I’m one the kind of person who HATES to spend money on things I could be doing for myself for free. I held off from spending on a studio management solution for that very reason. You can technically do everything that these systems do for you on your own for free…but is it efficient to do it that way?? Like I’ve said here on the blog before, one of the reasons I started this business was because I wanted to life a life where I HAD a life…where I was working to live and not living to work. So if there’s something that’s taking up a lot of time, or could be simplified, I know that I need to come up with a system of some kind to make it easier. And sometimes that means investing in it!

I was very skeptical when I started using Pixifi at the end of 2013, but I wanted to give it a shot because of the questionnaire module. Before I used Pixifi, I sent contracts through Sign Now and did invoicing through Google Wallet. Invoicing through Google Wallet was discontinued and I started booking at a higher volume to where I needed to pay $14.99 a month for Sign Now, so I thought to myself if I like Pixifi, it’s only ten dollars more a month than what I’m already paying JUST for signing contracts online. Pixifi has a 30 day trial, so I tried it out to see. I’m a huge believer in “you never know until you try”.

For me, the initial setup was a little bit intimidating. It was a lot of work initially, but over the last year or so, the time I invested in setting it up and getting started was well worth all of the time it’s saved me over the long run. I use Pixifi to create proposals for new clients who are in the booking stage, to sign contracts, to send invoices and questionnaires, and to organize all of my client information. That’s not even all that Pixifi does, but it’s all I use it for right now. I’m keeping it simple 😉

This has helped my business in a few ways:

1. Proposals help you sell more without having to upsell. A proposal is where clients go in and choose their package and any add ons before signing their contract with me. Before I did proposals, I rarely ever sold additional products. With proposals, clients have all the options and pricing right in front of them while they are booking and then are more likely to add an extra hour of coverage or a bridal portrait session since they can see it and add it to their “cart”.

2. Proposals make my life easier. I basically set up a proposal that’s based on a template I have already created and then I’m done with the booking process in two minutes. The clients handle the rest on their end. Once they’ve chosen their products and any additional add ons, the contract and invoice are automatically generated for me. No more creating a contract and an invoice for everyone. I just do one thing…the proposal, and I’m DONE.

3. Proposals help me make money faster. One really cool feature of Pixifi is being able to add a required payment to a contract. I add a “required payment” to every contract so that the clients are prompted to pay their retainer immediately after signing their contract. They can pay online with credit card right there. It makes it easier for them to pay me, which makes it easier for me to get paid, and get paid more quickly too! You can also use your business bank’s merchant processing with Pixifi (if it’s supported) and mine guarantees my money is deposited into my account the next day. Doesn’t get any faster than that!

4. Proposals (and contracts, invoices, and questionnaires) through Pixifi look professional. I consider myself to be running a higher end photography business, so the way I run it needs to reflect that. Having professional invoices, contracts, and other communication is important to me. I can change all of my invoices, etc to match my brand so that the experience is cohesive for the client.

5. Pixifi helps keep all of my client information organized and paperless. Back in the early days of my business, I would send a contract PDF and most people would mail it back with their retainer. The booking process was a lot slower then, but that also meant I needed to sign their contract, make copies, and then send them a copy of the one that I had signed. And if I wanted to keep one on my computer for safe keeping, I had to scan it in there! It wasn’t convenient for me OR my clients. These days, all of my paperwork is stored in Pixifi and my clients are automatically sent a copy of the signed contract once they sign. They can also access their contract or invoice at any time! The internet is magical! This is especially huge for me since I don’t live near the majority of my couples.

6. Pixifi has the best customer service. This is one of the top things that I love about Pixifi and is a huge reason I haven’t been tempted to try out Tave or 17 Hats or any of the other things that people use for Studio Management. I meant this post to encourage people to check out ANY studio management software as a way to make their lives easier, but Pixifi is where I will be staying. First of all, I like companies that treat me the way I would treat my own clients. Pixifi is constantly going above and beyond in the ways that they take care of us, their clients and are constantly working to improve it. Tim, who is behind it, and Lisa, who helps run it, are such incredibly generous people. They are the ones who help you if you’ve got a problem and if you’ve got an idea for how you’d like Pixifi to work better in the future, more often than not, Tim creates your suggestion! I really appreciate this about them and it’s made me incredibly loyal because I want to support small businesses that really care about PEOPLE.

Like I said in my last bullet, I’m totally in love with Pixifi, but if you’re not using any Studio Management Software, I think any is better than none! Anytime you’re investing in something that will not only make YOUR life easier, but will provide an easier experience for your clients, that’s a win/win in my book.