Here's the three must-have, can't-live-without-em, services I use in my business to help automate my workflow!

17 HATS: If you don’t already have a client management system in your business, I highly recommend making it a top priority! 17Hats is great because it does it all: bookkeeping (all automatic when connected to your bank accounts!), client management, calendar, to do lists, workflow, contracts, invoicing, etc. Think of it like your own personal office manager who does it all! It’s not hard to get it all set up, and if you have any trouble, their customer service is out of this world! This truly was a game changer in my business when I switched over many years ago!

USE SESSION: is an online booking platform that was designed just for photographers. I’ve tried several other booking systems and they were just not user friendly, and it would take me hours to get one round of mini sessions set up! Use Session has made the process incredibly easy (AND PRETTY!). The people behind it are awesome which means customer service rocks if you ever need it (but they’ve made everything so easy and simple to use, it’s likely you’ll never even need it!). While Use Session works great for all sessions, it makes booking Mini Sessions such a breeze! (I also love that you can view the bookings happening in real time!) 17 Hats now has a booking option built in to it; however, I love the beauty and functionality of Use Session and continue to use it!

FLODESK: Do you have an email list? If not, I encourage you to make this a priority starting today! Even if you don't have plans for newsletters at the moment, at least start building your list! Building your business on borrowed land (like Instagram and Facebook) and solely depending on these platforms to reach your audience isn't the best idea. While you don't own Facebook or Instagram, you do own your email list. Your audience is also 3 times more likely to see an email from you than an Instagram post! I used mail chimp for many years; however, I switched over to Flodesk in 2019 and never looked back. It's pretty, it's easy, and it's affordable!