This is the first in a four-part series on the business & client management tools provided in 17hats. Two of the main things I hear new 17hats users asking is for help knowing where to start, and how to set up their workflows so that’s what I will address in this 4-part series.

In this post, Part 1, I share what drew me to 17hats and how to know if it’s right for you.
In Part 2, I will discuss where to start when you first dive in and how to make the most of your email templates.
In Part 3 I will go into detail regarding contracts, invoices, and quotes.
Finally, I’ll end with Part 4 – a post dedicated to how I set up my workflows.

The developers of 17hats claim that I can “Tame the chaos of [my] business with one brilliant app.” I agree, 100%.

My story
Over the past eight years I have been looking for an office organization system that would streamline my business, and of all the products on the market that I had considered, (to my knowledge) none of them offered the one thing I wanted: a streamlined workflow that would create a calendar of “to-dos” based on my project date in addition to all the other things most office organization tools offer.

In the Fall of 2014 I started hearing chatter about 17hats in a few different professional photographer forums.  Curious, I went to check it out. It was brand new to the market and I didn’t want to jump into something so new and potentially full of glitches. For the record, I have not heard a peep about any glitches, nor have I experienced any.

Come January, I was preparing to winter in California and really wanted to streamline my business to lighten my office-related workload while away from my main office space. I was still hearing raving reviews from other photographers and decided to bite the bullet.

First Impressions
I have to say, I loved it from day two. Day one was a little overwhelming with so many amazing new tools at my fingertips, and trying to navigate where in the world to start. By day two I had set up a good chunk of it and couldn’t wait to test it out. Confession: I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning because I was just so excited about everything I was seeing! (My next post is going to tackle my tips on where to start when setting it up)

The right decision
The moment came when I knew I had made the right decision. I was sitting pool-side in Napa between brunch and  a wine tour when I received an email from a prospective client. I activated a workflow that sent my client a pre-written yet still personalized email with all the info she had requested, a contract and an invoice. By the time I left the pool I had a signed contract and received her booking fee – all with one push of the button.

Obviously the only thing left to do at that point was give 17hats some love on social media:

Is it right for you?
Here are some criteria that can help you decide whether or not 17hats is right for you:
-you are an entrepreneur and are responsible for the majority of the day-to-day office management tasks
-assuming your line of work allows for this – you want the freedom to work from wherever while your client management workflow stays intact (and possibly improved!)
-you have a general workflow (or multiple) you follow for all your clients
-you send the same emails out time and again and want to make them a little more personal while still being automated
-having your clients digitally sign contracts in a way that’s legally binding is a priority
-online payments are important to you
-a built in system for bookkeeping and easy export for tax season!
-you would appreciate a tool that schedules your important tasks based on project dates

There are so many other benefits but those are the ones that come to mind off the top of my head. I am fairly vocal about my adoration of anything that I love, be it an amazing restaurant, a favourite travel destination, or something that has drastically improved my company – and 17hats did just that. Because I rave about it so often, I’ve started to receive lots of questions – both from people who are considering making the move and from others who have already bought it and haven’t started using it to its fullest potential.

This post is directed towards those who are considering 17hats and I have another one in the works for those of you who have already made the move but haven’t settled in yet (about the order in which I set up my 17hats tools and the things I learned along the way that made it much easier).

Receive 10% off!
The 17hats team is completely responsive. As a user I can make suggestions and often times within a few weeks, or sometimes just days, I receive an update email letting me know it has been implemented!

Case and point: Just a few weeks ago I joked with them that they should start a discount code program because I seriously rave about them all the time. They responded this week to let me know they’ve done just that! If you use any of the 17hats links in this post you will receive 10% off! And in full disclosure, for each new business owner I send their way they thank me with a little treat too.

I hope you’ve found this helpful in knowing whether or not 17hats is right for you. If you decide to check it out (15 day free trial!) be sure to read part 2 of this series: where to start, and email templates in 17hats.

Do you already use 17hats? Share your favourite features and tips in the comments below! Also, if you have any questions about 17hats, please don’t hesitate to ask – I guarantee you’re not alone.

Have an awesome day!!