streamlined, you don’t waste time on the tedious stuff that your bank account depends on. A CRM can track your tasks, time on a job, and status. For example, you can automate your systems, so someone fills out a short form on your website that triggers an email with your services and a questionnaire about their needs. They fill out that questionnaire and automatically receive a request to sign up for a time to meet with you and some introductory information about your business and how you do business. Your strong CRM will automate the processes and continue increasing your workflow with you limiting your effort.

Why choose HoneyBook

There are plenty of reasons to choose HoneyBook over 17Hats. 

DASHBOARD

The dashboard, or pipeline, is the first thing you see when you log into your CRM. HoneyBook’s dashboard has more options for customization than 17Hats, and it’s more robust. 

LEAD GENERATION

Lead generation with HoneyBook is much more robust than 17Hats. You can customize some aspects of your lead generation form before placing it on your website. It captures information well and allows you to automatically send things like an intro guide and scheduling options. 

APP

The HoneyBook app is robust and makes streamlining your workflow much easier. The app has most of the same features of the web-based portal and works seamlessly. If you’re on the go a lot, this feature is helpful. 

SUPPORT 

HoneyBook’s support is simply amazing. They are always available to answer your questions in great detail and schedule time with you for live feedback calls. They are focused on continual progress, which shows. 

If having more options and a strong, mobile community is important, HoneyBook is the best option. If having a simple and affordable platform with basic options is important, 17Hats is the best option. 

I suggest you write out your entire process from lead generation to project reflection. Include the small steps and the large steps as well as what you already use in each step (programs, integrations). Use that list to determine which CRM is right for you. Once you see how much time you’ll save, you will be ready to invest in the best CRM for you.