One of the struggles I had early on in my journey as a Pinterest Marketing Strategist was the constant paperwork. After a month of sending contracts that needed a physical signature, I knew there had to be something out there to streamline this process and make my entrepreneurial life easier. Enter Dubsado!
Dubsado – Client Management for Creatives
Besides removing the barriers to having a physical contract, Dubsado makes it so easy to streamline working with clients. Workflows, invoicing, contracts, forms, canned emails, and even a scheduling system make this online client management tool a must-have! At the time of publishing, Dubsado is $35/month with unlimited clients. You can get a free trial to use with up to 3 clients.
A One-Stop Hub for Client Management
As a small business owner with multiple 1-1 clients, it is imperative to properly manage communication, forms, and other client needs. Dubsado allows me to do this in ONE spot. I no longer have a need for 20 different systems because this client management platform does it all.
Electronic Contracts Are Life-Changing
My favorite part of Dubsado is electronic contracts. As a business owner, you need to protect yourself and your clients by using contracts. (Side note in my best southern accent: Judge Judy done told yall a verbal contract don’t hold up in court!)
I have my contracts set-up so that I only have to make minimum changes that are AUTOMATICALLY populated with this platform. In my former career, I did contracts almost every single day and this would have been amazing to have.
I no longer have to update each contract manually with dates, prices, addresses, or anything else that might vary contract to contract. Dubsado automatically completes it for me using the information from a form that a potential client completes to schedule a discovery call with me. See how hands off I get to be?
Dubsado Forms Keep Everything Neat
Beyond the contracts, Dubsado has a forms feature. I use forms for anything I need to keep on “file” for my clients in their Client Portal. Currently, I use a branding form for my monthly Pinterest Account Management clients to help me understand their brand and position on Pinterest.
Formerly when I was doing graphic design, I used forms as a way to have clients sign off on proofs for artwork. Instead of emailing changes back and forth, using a form allowed me to keep all of the information in one spot.
Creating branding and graphics for clients means a lot of changes and requests. These forms were also on file in the Client Portal, allowing each client to reference back when needed.
Client Portals Keep Clients In The Know
The Client Portal is an awesome little space that you can utilize for your clients. This hub allows the client to view invoices, contracts, emails, forms, and update their information. I love this because it has everything in one spot for the client.
Getting Paid With Multiple Options
Another feature of Dubsado I really enjoy is the multiple payment options. I have always used PayPal because it is super quick and I don’t like waiting for money.
However, the platform can also connect to Stripe and Square. If you want to use automatic payments for invoicing through Dubsado, you can do so with Stripe. Personally, I like to keep it simple, so I only accept one form of payment, but you can use all three if you want.
Keep Your Calendar Scheduled & Synced
The newest feature of this client management tool is the scheduler. This feature is honestly a life saver. Since I’m already paying for Dubsado, there is no need to pay an additional fee for another scheduling program. I synced my scheduler with my Google calendar and it works flawlessly.
I have my scheduler set to automatically send a confirmation email after an appointment is set up. If this is a discovery call with a potential client, they will also receive an initial form to complete so I have more information about their needs.
Prior to the appointment, I have Dubsado set up to send a reminder email about 4 hours before go time. I try to make it as easy as possible for those who schedule an appointment with me because I know how easy it is to forget and to not actually write it down or put it in your calendar.
Dubsado Wins at Canned Email
Last, but certainly not least, Dubsado’s canned email feature is gold. Pure gold. I love the canned emails within Gmail, but Dubsado honestly takes it to another level.
I have many canned emails set up where Dubsado automatically populates the information. And yet, I haven’t seen Gmail doing that. When Dubsado pulls the information specifically for the client, like knowing that X client has Y amount due on Z date. That’s called magic, yall.
Beyond The Tools on the Platform
Besides the amazing tools and features built into the Dubsado platform, there is a facebook group for platform users.
In this community, I have found many answers for little nuances or tweaks I want to make. The facebook group is more than a community, it is a resource hub.
Customer Care is a Top Priority for Dubsado
When the scheduling tool first came out, I had quite the issues. I posted in the facebook group and the owner asked me to email about it. Dubsado is a response beast. I’ve never seen a company respond to anything so quick!
The fact that they also have free training with their staff so you can learn the platform is awesome. I had to use one of these training calls early on because the workflows didn’t make any sense to me. But after just one walkthrough, I had it!
The individual attention and customer care that Dubsado offers is hard to beat, especially in this online world.
Debating Which Client Management Tool I Needed
When I first realized I needed a client management tool, I looked around. Both 17hats and Freshbooks were suggested to me along with Dubsado.
However, Freshbooks is not a true client management platform. It only offered financial tools and invoicing.
To be honest, I don’t remember what made me go with Dubsado over 17hats, but I’m glad I chose it. I love using Dubsado and it has offered me everything I need for managing clients and more!
Dubsado is THE Tool For All Creative Entrepreneurs
Anyone who owns a small business and works with clients can use Dubsado. From graphic designers to photographers, there is a way you can make this client management platform do the work for you.
Forget doing manual labor like invoicing and contracts. The price of using Dubsado is well worth it! I know that my time is valuable and Dubsado frees up so much time for me.
Yall, $35 is SUPER cheap when it comes to having someone or something managing, streamlining, and automating your client management.
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