We know planners love paper (after all, is there anything more satisfying than physically checking something off of your to-do list?)—but today’s clients and collaborators expect to do business online. (Don’t worry—you can keep your favorite desk-side pad and all of that pretty paper stationery!) Today, then, we’re talking three tech systems every pro should have in place—read on for our top picks in technology for wedding planners.
1. Online Systems to Sell to and Book New Clients
When it comes to technology for wedding planners, this one is an absolute must. You need to have a system to collect leads, send quotes, and send contracts for electronic signatures (asking clients to print, sign, and scan is a surefire way to antiquate yourself and elicit an eye-roll). The bonus here is that these systems aren’t just for the sake of your clients—they save you time and sanity as well, as most allow you to template these frequently-sent documents so you can be quicker about getting back to clients (and we all know the early bird catches the worm when it comes to getting clients to book).
2. Online Systems to Collect Payment and Manage Your Money
Tired of hearing “The check is in the mail” or “Hmm…I didn’t get your invoice.”? Exactly. Implementing an online payment system is crucial for a streamlined invoicing and collection process. There are plenty of simple ways to send electronic invoices and collect online credit-card or bank-transfer payments in today’s world. Plus, many of these systems connect directly with Quickbooks (which you should also have), ultimately making it easy to organize and track your business finances (and making tax season a little less terrifying).
3. Online Systems to Organize and Streamline Your Planning Process
When we’re talking technology for wedding planners, we’re often talking ways to save you time—and no systems do that more so than those that can help you organize and streamline your workflow. Whether you’re a solopreneur or run a business with a team, using online systems to keep your planning process organized (things like wedding day timeline generators, checklist tools, and budget trackers) is absolutely key for running a smooth operation and minimizing mistakes. Plus, they also allow you to easily check in on progress from any device at any time (no more hauling around a 3-lb binder)—and they’re a great way to have everything ready if someone were to need to step in and take over in case of an emergency. Tools like Timeline Genius allow you to template parts of your process that have historically been time consuming—and then customize and send out those timelines faster than ever (because we strongly believe you have better things to do than labor over your timelines).
The bottom line?
No matter how much you love paper—there are certain parts of doing business in today’s world that have to be done online. Implementing online systems and taking advantage of all of the available technology for wedding planners helps keeps clients and vendors happy, while saving you time, resources, and—most importantly—sanity along the way. Cheers to that, planners!
Want even more pro tips for building your wedding-planning business? Browse the rest of the Timeline Genius blog. Or, start saving time today with our smart, simple wedding day timeline generator.
