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If you've ever wondered whether your email marketing is actually working, you're not alone. Most balloon decorators send newsletters sporadically, never knowing if their open rates are good, bad, or just… average. The problem? Most email marketing benchmarks aren't built for businesses like yours. They're based on data from e-commerce brands, SaaS companies and giant corporate events... nothing like the balloon and event decor industry. So I decided to fix that. I analyzed 137 newsletters sent by 23 balloon businesses throughout 2025 to give you real, industry-specific benchmarks. Here's what I found. The Big Surprise: Balloon Businesses Are CRUSHING Email Marketing Here's the headline: balloon businesses averaged a 41.9% open rate in 2025. To put that in perspective, the industry average across all businesses is 21.5% (according to Campaign Monitor's 2024 benchmarks). That means balloon decorators are getting nearly double the open rate of most other industries. The takeaway: Your subscribers aren't ignoring you. They're actually opening your emails at nearly 2X the rate of other businesses. Click Rates: Your Content IS Working Balloon businesses average a 2.56% click rate, above the 2.3% industry standard. What this tells you: when you give subscribers something compelling (a beautiful gallery, a limited-time promo, a helpful resource), they take action. Your content is working. You just need to send it more consistently. Seasonal Trends: No "Off Season" for Email One of the more interesting findings: engagement stays strong year-round. Q1 (Jan-Mar): 41.0% Q2 (Apr-Jun): 44.0% (highest) Q3 (Jul-Sep): 41.8% Q4 (Oct-Dec): 42.1% Spring sees a slight bump (graduation season drives a lot of planning and booking), but every quarter stays above 41%. Takeaway: There's no "off season" for email marketing in the balloon industry. Unsubscribe Rates: Context Matters Balloon businesses averaged a 0.65% unsubscribe rate in 2025. At first glance, this looks higher than the 0.1% industry average. But here's the important context: small lists swing harder. If you have a list of 150 subscribers and 1 person unsubscribes, that's 0.67%. If you have a list of 1,000 subscribers and 1 person unsubscribes, that's 0.1%. Same single unsubscribe. Wildly different percentage. Most balloon businesses have smaller, highly targeted lists (100-500 subscribers) compared to larger companies with thousands of subscribers. That means every single unsubscribe impacts your percentage more. Takeaway: As long as you're staying under 1% on average, your list is healthy. What This Means for Your Business Email marketing works really well for balloon businesses. The numbers prove it. The problem isn't getting people to open your emails. The problem is finding time to send them consistently. If you're struggling with consistency, you're not alone. Between running your business, managing inventory, booking clients and actually doing the balloon work, sitting down to write a newsletter from scratch every month is just one more thing on an already overwhelming to-do list. Want the Full Report? I've created a free 2025 Email Marketing Benchmark Report with all the detailed data, platform comparisons and industry-specific insights for balloon businesses. Download your copy to see exactly how your numbers compare. Need Help Staying Consistent With Your Newsletters? That's why I created the Balloon [Email] Drop membership. Learn more here.

If you've ever gone to apply a tag to your 17hats project, saw a huge list populate as you started typing and thought "wait, what are all of these even for?"... you're in the right place. Here's the thing most people don't realize: tags in 17hats can actually do two completely different jobs. And when you don't know which job a tag is doing, your whole system starts to feel messy even when you're doing everything right. The two jobs of 17hats tags Tags in 17hats can do one of two things ( and sometimes both at the same time.) Job #1: Automation (Pipelines & Workflows) With 17hats' newer tag functionality, tags can now start or stop workflows... which is a big deal for your automation setup. This means a tag isn't just a label anymore. It's an action. Here's how it works in practice: When a project receives a certain tag, say, "contacted", a workflow can automatically kick off... one that might be a follow-up sequence. And when a different tag gets applied, the follow-up workflow can stop. Thanks to this, you'll no longer have your dashboard cluttered with follow-up emails you might not need. And that tag that started the workflow? It can be applied automatically or manually. Job #2: Searching & Organization The second job tags do is way simpler, but just as useful. These are organizational tags. They help you find and filter your contacts later. Want to quickly find all your corporate accounts? Or your contacts at a specific corporation? Or maybe send a targeted email to repeat customers only? That's where search tags shine. These tags don't trigger anything, they don't start or stop a workflow and they're typically applied manually. Then they just sit quietly on a contact record and wait for you to need them. Some examples of organizational tags you might use: "corporate client" — so you can filter by business accounts "graduation 2026" — to pull up a specific season's bookings "repeat customer" — to identify your most loyal clients for a VIP email "tax exempt" — so your team knows without having to ask you every single time Interactive tag guide Why this confusion happens (and how to fix it) When you have a tag list full of tags with no clear purpose, it's really hard to know what's doing what. You start second-guessing. Are you supposed to apply this tag manually? Will adding it accidentally trigger something? Is this one even still in use? When you have a tag list full of tags with no clear purpose, it's really hard to know what's doing what. The fix might be simpler than you'd think: you can name your tags in a way that tells you their job at a glance. Maybe it's using a naming prefix system like: "auto-" for tags that start or stop workflows (e.g., "auto-booked", "auto-stop") "search-" for organizational tags you use for filtering (e.g., "search-corporate", "search-grad-2026") Or maybe it's using all lowercase for automation tags and UPPERCASE for organizational tags. Whichever fits your style best, this one small change makes it so much easier to look at your tag list and immediately know what's what. You can always change this later, but starting with clear naming conventions will save you a lot of confusion down the road. Tags can do both jobs, and that's okay Here's where it gets a little layered: some tags will naturally serve both purposes at the same time. A tag like "booked graduation" might trigger a workflow AND serve as a way to search your graduation clients later. That's not a problem, that's 17hats working exactly as it should. The goal isn't to completely separate every tag into one bucket or the other. The goal is to know what each tag does so you're in control of your system, not the other way around. Managing your 17hats tags Ok, so now what? If you feel a little overwhelmed by your tag list, here's what I'd suggest: If you have pipelines in action, go into your pipeline settings so you know which tags are making those happen. Open the Tag Management section of your account so that you can see how many contacts & projects have each tag applied. Consider copying & pasting all your tags into a spreadsheet if you feel that's easier to work with Rename tags that are unclear so their job is obvious. Merge or remove any tags that don't serve either purpose. Know that if you merge into a tag that's being used in the pipeline, you those merged projects will then show up in your pipeline. A cleaner tag setup leads to cleaner automations and better search results. Cleaner automations mean you actually trust your system (which is the whole point), and better search results allow you to learn a lot about your business. You've got this. And if you want a hand getting your 17hats account sorted out, that's exactly what I help with. View services here.

Are your 17hats email templates disappearing when it's time to connect them in your workflow? This is one of the most common things to trip people up in 17hats... but it has a simple fix. Setting the right email type when you build your templates is the difference between a workflow that runs smoothly and one that leaves you scrambling mid-send. In this post you'll learn why 17hats email types exist, how they connect to your workflows and exactly what happens when you skip this step. Rather watch? Why email types are important for 17hats workflows What Are Email Types in 17hats? In 17hats, not all email templates are created equal. When you create a new email template, you have options at the top right of the screen: regular email, quote email, contract email, invoice email, and more. Each type is tied to a specific document or workflow step. A regular email is simply one that is not attached to any document. Why Does This Matter for Your Workflows? This is where people get tripped up. Let's say you've built a beautiful invoice email template. You've got the wording just right... you save it, you move on. But when you go to actually send an invoice and look for that template? It won't appear. The reason is that 17hats filters available templates based on type. If your template is saved as a "regular email," it won't show up in the invoice send flow. It needs to be saved specifically as an "invoice email" type for 17hats to make it available at the right moment. This totally makes sense once you see it... but before you know it, it can feel like your templates are just vanishing. You're not doing anything wrong; this is just how the system is designed to keep things organized. The Bonus: Type-Specific Tokens Here's something that makes setting the right email type even more worthwhile: each type unlocks its own set of tokens . When you select "invoice email," a whole set of invoice-specific tokens becomes available to you; both in the email body and the subject line. Switch it to "contract email" and you'll see contract-specific tokens instead. These tokens let you personalize your automated emails in a way that's specific to the document being sent. They pull in details like invoice totals, due dates and client-specific information without you having to type a single thing manually. Automation can still be personal... and this is exactly how. How to Set Your Email Type Correctly Here's how to make sure your templates are always available when and where you need them: Go to your email templates in 17hats. When creating or editing a template, look at the top right for the email type selector. Choose the type that matches the document it will be sent with (invoice, quote, contract, etc.). Save your template. Next time you go to send that document, your template will be right there waiting for you. Build Workflows That Actually Work This is one of those foundational settings that makes everything downstream easier. When your templates are set up correctly, your workflows can be built the way you want; your tokens pull in the right data; and your client experience feels polished and professional without any extra manual effort. If you're building or cleaning up your 17hats system, this is a great place to start. Want more 17hats tips? Grab my setup checklist!

17hats is no secret to the photography industry, and I've had the pleasure of helping to set up systems for quite a few photographers. Whether you're here to learn more about the platform before purchasing, or to learn more about how to optimize your current subscription, I'm so happy to share with you what I think are 10 of the best features of 17hats for photography businesses: Here's a preview of what we'll cover: 3-in-1 quote, contract & invoice Quote options for upsells Pipelines for a bird's eye view of all projects Start a workflow from a product or service Workflow from a drop-down selection on the lead capture form Online scheduling for all the consults, shoots and appointments Custom fields for personalization Zapier integration Questionnaire options & if/then logic Automatically updating calendar from "pending" to "booked" #1 3-in-1 quote, contract & invoice Hands down, my favorite feature. It streamlines things in your process so much! The 3-in-1 documents let your clients approve a quote (more on those later), sign a contract and pay an invoice all from one email. It can all happen in a matter of seconds, rather than days. For photographers, this is HUGE. Think about it: A bride emails you on Tuesday night. Wednesday morning, you send your wedding package quote with contract and deposit invoice attached. By Wednesday afternoon, she's booked, signed and paid. Event confirmed on the calendar. Done. Access this by starting a new quote template and connecting (or creating) the corresponding contract template. Whatever they select in the quote will automatically get created as the invoice! #2 Quote options for upsells You can create up to three different sections within your quotes: Using the standard quote items section, quote out exactly what your clients asked for Using the "choose one" section, let them choose from different package levels (Gold, Platinum, Diamond) Using the "choose any" section, you can recommend and upsell some additional options that pair well with their package. They may choose some or none of what you include here. Ideas include: Album upgrade Extra hours of coverage Prints package You can build your quote using any combination of these sections, or with only one type of section. And as we've already seen, if you send the quote along with an invoice, anything they select from these choices will transfer into their invoice! I love this because it's another way to ask questions without the back and forth emails. #3 Pipelines for a bird's eye view of all projects Pipelines give you a visual board showing exactly where each client (or lead) is in your workflow. You can track every project from inquiry to delivery by moving clients through stages like: Inquiry → Consult Booked → Deposit Paid → Session Complete → Photos Delivered. You’ll never lose track of who needs a follow-up or which sessions are ready to edit. #4 Start a workflow from a product or service Now that we've seen how you can build your quotes in creative ways, let's talk about another thing that can happen from a well-built quote… You also have the option of automatically starting a workflow for a particular item when the invoice is paid. This is especially helpful if you have products or services with special fulfillment processes. If your client adds an engagement session to their wedding package, you could have a workflow start automatically that: Sends them a questionnaire about their engagement session vision Reminds you to scout their chosen location Sends them a what-to-wear guide 2 weeks before Sends session reminders All automated. Zero manual work from you. #5 Workflow from a drop-down selection on the lead capture form Similar to starting a workflow from a product or service, you can start a workflow specific to a drop-down selection your clients choose in your lead capture form. This is perfect for things like: Wedding clients get a different auto-reply and workflow than senior portrait clients Returning clients get a "welcome back" email instead of the standard inquiry response Clients booking mini-sessions get directed to your online scheduler instead of a custom quote Make this workflow magic happen when you add questions to your lead capture form such as "what type of session are you interested in?". In that process, you'll be able to direct certain answers to start your different workflows. #6 Online scheduling for all the consults, shoots and appointments 17hats’ built-in scheduling eliminates the back-and-forth of appointments. Create separate booking services for consultations, engagement sessions, wedding planning calls, album delivery meetings and more. Clients see your real availability (thanks to calendar cross-checking), book their time slot and get automatic confirmations and reminders. You can also set buffer times between sessions, block out editing days and sync it all to your Google Calendar… so double-bookings become impossible. Oh, and for headshots or team photo shoots… the group scheduling feature will be your friend. #7 Custom fields for personalization Custom fields for your contacts or projects will become tokens that can really add a nice personal touch to your emails and documents. Now, it's easy to get carried away with these custom fields (I've been guilty myself!), so I'd recommend taking these steps before creating any new custom fields: Know the default fields that already exist Ask yourself whether this custom field will add really useful personalization Ask yourself whether this custom field will save you any copy/pasting throughout your process A few great custom fields for photographers are: Partner/fiancé name  (for wedding photographers) - makes your emails feel personal: "Hi Sarah & Tom!" Kids' names & ages  (for family photographers) - "I can't wait to see how much Emma and Jackson have grown!" Custom project fields will also populate nicely along the right side of your screen while viewing your project. To get started with custom fields, head to Account Settings > Custom Fields (under Account Templates). #8 Zapier integration Zapier is another awesome tool for streamlining your business. It connects many common business platforms together with automation. Its integration with 17hats will copy new contacts to and from other sources automatically. Helpful uses for photographers include: Sending new 17hats contacts to your email service provider (Flodesk, Mailchimp, etc.) Creating new 17hats contacts based on entries from another web form you have Creating new Google Drive or Dropbox folders where you'll eventually store their images This will mean you no longer have to manually copy and paste your new contacts back and forth across all your tech! #9 Questionnaire options & if/then logic Questionnaires have slowly become my second-favorite type of document within 17hats! They're similar to lead capture forms in the way they collect information from your clients (and map that info to your tokens), but they offer even more capability. Questionnaires can also allow for inputting related contacts, displaying images and asking follow-up questions depending on the answers you get in previous questions. Good uses for photographers would be things like: Collect vendor contact info (florist, coordinator, venue) for wedding day timeline Show off your work (and get them excited to book you) by displaying your own images For wedding photographers: If they say they're having a first look, ask follow-up questions about timing and location The if/then logic alone makes questionnaires incredibly powerful for photographers with complex workflows! #10 Automatically updating calendar from "pending" to "booked" If you appreciate a color-coded calendar as much as me, this one is great! It will allow you to know at a glance what your project schedule is like on any given day. It starts by sending new contacts to your "inquired clients" calendar (or some other name like "leads", "pending" or "potential"). This is done in the settings of your lead capture form or online scheduling. When a client pays their deposit through 17hats, their calendar event can automatically update from ‘Pending’ to ‘Booked’ status. This means your availability opens back up until they commit, preventing you from holding dates for clients who ghost. Conclusion: 17hats Features for Photography Businesses This list only scratches the surface of what 17hats features help Photography Businesses streamline their workflows. If you find that you're ready to give the platform a try, feel free to grab my referral link  to get 50% off your 1st year! I'm also here to help set it up for your photography business with resources like My Little Black Book of 17hats Tips , and service options , too.

Did you know that it’s not just the gorgeous email templates that set Flodesk apart? They’ve also got beautiful, engaging form templates that get subscribers onto your list in the first place. So no more struggling with clunky signup forms or bland pop-ups that don’t fit your brand, you’re going to love how easy (and fun) these forms are to use. Rather watch? Exploring Flodesk form templates Why Forms Matter for Your Business Forms are more than just a way to collect emails—they’re the first step in building trust and connection with your audience. A well-designed form feels welcoming, professional and on-brand. And the more engaging your forms are, the more likely people are to sign up for your list, join your waitlist or grab that freebie you’ve worked so hard on. The Different Types of Flodesk Form Templates Flodesk makes it easy to choose the right style of form for your business: Pop-ups & Inlines  – Ideal for websites; think footers, sidebars, or those friendly little nudges that appear on the page. Full-Page Forms  – Big, bold, and beautiful. Great for promoting a specific offer or freebie. But that’s just the beginning. Flodesk also includes: Video Forms  – Add a short video to build connection right away. Imagine someone seeing your face while signing up for your workshop or freebie! Spinner Forms  – A playful option where visitors can “spin” for a prize or bonus. Perfect if you’re running a fun promo. Countdown Forms  – Add urgency with a timer for launches, limited spots or special offers. Link in Bio  – Not quite a form, but perfect for Instagram or TikTok, with the option to add images that catch attention and send visitors to  your forms. Bringing It All Together What I love most about Flodesk is how their forms are not only functional but also beautiful. You don’t have to sacrifice design for usability—your audience gets both. So next time you’re setting up a freebie or waitlist, consider the form templates from Flodesk! You might just find a form that feels like it was made for your business. Ready to bring your brand into Flodesk? Grab my referral code “ LETNICOLEHELP ” for a free trial and  25% off your 1st year!  You’ve got this. And your audience is going to love it.

If you’ve been hanging around here for a bit, you already know I’m a Flodesk fan. I use it in my own business, and many of my clients use it too. Let’s go over what’s new, why it matters and how it can actually make your email marketing feel easier. The latest and greatest from Flodesk email marketing The integrations keep getting better Flodesk has always been good at playing nicely with other platforms. We’ve had integrations with tools like Instagram, Shopify, Canva, Squarespace and Wix for a while now. But recently, two additions really stood out to me... First up: Manychat. I actually don’t personally use it yet (in full transparency), but this is a big deal. Manychat helps you collect email subscribers directly from Instagram and other messaging platforms, and the fact that it now integrates directly with Flodesk (no Zapier required) means fewer moving pieces and fewer things to maintain behind the scenes. And then there’s ThriveCart. This one was especially exciting to me because ThriveCart is the checkout platform I use for digital products and courses, and now it talks directly to Flodesk. That means abandoned cart emails, purchase follow-ups and post-sale workflows can all live inside Flodesk, using their beautiful templates. Why this matters more than you might think Tools are only as good as the support and education behind them. And this is something Flodesk does really well for small business education. If you head to their website, you’ll find not just a blog, but Flodesk University ... a library of free training videos that walk you through email marketing step by step. The data that stopped me in my tracks Here’s the part that really prompted this article... Flodesk reports that their emails get 17% more eyes compared to other platforms. And honestly? I believe it. I’ve recently been digging into email performance data across multiple client accounts, and I was surprised to see that Flodesk emails were getting significantly  higher click rates (sometimes nearly double!) compared to other platforms. Same niche, similar content, but different results. It made me think: What if the platform really does make that much of a difference? If you’d ever want to see a behind-the-scenes dashboard or report comparing email stats across platforms, that’s something I’m considering building. Stay tuned! Consider Flodesk for your small business If email marketing has felt overcomplicated or easy to ignore in your business, this might be your sign to revisit it... with Flodesk (get a free trial and 25% off your first year with that partner link!)

If you’ve ever wished your favorite tools could just talk to each other —you’re not alone. For many business owners, juggling multiple systems can feel like a never-ending game of copy-and-paste. But with a simple integration between your 17hats CRM and Zapier, you can finally make those tools work together automatically. Let’s walk through what this connection does, why it matters, and how to get started. Rather watch? 17hats integration with Zapier What Zapier Actually Does Zapier is an automation tool that connects thousands of apps (like Gmail, Google Sheets, Airtable, and so many more) so they can share information automatically. Think of it as the liaison that passes data from one platform to another—no manual work required. For example, you can set up “zaps” that: Add new leads from your CRM into an email newsletter list Send client details to Google Sheets for tracking Create tasks in your project management app when someone leaves you a review It’s like building tiny digital assistants that quietly handle the busywork for you. Exploring Automation Ideas When thinking about connecting your tools through Zapier, head over to the Zapier website and search for your tool. You’ll see suggested pairings, what triggers are available from that tool, and what automated actions can happen in the tool. A few common examples: Trigger:  A new contact is added in your CRM. Action:  That contact’s info is automatically added to a Google Sheet or email list. Or the reverse—an action from another platform can trigger  something in your CRM, like creating a new lead record after someone fills out a form elsewhere. Where to Find Zapier in 17hats If you’re using 17hats as your CRM, you can enable Zapier directly inside your account: Click the gear icon in the top right corner to open Account Settings. Choose Integrations from the left-hand menu. Scroll until you see Zapier listed alongside other options like Zoom and QuickBooks. Click Enable. Once you do, you’ll receive a unique API key—this is the special code you’ll paste into Zapier when connecting your account. (It's basically a secure token that lets two platforms communicate safely.) Why the 17hats and Zapier Connection Matters The more your systems can talk to each other, the more time you get back. Instead of retyping client info (and risking human error) or forgetting to update spreadsheets, you can focus on the creative work you actually enjoy. If this type of thing isn't your jam, I'm here to help with Tech Check Calls !

You’ve done the hard part—you’ve created a beautiful lead capture form to bring new inquiries into your business and you've shared it on your website, link in bio, etc. But what are your automation options after someone fills out your lead capture form? That tiny moment right after someone fills out your form is an opportunity for connection, clarity, and conversion. If you’re using a CRM platform like 17hats, you have several options for what happens at that moment. Let’s walk through them, along with a few ideas to make the most of each option. Rather watch? Your options after leads submit your 17hats lead capture form Option 1: Display a Thank-You Message This is the default—and for good reason. It’s simple, familiar, and reassuring. After someone submits your form, you can display a short message right on the screen. Something like: “Thanks for reaching out! We’ll be in touch soon. Be sure to check your email for next steps.” It’s quick, but sometimes it’s also… a little too quick. If your goal is to keep the momentum going—or if you have another resource you’d love them to see—this next option might be a better fit. Option 2: Redirect to a URL Instead of displaying a message, you can automatically send the person to another web page as well! This is where things get fun. You can use this option to: Deliver a resource instantly  — like a pricing guide, prep checklist, or mini workbook. Show a video message  — explaining your process or what happens next. Direct them to a hidden thank-you page  on your site where you share your story, testimonials, or an exclusive offer. I’ve even used this as a way to deliver a freebie (think: a lead magnet or downloadable guide) right after form submission. The possibilities are practically endless. A Quick Tip Because most people are used  to seeing an on-screen thank-you message, consider adding a short note at the bottom of your form that says something like: “After clicking submit, you’ll be redirected to my welcome page with next steps.” It sets the right expectation and avoids confusion when they’re suddenly sent off to another page. Why Automation with Your Lead Capture Form Matters Your lead capture form isn’t just about collecting information—it’s about starting a smooth client experience. By thinking intentionally about what happens after they click submit, you show professionalism, reduce confusion, and help your leads feel confident they’re in good hands. It’s those little touches that quietly communicate: “You can trust me to handle the details.” Ready to implement this kind of strategy in your business? These resources might help! 7 day free trial and 50% off your 1st year of 17hats with code " letnicolehelp " My Little Black Book of 17hats Tips And remember, automation isn’t just about saving time—it’s about creating more meaningful experiences.

Ever wish you could track when a client actually opened that quote you sent them? You’re not being nosy—you’re being smart. Knowing when someone has viewed (or not viewed) your proposal helps you follow up at just the right time instead of wondering what’s happening behind the scenes. The good news? There’s an easy, built-in way to track client activity right inside the 17hats CRM. Rather watch? Know when leads view your 17hats quotes Where to Find It Available right on your 17hats dashboard, there’s a handy Recent Client Activity  section. It gives you a quick snapshot of what’s happening across your business—quotes viewed, forms submitted, documents signed, and more. But don't stop there! Click “See All Activity”  to open a detailed list of actions that can be filtered by things like: Client Project Activity Type Tags Date Select multiple filters at once to really hone in! A Little Tip When you preview your own quote (using the “live view” option), this will count as a view. View Activity Per Project Prefer to see updates on just a single project at a time? Open any project and scroll towards the bottom to find the Activity  tab. There, you’ll find a full list of the project's documents that have been created, sent, viewed and more—making it easy to stay in tune with where things stand. Why Tracking Your Clients' Quotes Matters Client activity tracking takes the guesswork out of follow-ups. Instead of chasing cold leads or assuming someone’s ghosted you, you can have a much better picture of where things stand. That kind of clarity saves time, sanity and  helps you deliver a smoother client experience. If your current system doesn’t offer visibility like this, it might be time to explore a platform that does. Grab a 7 day free trial and 50% off your 1st year of 17hats with code " letnicolehelp ".

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