Est. 2012 | Colorado Springs, Colorado and Charlottesville, Virginia wedding & family photographer

Today’s post is for the photographers out there! 🙂 When it comes to handling many clients, it can be a little tricky. It is SO important to be organized … really. Between 2013-2014, I have booked 30 weddings which means I’m handling 60 clients (bride/groom) when it comes to emailing, engagement sessions, meetings, the actual wedding day … you know what I mean. So there had to be a system implemented in order for me to keep sane and to keep me on track from client to client. I can refer to my workflow chart to be sure that one of my couple is on track with the rest of that month. And it is WONDERFUL! This is one of the many things I have done in my business that has really benefitted me on the backend of my business … all I’m really doing is keeping organized.

Coming from a graphic designer background, I have a way of approaching my business in a structured way which has done great things for my business and I only hope to develop it further in the future! 🙂 As you all know that my first year anniversary of my business is coming up in June and I still am just in disbelief of what God has shown me what only ONE YEAR can do for a business! Seriously, I have seen everything fall into place because I have put my ALL into this business. I never would have thought about owning a photography business 1.5 years ago! I would have been CRAZY to think that! Haha! Everything happens for a reason… 🙂

About my workflow chart, I have been inspired by Katelyn James who talked about her system back at Pursuit 31 at the Georgia conference last October. I had something similar but it was built into my Google Docs … which I LOVED, but I knew that I needed something more hands on since I like to be able to physically cross off a detail instead of checking it off through a digital document. So, I developed the Google Doc document even further to function the way I like to go through each client. I think it is SO important to really figure out what works best for YOU. My workflow chart might be just what you needed in your business or it just might need some tweaking based off from your own system. This just works for me. 🙂 

I thought that I would share this with you all today and see what you thought of it! I have printed my workflow charts on 11×17 paper and used frames from Michaels Craft Store to hold them up on my office wall. I pushed out two holes (one in each corner) of the workflow chart and stuck a pin through the 14 printed charts and then into the cardboard that I cut out inside the frame. I was being resourceful and just used the cardboard that came with the frame that covers the back outside of it to protect it … just measured the inside of the frame and cut it out to ensure it was not too big to fit or too small that it would slip out of the open frame. In order to cover up the brown cardboard, I was also being resourceful and just flipped the white piece of paper they keep in the open frame when advertising the frame. It did just the trick! So I also punched a hole through the white page and the cardboard in order for my pin to go all the way through with the charts holding on. If you ever have any questions or comments … even if you find this resourceful, feel free to comment below to let me know what you think about this! 🙂 I LOVE it and I am always so excited to run over to it and cross tasks off along the way!

In my chart, I keep everything blank so I can customize it as I go. So I can write in the month at the left hand top … and then start added in my clients per month. I like to do it this way so I can flip through, almost like a calendar. This way I can look into the future of my weddings and also not mixing up dates and can look at my clients for the month knowing if one is behind schedule or ahead. Super helpful!!!

I want to help break down my list so it is easy for you to understand:
Initial Welcome–
* Client Name
* Guide – They have agreed to the pricing (really though, they will have already agreed to your pricing if their name is on the chart)
* Date – Their wedding date
* Client Profile Sent
* Client Profile Received
* Prepared Contract
* Sent Contract / Schedule Meeting
* Meeting (Give Gift)
* File Contract / Received Deposit
* Thank
* Finance
* Notes – I find it important to have a notes section for anything involving that client that might need to be noted
Engagement Session–
* Client Name (again I want to keep it consistent from one row to the next)
* Date – Wedding Date
* Contract Sent – Basically a profile that clarifies details of the engagement session so we are both on the same page as for location and date/time
* Contract Received – I check this off when I have printed and filed their contract
* 1 Week Confirm
* 1 Day Confirm
* Shoot
* Thank
* Back Up – Be sure to back up your cards!!!
* Star – I go through and star the ones I want to keep and edit to give to the client
* Edit
* Blog
* FB
* Package
* Mail
* Gallery – I have an online client gallery that I post up my sessions as a backup plan
* Publish
* B-Up – Backup the final edits
* Notes
Wedding–
*  Client Name
* Date
* Schedule Meeting
* 2 Month Gift Sent
* Meeting Received Final – This is generally when I will receive the final payment
* Thank / Finance
* 1 Week Confirm
* Shoot
* Thank
* Finance – This is if any additional charges happened from going over the contracted time or whatever. Generally, I never have to do any financing after the wedding day though. This is just in case. 🙂
* B-Up
* Star
* Edit
* Blog
* FB
* Package
* Mail
* Gallery
* Publish – I like to try to get my weddings published on a wedding blog or some type of print
* B-Up – Back up one final time with the edited photos
* Vendors – Send photos to vendors if requested or you feel the need to. 🙂
* WW – Wedding Wire
* Thank

I will have to admit that being a graphic design major really helped me on this project as I was able to create this chart without problems and now able to give this over to you! Wohoo! 🙂

In order to download this document, go to this link:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3Y5m1gzFcnPcU95RTRhQURoUDg/edit?usp=sharing

Hope you found today’s post resourceful and a system you could try out for yourself! Love mine! 🙂