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When you’re a creative entrepreneur juggling multiple projects, every little bit of automation can feel like a lifesaver. One of my favorite ways to streamline the client management process in 17hats is by using Action Completed settings in your workflows, specifically when sending documents. This simple but powerful feature can automatically move your projects forward only when  clients complete key steps (like signing a contract or paying their deposit)... and all without you lifting a finger. Let’s walk through how this works, why it matters and how you can start using it today. (Similar settings are also available for To Do workflow items, but for this article we’ll focus on workflow documents.) Rather watch? Automate your 17hats workflow when documents are completed What Are Action Completed Settings? In 17hats, workflows are the behind-the-scenes magic that keep your client process running smoothly. They’re a collection of your emails, documents, tasks, etc. Action Completed settings come in specifically with the document steps of your workflow. This is how you tell your workflow: “This step can be considered done when this specific action happens.”  For example, when sending a quote you could set the step to be considered complete when: You send the quote A client accepts a quote They sign the attached contract They make their first invoice payment They’ve fully paid their invoice Or, if you prefer, all steps are fully completed By setting this up, 17hats will automatically move the project to the next step in your workflow only when  the client has met the criteria, keeping everything organized and on track. Why This Matters Imagine this: You require an accepted quote, signed contract and deposit payment in order for a client to be booked on your calendar. Without specifying your Action Completed settings, your workflow may otherwise push your project to your “Confirmed” calendar as soon as you send the quote! But with Action Completed settings properly applied, your workflow will wait until you’ve collected all the documents you need to consider the job “Confirmed”, and it won’t continue with any other automation or steps until that point. How to Set Up Action Completed Settings in Your 17hats Workflow Action Completed settings in 17hats Add or Edit Your Workflow Step Go into your workflow and add an action or select the step where you’re sending a document (quote, contract, invoice or questionnaire). Choose an Action Completed Trigger In the light green box, use the dropdown to select how you want 17hats to mark the step complete—like “When the first invoice payment is made.” (These options will vary depending on the type of document you're sending.) Save and Watch the Magic Happen Now, once clients complete your desired action, your workflow will know when to automatically progress their project. Keep Your Business Flowing By using Action Completed settings such as these, 17hats will help you control when projects move forward, and what’s needed in order for that criteria to be met. This saves you time, reduces errors and prevents miscommunication. If you’re ready to give your workflows some more control, try setting this up today! And if you’d like some help in that process, I’d love to help you make it happen. [ Services ]

If you’re anything like most creative entrepreneurs I work with, your client projects can sometimes feel like a juggling act. Between inquiries, follow-ups and actual project fulfillment, it’s easy to lose track of who’s where in your process. That’s why I’m thrilled about one of 17hats’ most visual and powerful features: Pipelines . Pipelines are like a bird’s-eye view of your client journey. They help you see exactly where every project stands so nothing can slip through the cracks. Even better is that we can color code our pipelines for some extra visual organization! Rather watch? An intro to 17hats pipelines What Are 17hats Pipelines? Pipelines in 17hats are visual boards (in a Kanban look like Trello) that track your projects through a series of customizable phases. Think of them like a digital bulletin board with columns, where each column represents a stage in your workflow. You can create: Lead Pipelines  for tracking inquiries and/or quotes Client Pipelines  for tracking confirmed projects Each pipeline can have up to five phases, and you can build five lead pipelines and five client pipelines… which gives you a ton of options and ways to watch your projects progress! How 17hats Projects Move Through a Pipeline There are two main ways to move a project from one phase to the next: By Tags  – When a specific tag is applied to a project, it moves into the corresponding pipeline stage. Example: When a new inquiry comes in, you might automatically tag it “New Lead.” Once you email them back, applying the tag “Lead Contacted” will move them into the next phase. NOTE: You’ll want to be sure to also remove the previous tag so that the project isn’t sitting in two phases at once. By Days in a Phase  – Projects can also automatically move after a certain number of days have passed since they landed in the previous phase. Example: If you haven’t heard back five days after “Lead Contacted”, the project can move into a “Follow-Up Needed” phase to remind you to check in. This combination of tag-based and time-based movement gives you a clear picture of who needs attention and when . Why Creative Entrepreneurs Love Pipelines If you operate best with visuals, Pipelines will quickly become your new favorite feature! Here’s why: Clarity at a glance:  Color-coded columns make it easy to see exactly where each lead or client stands. More timely follow-ups:  Time-based movement helps ensure no one gets forgotten. Customizable to your process:  Rename phases and create the exact setup that fits your business. Sets you up for easy batching:  Not only will you see where each lead or client stands in the process, but also how many of them are in any given phase. Imagine logging in and seeing which leads need follow-ups, who needs quotes and which projects are coming up in the next week. THAT’S the magic of Pipelines. Getting Started with 17hats Pipelines If you haven’t explored Pipelines yet, start simple. Create a lead pipeline with these basic stages: New Lead Contacted Follow-Up Needed Quote Sent Booked You’ll also want to set your “completed state” tag so that clients exit the Pipeline and count towards your tally of projects. (Archived projects will also exit the Pipeline.)  When building your Pipeline, don’t forget to customize your phase colors for that easy, at-a-glance look at your projects. Then, integrate your Pipeline tags into your workflows to automate all the goodness!  Integrate your Pipeline tags into your workflows to automated all the goodness! Final Notes about 17hats Pipelines The time you spend building your Pipelines is well worth it. With 17hats Pipelines, you can confidently track leads and projects without sticky notes, endless mental checklists or losing sleep trying to remember where that one client stands for their event that’s coming up sometime in the next couple of weeks . If all this is something you’d like help with, I’d love to guide you through setting up a pipeline that works for your business! View my service offerings here .

Tired of sending awkward follow-up emails about unpaid invoices? You’re not the only one. As a busy service provider, you’ve got plenty on your plate—serving clients, managing your work and life schedules and keeping your creative energy flowing. Having to manually track down payments? No way. That’s one task worth handing off to automation in 17hats. Let’s walk through how to set up automated invoice reminders in 17hats, so you can protect your time, maintain professionalism and keep your cash flow steady—without lifting a finger after the initial setup. Would you rather watch? View on YouTube: Automated Invoice Reminders in 17hats Why Use Automated Reminders? Manually following up on overdue payments is not only uncomfortable… it’s also easy to forget. That’s why automated invoice reminders are such a powerful feature in 17hats. With just a few clicks and added tokens, you can set up a system that sends polite, professional nudges to clients who haven’t paid yet. It’s one of those “set it and forget it” things that saves time, reduces stress and helps keep your expected income on track. What’s more is that automated invoice reminders can also be activated for upcoming payments due, which serve as a nice courtesy notice for your clients. Where to Set Up Your Automated Invoice Reminders in 17hats These reminders are NOT on by default. To access invoice reminder settings in 17hats: Click the gear icon to go to Account Settings Select Email Settings Navigate to the Reminders  tab Here, you’ll find options to automate reminders for each type of 17hats document. For this walkthrough, let’s focus on invoices , which is the section at the bottom. Turning On Your Invoice Reminders Within the invoice section, you can turn on reminders for: Upcoming payments Upcoming automatic payments Past due payments Upcoming and past due payments Simply toggle on which reminders you’d like to turn on. NOTE: Invoices will need to have an established due date in order for automated reminders to be sent; AND, any outstanding invoices with due dates will start to get your automated reminders right away, so it may be worth checking in on those to ensure you want automated reminders sent to those individuals. Customizing Your Automated Invoices Reminders After you’ve toggled on the reminders you want, click the Edit  link within any reminder type to customize the message and subject line. You can use tokens —smart placeholders that auto-fill details like invoice number, amount due and due date—to make each message feel personal and precise. In the case of past due payments, you can further choose: how many days after the due date the first automated reminder should go out often reminders are sent (daily, weekly, or monthly) how many times the reminder should repeat Hesitations About Automated Invoice Reminders Worried about sounding robotic? Go ahead and write something like “This is a friendly automated reminder… ” right in the email template. As soon as I implemented that language I felt much better about my own automated reminders. Also, in some cases, you may be recording payment to your 17hats invoices manually rather than taking payment online through a credit card or ACH processor. If you’re worried about automated reminders being sent to clients who’ve already paid, you can add more language such as “If you’ve recently sent payment for this invoice, please disregard this email. We will record your payment as soon as possible, at which point you’ll receive your payment confirmation.” Final Thoughts Setting up your automated invoice reminders in 17hats is a simple but powerful way to stay on top of your incoming payments. You’ll reduce the emotional labor of chasing down money and maintain professionalism in the process. If you need help customizing your reminders or setting them at the right timing, I’d love to help! You deserve a system that works just as hard as you do. Resources: 17hats tips and features playlist on YouTube My Little Black Book of 17hats Tips 50% off your 1st year of 17hats (referral link) Services

If you know me, you know that I’m the kind of person who lives for a good automation and loves getting tech tools to actually  work for my clients. But what you may not know is... overthinking is a [somewhat annoying] specialty of mine. So, when I was nearing the limit of my free Mailchimp plan and needed to decide which platform was going to be the home of my weekly newsletters… trust me when I say that I did my research!  Pricing, features, ease of use… they were all part of the decision, and when I started diving into my research it was easy to see the right solution for Let Nicole Help. So here I am, writing this blog post, to share what won me over. Mailchimp pricing vs. Flodesk pricing Like I mentioned, at the time of my switch I was nearing Mailchimp’s limit for their free plan, so naturally I looked into what the paid plans were like and immediately my eyes were crossed comparing features and contact limits and sending limits, etc. When I turned to Flodesk, I noticed how the price is the price is the price - no matter how many contacts or emails you wanted to send! Point: Flodesk! As a solopreneur and service-based business, I never want to feel punished for growing my list of subscribers so I really appreciated Flodesk’s recognition of that.   Flodesk features vs. Mailchimp features  1. Workflows As someone who works heavily in the 17hats CRM, I’m used to mapping out workflows. Mailchimp has “journeys”, which are essentially workflows, but with the next plan above free, there was a limit on the number of “journey” points. And while both workflow builders are pretty visually-appealing, in Flodesk, there are no workflow limits.  (Point: Flodesk.) And here are some of the things you can do with your Flodesk workflows… (at the time of writing this, anyway!) Start one when someone joins a segment - perhaps by filling out a form or clicking a certain link Delay for a certain amount of days, until a certain date, until a specific time of day, etc. Give it yes/no conditions that branch off in different directions Send automated emails Add/remove subscribers from segments And again, it’s all very visual. So it’s friendly for beginners - no developer skills required. 2. Branding Honestly, both platforms were going to give me what I needed in terms of branding: logo, brand fonts & colors, social links, etc. So, this didn’t end up making an impact on my decision at the time. HOWEVER, since I’ve started using Flodesk I’ve realized how many gorgeous and fun form templates they have available, along with a link in bio option that’s calling my name. I didn’t honestly explore Mailchimp forms a whole lot before moving so in fairness, let’s say no points awarded here, haha. 3. Grouping Subscribers Would you rather deal with audiences, segments and tags to group your subscribers? Or simply segments? Yeah - that’s what I thought. Point: Flodesk. I would get way too in the weeds with all the ways to group people before switching and now, it’s easy peasy thanks to Flodesk segmentation options that are both automatic and manual . I’m feeling way more confident in how my subscribers are organized and it’s very clear how to make sure the right groups of people get the right messaging. 4. Flodesk Integrations vs. Mailchimp Integrations You know what I love just as much as automation? Integration. So I also needed to know which of my other tools were going to play nicely with my email platform. Both Flodesk and Mailchimp checked the boxes for Canva and Instagram integrations, in terms of getting great newsletter visuals. And both work with Zapier and Pabbly Connect to then connect with some of my other tools. One point each. (Note that both Flodesk and Mailchimp have e-commerce capabilities / integrations with paid plans, too; it’s just that I already had a cart & course platform set up before making this decision. So checkout features weren’t really part of my research.) 5. Email Analytics I’m a numbers nerd. So there were certain bits of info that I knew I would want to get from my email marketing platform. Things like best send time and of course open and click rates.  Both platforms offer these types of analytics, but I would have had to upgrade two levels to get best send time through Mailchimp. So, point: Flodesk. If you’ve been following along, you can probably tell that my decision went to Flodesk. I’ve been so happy with it that I’m now an official partner, too! And what’s even better is that I can share my code LETNICOLEHELP  with you so that you can snag 50% off your first year! As part of the partnership, I may receive a small commission - which, of course, is at no extra cost to you.  >> Another thing you may not know about me is my strong sense of loyalty and transparency. So I only partner with tools I genuinely use, love and recommend. And Flodesk has earned its place on that list. Still want to learn more about my move to Flodesk? Read on! Using Flodesk vs. Mailchimp I’m sure that if you’ve heard anything about Flodesk, you’ve probably heard how beautiful it is. Because… it’s true! The platform feels light and airy and as weird as it might sound, that makes it a little more motivating to write in!  And the templates? Yep, they really are more fresh and fun, which was important to me as a service provider. I want my emails to feel as personal as possible. Why I Almost Didn’t Switch I’m not sure if anyone really looks forward to migrating across platforms. It’s a little scary and overwhelming to say the least. When’s the right time? Where do you even start? For me, the right time was: Well before any planned launches Before I had to upgrade and start getting used to a new set of features But really, it’s one of those things that may never have “the perfect” timing, so I just went with it. I was also worried about losing all my segments and tags. But as I got into the migration, I realized it was a perfect opportunity to clean them up! a peek at some Flodesk form templates What Made Me Try Flodesk Anyway The two-week free trial certainly didn’t hurt! But honestly? It all came back to the fact that I would no longer have to worry about what my list size was, or how many emails I wanted to send per month. No matter how many subscribers I would be fortunate enough to add… the price would be the price.  So I snagged that free trial and I explored all of the workflow automation, segmenting and beautiful email templates right away… and haven’t looked back.    How I Use Flodesk Now At the time of writing this, I use Flodesk in these ways: Welcome workflows  for new subscribers who grab my lead magnets Email newsletters  to subscribers, for sharing streamlining tips and news about Let Nicole Help Segments  that help me be sure I’m emailing the right content to the right people Link actions  that help me follow up with people who’ve shown interest in certain links I’ve shared Forms  to kick off those welcome workflows or collect entries for certain promotions Countdown timers to spice up the occasional email that has CTA with a deadline Analytics  to review my most effective emailing times, most engaged subscribers, workflow performance and more I haven’t even tapped into all of the features I’d like to yet, and it’s still working wonderfully for me. Still on my list to tackle (as of this moment): Link in bio AI subject line recommendations Polls in emails Re-sending to unopened Checkout features Other fun forms like spinner / video / countdown forms that are sure to be extra engaging! Final Thoughts Switching to Flodesk didn’t just improve how my emails looked… it improved how I felt  about sending them. It put me at ease to know I can grow my business without penalty. And it made me want to help others see the same benefits from their own email newsletters.  If you decide you’re ready to try Flodesk, too, I’d love for you to use code LETNICOLEHELP  to take advantage of 50% off your first year sending emails your subscribers will love looking at.  I hope this has been helpful!

Let’s be honest: running a service-based business solo requires wearing a lot of hats. Between client projects, emails, finances, marketing, and somehow squeezing in a personal life… things get hectic fast. One small change that’s made a big difference in how I manage it all? A simple calendar automation that blocks off work time as soon  as a client books. Let me tell you how you can use it too. Would you rather watch? View on YouTube: Calendar automation in Zapier that helps you manage your workload Why Calendar Automation for Time Management Helps Ever found yourself saying yes to too many jobs, only to realize that you didn’t leave enough time to actually do  the work? Pretty sure it happens to all of us a time or two. But by setting up an automation to reserve work time when a client’s project is confirmed, you automatically create breathing room in your schedule. It’s not just about organization—it’s about protecting your time and energy. Tools Involved I use Google Calendar (with separate “sub” calendars for “booked clients”, behind-the-scenes work, etc.). If you use a CRM like 17hats, these calendars can also feed directly into your CRM to keep things color-coded and clean. You’ll also need Zapier, or another tool that connects apps together automatically. How the Automation Works Here’s the gist: Set your trigger: In Zapier, choose the New Event or New Event Matching Search  Google Calendar trigger from your “booked clients” calendar. Create a prep event: Use the Create Detailed Event  Google Calendar action to make a new entry on your calendar—something like “Inflate balloons for [Client]” or “Prep timeline for [Client].” Set the timing: Choose your desired start and end times for that prep work before the project. (It will have to be the same time frame for every single project.) Do this by offsetting the project time with something like “-48h”. Tweak as needed: Once the event is created, you can drag it to a better time slot or adjust the length depending on the project. Since it’s on a digital calendar, it’s flexible, but the important thing is that the time is already there —and that’s the magic. Test and publish your automation: After you’ve configured your automation settings to how you like them, give it a test to ensure everything looks like you intended. When it does, publish your Zapier automation and start feeling the benefits of this calendar automation for time management! Real-World Wins This kind of automation has saved me from overbooking myself many times. Here's what it can bring to your business: Time carved out before you need it Fewer last-minute scrambles More consistent delivery A calmer, clearer calendar Let Your Calendar Do the Heavy Lifting Whether you’re inflating balloons, editing photos, or planning for any other client projects, your best work happens when you’re not rushed. Automating your calendar helps you honor your time, deliver your magic, and stay sane in the process. If you’re curious about how to set this up—or want help customizing it to your workflow—I’d love to support you. We can tackle it together on a Tech Check Call .

Installing a lead capture form on your website and asking the right questions on it is a great step towards providing an efficient customer experience. But what happens after a lead fills out the form? Let’s walk through three options and opportunities that, when leveraged effectively, can enhance your customer experience. 1. Displaying a message after the lead capture form is submitted One of the simplest options, and most often the default option, after your form is submitted is displaying a message to your lead. It’ll serve as immediate acknowledgment of their request and assure them that their inquiry has been received.  It’s different from an auto-reply email, though, because this type of message displays on the same screen your customer is already on. You can thank them for their inquiry, provide some information on the next steps and remind them to find your auto-reply email in their inbox. Thank them for their inquiry, provide information on the next steps and remind them to find your auto-reply email in their inbox. 2. Redirecting to a URL following lead capture form Now if we want to take the post-submission experience up a notch, consider having your lead capture form redirect your customers to a specific URL. Here, you can get really creative! Send them to places like: A social media profile Your link in bio page A resource or pricing page A free download A page with a welcome video Your portfolio page Any of these ideas will help to further nurture the relationship with your lead and allow them to learn more about you. And not only that! By using the redirect option, you’ll be able to utilize things like Google Analytics to help you track the number of lead capture form submissions you receive versus how many times your lead capture form was accessed.  Having this kind of information could help you make decisions about your form’s length and how easy it is for your leads to fill out. However, when redirecting leads to another URL after the form, I suggest you have some messaging available that lets them know what to expect. It could be jarring for some leads to submit your form and watch their browser start taking them to another location.  When redirecting leads to another URL after the form, have some messaging that lets them know what to expect. A simple message somewhere above or near the submit button, indicating that they will be redirected to a specific page after their submission, can preempt any confusion and help your potential customer have a positive booking experience with you. 3. A hybrid approach after the lead capture form is submitted A third option to consider is a hybrid approach. If the message you display after form submission can include linked text, you’ll be able to display your thank you message, next step instructions and provide them with a relevant link for their inquiry!  Character limitations in the message can sometimes be a challenge, but with a bit of creative and succinct copy you’ll be able to develop a seamless experience that continues to build trust with your potential customer as they move through your booking process.  This hybrid approach incorporates the benefits of each option by providing that immediate acknowledgment and further nurturing your new relationship. Post-submission options for your 17hats lead capture form: a deeper dive If all of this sounds great, but you’re still left wondering how to actually implement your ideas, let’s check out where to find these settings in my favorite CRM, 17hats… Access your lead capture forms by navigating to Account Settings > Lead Capture Forms (under Account Templates) Select the lead capture form that you’d like to update Click the Edit button, and edit again to open up the settings Look for the “After Submitting” line (highlighted above) and use the drop-down menu to make your selection Depending on which option you select, immediately below that line will be the Message or URL field (highlighted above) where you can make your updates. If utilizing the Message option, look for the link image if you’re also wanting to provide links to your leads in the message. Implementing your lead capture form strategy: let's collaborate! If you need any help setting up these lead capture form messages, URL redirects or workflows that follow, please reach out to see if I can help you #stopthescatter in your business! I love helping entrepreneurs design customer experiences that reflect their business values and personality.

Using Zapier as a solopreneur is one of the ways you can accomplish a lot with less manual effort. In this post, I’m sharing a little bit about some of the automations I used or have used for my business, and why I love them. This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click through and buy, I'll earn a commission at no extra cost to you. But I never recommend things I don't love or haven't used! Copying new CRM contacts to an email marketing platform Specifically, I use Zapier to copy new 17hats contacts over to Flodesk. So when someone fills out my 17hats lead capture form (or requests a booking through my scheduler), their name and email automatically gets pushed over to Flodesk and they’re added as a subscriber. I can also set double opt-in permission in this process, too! I love this because it’s one less barrier to effective email marketing… making sure my list stays updated! Automated updates to Google Business Profile Google Business Profile isn’t really considered a social media platform, but it has aspects of one. You can keep your profile up to date by automatically adding updates from your Instagram for Business feed posts, for example! The specific trigger and action to look for are: “new media posted in my account” (Instagram) and “create post” (Google Business Profile). I love this one because it can be challenging to keep up with social media posts in the first place; I want to make sure every single one gets maximized! " I want to make sure every single one gets maximized!" Calendar automation for managing workload You might already know that you can automate your Google Calendar through Zapier, but did you know that it can be both a trigger event and an action event in the same automation? You’re not going to find this Google Calendar to Google Calendar automation available as an app pairing, but when you build your zap from scratch you’ll see options like “new or updated event” and “new event matching search” that serve as great triggers… plus “quick add event” and “create detailed event” for actions. My specific use case for this automation is when a client books their Clarifying Call with me to begin their 17hats setup, this Zapier automation then blocks off some time for me to work on the client’s project. I love this zap because it helps me be realistic about what additional bookings or projects I can add to that day and week of the Clarifying Call. Recording Stripe transactions in Google Sheets Not to be confused with any kind of bookkeeping, tax or financial advice, this next automation idea can help you compile sales data from multiple sources as you do your own bookkeeping. I use Stripe to process payments to invoices made through my 17hats CRM, and it’s also used as my payment processor in my course platform, Thrivecart . So I’ve got two zaps set up to grab transaction info from these respective Stripe accounts and place it into a Google Sheet for me to work with. Obviously Google Sheets is a powerful data tool in and of itself, but I like to then take it to the next level and feed this data into Looker Studio for some interactive and easy to consume graphs that track my sales over time. Anyway, all of it starts with this Zapier automation, and in the process you can also map details like tax amounts and processing fees! I love this automation because it pulls together data from multiple sources and allows me to see a lot of sales data at once. Automatically posting to Instagram after a blog post You want to know what happened immediately upon my publishing of this blog post? Zapier grabbed the blog info from Wix and made an Instagram feed post for me! (I wasn’t kidding when I said that keeping up with social media is a major struggle of mine!) Through this automation, I can grab the title of the blog post from Wix, place it in my Instagram caption along with info about how to navigate to my blog in my link in bio. The last piece is to have an image URL for the feed post, which can be generated through sites like Imgur . I love this zap because it’s a tiny, lovely, little step towards repurposing and sharing content. Drafting an email after a quiz is taken This final example is an automation I no longer use, but thought might be worth sharing anyway. I once had a Google Forms quiz kicking off a Zapier automation that drafted an email to the quiz taker in Gmail. As part of the automation setup, I wrote a collection of possible responses into the automation. Then when I was alerted to a new quiz being submitted, I could easily go into Gmail drafts to quickly choose the best response to include in my message, delete the unneeded responses and send! I loved this one because it helped me customize quiz responses easily, without manually typing in every message and without paying for a quiz platform. Conclusion: Zapier for solopreneurs These are just a few ideas that can help you utilize Zapier as a solopreneur. If you try any, I’d love to hear! Need help? Let’s hop on Zoom for some Tech Check calls !

Have you ever wondered what it looks like inside the CRM of a solopreneur who creates workflows and processes for a living? Today, I'm pulling back the curtain to show you some stats from my 17hats CRM account. Here's a peek inside: Workflow example #1: 59 Templates Ummm… okay, this number was a bit of a surprise! I knew I had several dozen workflow templates, but now I'm realizing there are several old workflows that I no longer use or need. Talk about a good example of a solopreneur CRM! This still leaves me with 50+ workflows, though. Here’s some more detail: Service Phases: I split my services into multiple workflows to represent different phases of the project (for example, my #stopthescatter 17hats setup service is split into seven workflows: inquiry, follow-ups, booking, onboarding, fulfillment, offboarding, cleanup). Internal Processes: I'm testing some workflows for internal processes like blog posts by creating checklist-style workflows. Welcome Sequences: Some workflows have been used as welcome sequences for my free resources; I'll be moving these to Flodesk (affiliate link). Workshop Registrations: I have a few different workflow templates that follow registration for the different types of workshops I hold. Workflow example #2: 50 Steps The most steps I have in any one workflow is 50! But… I never actually complete all 50 steps. This particular workflow guides me through fulfilling Tech Check call packages, and I delete the phases of this workflow that aren't for the call package my client selects. For example, when someone purchases a three-pack of calls, I delete the phases meant for single calls and a six-pack of calls. Workflow example #3: A Single Automation Step The fewest steps I have in any one workflow is… just one! It's an automatic email that invites clients to schedule their monthly call with me after the monthly invoice is paid for 17hats Monthly Support. 6 Calendars My next example of a solopreneur CRM is about the calendars I have syncing in. Mine consist of the following Google calendars: my default Google account calendar, inquired clients, booked clients, marketing, and Bright Balloon tasks (a podcast that I support); then I also have a 17hats tasks calendar that holds all of my workflow and general to-do items. Psst - I highly recommend setting up inquired and booked calendars for yourself if you haven't already! Color-coding them is hugely helpful in reading your calendar at a glance. Learn how to set them up for Google & 17hats here! To-Do List Examples in a Solopreneur's CRM Similar to the way I have different calendars, I've also created a few to-do lists in my 17hats CRM that remind me to keep up with general business tasks. These lists are: financial, learning, marketing, and miscellaneous. I love utilizing 17hats to-do lists for recurring items like these. In Conclusion These are some workflow examples in my CRM as a solopreneur. Are they perfect? Certainly not. I'm still figuring out how to brain dump ideas into a to-do list and then calendar them in more efficiently to actually make them happen. Am I suggesting you need 59 workflow templates in your CRM? Nope. Workflows and processes can look entirely different across industries, service types, and preferences. I just happen to be the type of person who spends her free time tinkering with automation and workflow capabilities. It's a process to discover systems that work for your business and your brain… plus, services change over time so your systems may need updating for that reason, too. Reach out if you'd like help creating processes that support your preferences!

Collecting and tracking business data can help you make decisions that might otherwise be difficult. Rather than guessing or just following the latest shiny object trend on social media, a strategic collection of data can help develop your marketing strategies, product & service lineup and more. In this post, we’ll delve into five key data points that you should consider tracking, with specific examples of how to collect this data in 17hats CRM. JUMP TO: Lead Source data Income Categories Types of Events Serviced Top-Selling Products & Services Top Customers Lead Source data Understanding where your leads come from is fundamental for creating successful marketing strategies. By tracking where your leads say they heard about your business (whether through internet search, referral, advertising, etc.) you can focus more of your attention, time and resources on your top-performing source. Say it’s internet search… hone in on what recent actions you’ve taken to amp up your SEO and keep at it! Maybe your top source is referrals… find a way to recognize and thank the customers who spread the word about your business for you and schedule in some time to make these thank you notes a priority. Collecting lead source data in 17hats: Thankfully, 17hats makes it really easy to collect and view this data. Simply activate Lead Source Reporting, enter where your leads are likely to hear about you and ask “how did you hear about us” in your lead capture forms and online scheduling bookings, being sure to map this answer to the lead source field. Then, put some time in your calendar every quarter or so to look back on this reporting to see where your marketing was most effective. Income Categories Another important thing you can do to strategically collect data is assigning income categories to your products & services so that you can get clarity on your top revenue sources. For example, if your business offers multiple services such as event decor, photo booths, rentals, etc. knowing the sales numbers from each of these categories will allow you to find the strongest aspects of your business. And this type of data collection is great to reflect on when setting goals for the year ahead! You can almost predict when each of your services are most-popular throughout the year and create your marketing plan accordingly. Collecting income category data in 17hats: By default, the income categories in your account will be Sales, Service Income and Uncategorized Income. Edit these and add more categories through your Account Settings, then Bookkeeping Options. Note that each of your products can only have a single income category connected, so for service listings like “delivery fee” (which could apply to any service you offer), consider having an income category specifically for “fees”. When you’re ready to see how your income categories have been performing, head to the Profit & Loss Report in the bookkeeping section of your account. Types of Events Serviced For businesses operating in the events industry, understanding the types of events they service (and when) is also helpful. Weddings, corporate events, festivals, private parties… each type of event comes with its own needs and preparation. By tracking when each event type is most commonly requested, businesses can ensure their inventory and staffing is where it needs to be. Knowing the overall sales amounts for each event type will also allow you to identify possible niche markets that can be reflected in your marketing and advertising. Collecting event type data in 17hats: In order to find sales numbers by event type, you’ll want to utilize a tagging system and the Recent Client Activity section accessed through your dashboard. Whether you have event type tags automatically applied through a list / drop-down question on your lead capture form, or if you manually add your event type tag in your workflow, eventually you’ll be able to filter your client activity for paid invoices in a certain time frame with each tag! Note that your projects cannot be archived in order to show up in the Recent Client Activity section. Top-Selling Products & Services Identifying your top-selling products & services will help with inventory management, pricing and potentially even new product or service development as you consider similar offerings that compliment your best products or services. And on the opposite side of the spectrum, in the course of finding your top-selling products & services, you can identify those with the lowest amount of sales. From there, you can either create a new strategy to increase sales for those items, or drop them from your offerings entirely. Finding Top-Selling Product & Service data in 17hats: Another built-in report available to you in the bookkeeping section of your account is the Product Sales Report. Here, you’ll be able to select a time frame to examine and quickly see the products (and services) that sold in the highest quantity during that time. Of course you can also extract from this data the products & services that brought in the most revenue as well. For this report to be as helpful as possible, try to stick with a consistent billing convention when drawing up quotes and invoices for your customers. For example, if you’ve got services listed as “4hr photo experience” and “Photo experience - 4hrs”... both of which deliver the same experience, these service listings will not populate together in the report and will skew your data (not to mention, confuse you when you’re quoting your customers!). Unless an item variant (like color, for example) changes the item price, leave those details out of the product name and instead, put that detail in the item description. All in all, this is why I like to take the time to add as many products as possible (along with their income categories) in one go. You’re much more likely to come up with a consistent naming convention when done this way, rather than on the fly. Unless an item variant changes the price, leave that detail out of the product name and instead, put it in the item description. Top Customers Last, and definitely not least, is collecting data to find your top customers. This of course includes sales numbers, but also those who refer others to your business. Knowing this info can help you foster loyalty and earn continued repeat business. It’ll also help you identify characteristics of your top customers so that you can create marketing campaigns that reflect this type of ideal customer in its messaging. Finding Top Customer data in 17hats: Similar to the built-in Product Sales Report in 17hats, the Client Sales report will help you quickly identify which clients contributed the highest amounts to your sales over your selected time frame. The referring customer data, however, should be incorporated in the development of your lead source data collection mentioned above. It’s the Lead Source Reporting that will allow you to find the specific names of customers who new leads have identified as the person who referred them. Simply utilize the “Person referred by” token mapping in your lead capture form to make this happen. Conclusion As you can see, there are many benefits to strategically collecting and utilizing the data in your business. There are valuable insights to be found in these numbers that can help you stay in front of demand, market yourself on the most effective platforms and showcase the products & services that have meant the most for your bottom line. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed with where to start, I’d suggest picking the type of data that will solve your biggest pain point. Have you been debating whether you should continue offering a particular service? Set up your income categories and see how it performs. Know you’re not giving your best attention to your top customers? Start collecting referral information and schedule time to view the Client Sales report so that you can give those customers a proper thank you. By the way, my free Workshop Library has a recording that goes over these data types in more detail… along with other recordings specifically for lead source tracking, income categories and more. Check out the library if you’d like to dive deeper!

Stepping back to take a thorough look at your customer experience design from time to time will help you make sure you’re optimizing your chances of converting leads to customers, and customers to repeat customers. In this article I’ll share with you what I consider to be the five main elements of a great customer experience design! Overview: Match their mindset Intrigue, inform, invite Nurture the lead Elevate their experience Recognize three types of customers Let’s dive in! Match your customers’ mindset Here, we’re thinking about attracting brand new leads into your business. How is it that they think and talk about what you do? It’s likely they don’t use all the same language and jargon that you do when referring to your services, so have a strategy for getting into your customers’ mindset when considering this piece of your customer experience design. Hire an SEO pro, get hints from the “people also ask” portion of the search results, or simply look back on previous customer inquiries to identify what terms they’re using when they make their requests. You could even take those inquiries and use a word cloud generator to help you out with this. Use this language in the key places on your website, social profiles, etc. so that it’s your business they find when searching for what they need. Yes, it will probably feel a bit awkward when you know a more technical or fun way to describe your services. But not to worry, you can still use some of this language over on your website as you consider the next element… Intrigue, inform, invite Now that you’ve successfully entered your lead’s radar by showing up in their search results with the language they use, what can you do to intrigue them to click through, inform them of how you can help and invite them to connect with you? This shouldn’t involve click-baity headlines that don’t actually deliver what was promised. But it can start to give you some more flexibility in the way that you talk about your services. In addition to using the terms you know your customers use, add in some intriguing language to the meta descriptions of your webpages, which can also show in search results. After a lead has been intrigued enough to click to your website it’s now time to inform them of how you can help. Confirm for them that you can deliver on what they were searching for, and answer the “who”, “what”, “when”, “where” and “how” questions before they have to ask them. Related article: Streamline & Manage the Customer Experience Also give them obvious invitations to take the next step and connect with you! These invitations live on call-to-action buttons or links like “work with me”, “plan your next event” or “contact us”, etc. Provide ample opportunities for your visitors to see and accept your invitation to connect. Nurture the lead The next element of a great customer experience design is considering how you can nurture this new lead. They’ve accepted your invitation to connect by filling out an inquiry form, making a booking or opting into your email list… don’t let all your hard work go to waste now! Think about the info you’re collecting on your inquiry form that will allow you to send a personalized response. If you’re asking what type of event they’re celebrating, refer to it in your reply. Did they mention a specific thing they hope you can help them solve? Repeating back to your customer some of the information they’ve given you can go a long way in building their confidence in you and nurturing your relationship. It lets them know you’ve taken the time to read their individual request and understand what they need. Tip: In many cases, utilizing tokens in a CRM like 17hats (referral link) can help with this process, making it easy to quickly add upon a templated email response that pulls in a customer’s unique information before sending it off. Repeating back to your customer some of the information they’ve given you can go a long way in building their confidence in you and nurturing your relationship. Elevate their experience Now, if you’ve nurtured a good relationship with your lead and have earned their business, it’s time to elevate their experience! What can you do to deliver top-notch customer service? Keep nurturing, keep showing them that they were right to put their trust in you. (This is not to be confused with bending over backwards, going against your values to meet their demands or overdelivering on your product or service.) It can be as simple as doing what you promised you could do in the language on your website, in a clear and efficient way. But maybe there’s also a way to add in just a bit of extra to make your service stand out from the crowd. Consider small little bonuses that aren’t more product or more service, but things adjacent to what you’re delivering. For example, event service providers might show up with a small gift bag that includes hand sanitizer, tissues, a trash bag or other items commonly needed at parties. Topping off a smooth booking and onboarding experience with a fun little surprise like that could go a long way in making their experience memorable. Topping off a smooth booking and onboarding experience with a fun little surprise could go a long way in making their experience memorable. Recognize three types of customers Finally, your customer experience design should include processes to recognize three types of customers: those who are repeat customers, those who refer their friends and those who take the time to leave you a review. Related article:  3 types of customers to recognize If a customer falls into any of these categories, they’ve done you a huge favor by doing your marketing for you! So, do what you can to acknowledge the previous work you’ve done with your repeat customers… thank the person who brought you a new lead… take the time to reply to reviews… because this is a great way to keep that word of mouth spreading for you. Bad review? Well hopefully that by incorporating these elements in your customer experience, those are few and far between. But, mistakes and miscommunication are part of life, so if it causes a bad review use it as an opportunity to learn where your process can be improved. Final thoughts on your customer experience design There’s a lot of work to be put into designing a great customer experience! But just remember, this whole thing is a practice. Cycle through one element each month for continual updates and tweaks. Or take a day every quarter to optimize them all. Utilize automation within a CRM or from tools like Zapier to help you along the way. Try not to get overwhelmed by getting everything perfect; just start somewhere. My recommended order of the elements to address would be: Elevating the experience (so your current customers have nothing but good things to say about you and your service) Recognizing three types of customers (to continue building that powerful word of mouth foundation) Nurturing your leads (so anyone new will start to benefit from this upgraded experience) Making sure to intrigue, inform, invite (giving yourself a better chance to connect with more leads) Matching your potential customers’ mindset (getting on the radar of brand new customers to bring into your process once you’ve got it nailed down) If you’d like someone to help you build each element of your customer experience, explore my #stopthescatter + scale service to tackle this process together!

If you're a 17hats user, you're likely aware of its incredible functionalities for managing your business tasks. But did you know that you can also incorporate tons of your branding into your 17hats account? Today, I’ve got a dozen 17hats branding tips for you to infuse your brand into your system and provide a cohesive customer experience. Here we go... 1. Background: Set the Tone for Success Start by changing the background of your 17hats screen. This internal tweak lets you choose from a wide variety of colors and textures, creating an inspiring environment for you each time you log in. 2. Subdomain: Make Links Recognizable Customize the links of your lead capture forms and online scheduler by replacing the default account number with your business name. It's a subtle touch that helps customers recognize your brand. 3. Timezone: The Nitty-Gritty Details While not exactly a branding move, checking your timezone settings is essential, especially for online scheduling. This will keep your calendar accurate and won’t leave your customers surprised when your automatic reminders are sent. 4. Logo: The Face of Your Documents Upload your logo with the recommended size to ensure it appears well on your document headers. This is a significant detail that adds a professional touch to your communications. 5. Favicon: A Tiny Mark with a Big Impact Pay attention to the recommended size for your favicon, too—the small image on browser tabs when you link to your forms or schedulers. It may be small, but it contributes to brand consistency and recognition. 6. Header Images: Tailor Your Documents If you’d like to dress up your documents beyond just your logo, you also have the ability to select dedicated images for the headers of your documents, online scheduler, and lead capture forms. Size is important here, too, so don’t miss the recommended dimensions. Tailoring these images might include adding your tagline or pictures of your products. 7. Colors: Flow with Your Website Perhaps my favorite 17hats branding tip, don’t miss your chance to customize the button, font, and background colors of your lead capture forms so they flow seamlessly with your website. These subtle touches add that personal flair to your forms while keeping that cohesive customer experience. 8. Fonts: Style Your Text Add more flair to your forms by choosing accent fonts and button fonts that represent your brand personality. Be mindful of readability as you choose your colors and fonts, because you’d never want that to be the thing that prevents someone from getting in touch with you. 9. Text: Stand Out with Your Words Here’s another really cool option: changing the default text on the buttons of your lead capture forms and other documents. Consider creative alternatives to standard words like “submit”. If you’re in the event services industry, perhaps your lead capture form submission button could say “start my party”. Or maybe you like words like “agreement” instead of “contract” or “proposal” instead of “quote”. Make these buttons say just what you want so it feels right for your business. 10. Signature: Personalize Your Emails Don’t forget to add some branding in your email signatures, too. Consider creating two signatures: one that includes your website link, social handles, logo, etc. that you’ll use for sending regular emails to your customers; and another for the templates that correlate with your documents. (Keep this second signature brief because the document button will show below your signature.) 11. Global Invoice Settings: Don’t Miss the Footer Drop in your website, email address, tagline and social handles in the footer of your invoices to extend your brand presence to your financial documents as well. Every opportunity to provide that cohesive customer experience is worth it! 12. Client Portal: A Warm Welcome If it’s part of your subscription plan, you can customize your client portal with a welcome message, cover image, logo, and more. This is a great place for your customers (especially your repeat or recurring customers) to come and view all the projects you’ve worked together on. ____ There you have it—a dozen 17hats branding tips! Which one was the most fun for you? If you’re ready to see the real power behind this platform, see how we can work together to utilize it, or get 50+ more tips in the 17hats Checklist below!

I’m not exaggerating when I say that the reason I was finally able to start my entrepreneurial journey is largely thanks to the 17hats platform. For years I dreamt of running a service-based business but I was so worried about piecing together all of the different tech platforms that I got nowhere with that dream. After getting a look inside my friend’s 17hats platform and seeing all it’s capable of, suddenly starting that business no longer felt out of reach and years later I’m still running strong with 17hats supporting my business every day. Let me tell you in a bit more detail about why I chose 17hats for my business! It provides all of the basic business documents From lead capture forms and questionnaires, to quotes, contracts and invoices, I’m able to create multiple templates for each of these types of documents and use them in my client projects. Project folders then house all of the documents for any particular client, so there’s no switching back and forth between a lead capture form platform to an invoicing platform, etc. in order to get the full picture of any one project. But nothing about the capabilities of these documents is basic… Lead capture forms can be linked to or embedded in my website; they can map to my tokens that I use later in email and quote templates; they apply tags for me that allow me to dig deep into my business; and they’ll initiate my workflow - or in some cases, different workflows depending on options that get selected on the form. Questionnaires have incredible if / then logic that helps me get just the right info I need from a client without a ton of back-and-forth emails. Plus, they can map to more tokens that I can use in my product descriptions, contracts and more. Then my clients can access a quote, contract and invoice all from the same button in a single email! And I have so much to say about the flexibility of 17hats quotes, but namely, they allow for customers to make selections that then transform into an invoice. Talk about streamlined! Read more: "To quote or not to quote? Streamlining in 17hats" 17hats grows with your business Having dreamt about this service-based business for some time, I knew that at some point I would also offer appointments with my clients that would be scheduled online. Guess what? 17hats could do that for me, too. You know how it is when you’re trying to pick a time with someone over email, and dates and times start to get mixed up… add in different time zones... and forget it! With my 17hats scheduler I can send over a link to my clients so they can see my available times and (just as with a lead capture form) I can get the preliminary info I need for the appointment with additional questions; I can start a workflow; and I can even accept payment at the time of booking as needed. Once again, my clients’ answers, their payments and their workflow will also live inside their individual project folder, meaning there aren’t any tricky integrations needed between a scheduling platform and an invoicing platform. What’s not to love?! And with the bookkeeping and lead source reports, 17hats helps you grow, too, by showing you your top products / services, your top customers and where they’re coming from. Utilize these reports along with a streamlined client experience and it seems impossible not to grow. Life before and after 17hats Before I was introduced to this powerful platform, I just couldn’t find my footing in the entrepreneurial world. Researching all the different platforms for all the different needs of a service-based business was exhausting. So I continued to dream, but mostly I felt stuck. Now, thanks to some encouragement from that friend who saw my knack for navigating the system, not only have I created my service-based business, but that service has become helping clients discover what 17hats can do for their businesses! I spend hours a day inside the platform customizing workflows, lead capture forms and more thanks to all of the features 17hats offers. I’m a proud ambassador as well, and the more I learn about the company behind the platform, the stronger I feel about its direction and its ability to support my business needs and the needs of my clients’ businesses over time. In summary In summary, 17hats gave me the confidence to start a business because it was ready to support me with each part of my client experience I care so deeply about. I’d love to help you discover how 17hats can support your client experience, too! Grab 50% off your first year (even after a 7-day free trial) with code “letnicolehelp”, or keep learning with a free download: 17 cool features of 17hats. Rooting for you!