March is Women’s History Month, and while we honor all the fierce women who’ve paved the way, let’s get real about something near and dear to me: entrepreneurship and the wonder world of automation. Seriously, my fellow life C.E.O. balloon artists (yes, my fabulous friends!) always mentioned how automation transformed their businesses.
I mean, who wouldn’t want fewer hours drowning in emails, crafting a unique proposal for every client, drafting quotes, and chasing invoices? Plus, networking is the key, and automating the boring stuff gives us more time to make real connections and create unforgettable balloon décor.
Enter Dubsado: My Business Bestie
I won’t lie- I was automation illiterate at first. I knew I needed help, so I brought in a private business managing system to get me set up with Dubsado, an automation system with all the bells and balloons (okay, whistles). It wasn’t just plug-and play, though- I still had to learn the system to make it work efficiently for my business. But once I did? Game. Changer.
Learning the Basic: The Pace Framework
Before I fully embraced automation, I was introduced to the concept during a course with a fellow balloon artist, Danielle Detiege. She shared her P.A.C.E. Framework– a brief list of key factors to consider before diving headfirst into automation. Trust me, reviewing her framework was a real eye-opener and laid the foundation for transforming my business!
Why I Love My Automation System
Here’s what Dubsado does for me:
✔Instant Client Interaction:
No more manually replying to every inquiry! My system automatically sends a thank you for contacting Dazzling Balloons and Beyond, along with an excited note about starting our collaboration. You can even set it up for a questionnaire to gather details for proving quotes.
✔Contracts & Invoices on Autopilot: I can set up Workflow tasks for clients to receive everything they need- no more manually sending PDFs like it’s 1999. (A little nod to “The Artist Formally Known as Prince”)
✔No More “Did You Get My Email? “Follow-ups: Dubsado keeps track of everything, sending friendly nudges so I don’t have to. Okay, truthfully, I still must sometime make calls to offer a personal nudge. When it comes to humans, no system can completely replace holding and sometimes drag them along.
✔Hearing the $$ Flow Through My Phone: The most rewarding sound of the slot machine coins falling sound as payments roll in automatically.
Automation = More creativity & Growth
By automating the boring-but-necessary parts of my business, I get to focus on what I do best — creating. Plus, I actually have time to scale my business instead of feeling chained to my inbox.
Find the Right System for You
Yes, I chose to use the Dubsado system because it fits my needs, but I always recommend doing your own research. There are other automation tools – like 17 hats and Honey Book- but this only a couple, shop around to find what best fit your business. The key is finding a system that works for you and makes your life easier.
So, to my fellow women entrepreneurs: don’t be afraid of automation! It’s here to help you grow and give you back your creative freedom. If I can go from automation newbie to running a system that works for me, so can you!
Now, tell me- what’s one thing in your business you’d love to automate? Let’s chat in the comments!