5 Reasons I Love Dubsado

5 Reasons Why Dubsado is the Best CRM System for Creatives

Disclaimer: This blog post contains referral links which reward me in the event of a purchased subscription.

When I decided to launch into the VA world in 2019 I had no idea all the different software & platforms available to run my business. So as I started following other VA’s and reading up on their training, I started signing up for all the things: Acuity(scheduler), Clockify (time tracking), DocuSign (contracts), Trello (task management)...the list went on and on. And they all cost money after their free trials, or if I wanted to manage more than one client at a time. So this was a major suck to my minimal start-up funds available. Not to mention I had like 8 tabs open at any given time just to run my business, and if I forgot to mark something in one place, the whole system fell apart. It only took about 2 weeks of this for me to realize there had to be a better way. I mean the whole platform I’ve built my business on is streamlining business processes...better get my own in order first right? Now don’t get me wrong, all the different softwares I mentioned are great on their own, but it is very cumbersome to have to use all of them just to work with one client.

Needless to say, when I heard about a single platform that could perform all the above mentioned tasks...I was intrigued.

I was actually introduced to Dubsado by one of my initial clients. She is a life coach and was just getting started using it to onboard her new clients, but was struggling to get things going. Not that the software was complicated, she just had too many irons in the fire...hence the need for a VA. So she reached out to me to see if we could work together to get her up & running in Dubsado. But she also admitted that she didn’t know much about it and was using it on a recommendation from a colleague, so before I signed a contract with her, I spent some time in a few other CRM platforms.

I am someone that learns by doing, not just reading some how-to guide. So I got signed up on a few trials and spent a couple weeks running my business through all of them. I spent the most time in Dubsado & 17 Hats, since I know a lot of people that use 17 Hats. And at the end of the day, Dubsado won, hands down!

I will say that when I first got logged into a CRM it was a little overwhelming...there was so much going on! But, I went through the Get Started Videos (in like a couple hours) and was more than ready to get the ball rolling. I realized the words being sent to my clients, the experience, the branding...it was all me, not some generic, cookie cutter text that a robo-mailer sent out...it was all me!

Intrigued?

Find out if Dubsado is right for you with their free trial. There’s no time limit, you get to use Dubsado for 3 projects...however long that takes you. That means you have time to set everything up and really perfect your systems before using on a client.

https://hello.dubsado.com/user/signup

So here are all the reasons I love Dubsado...well most of them :)

1) Dubsado highlights your brand, it’s not about them.

The biggest complaint I’ve heard & experienced is emails and other documents coming from an automated mailer, not the person I’m working with. And with all the scams and junk going around the internet, I don’t know about you, but I’m leery about opening emails that I don’t recognize the sender. 

Dubsado lets you connect your email to their system so all of the email exchanges, contracts, and invoices come directly from you. Best of all, they leave no trace of their branding on any of it. All the client sees is beautifully designed forms featuring your logo, your graphics – just YOU.

2) You can create forms for EVERYTHING

If you’re like most small business owners, you send the same email over & over & over...It’s a huge waste of time and you open yourself up for mistakes. I love that I can create forms for Contracts, Invoices, Client Questionnaires, Pricing Pages, Testimonial & Feedback requests, and more. I can click and send to any of my leads or clients knowing that their project information will be filled out for me by the system. 

Best of all, it’s easy and they always look beautiful!

The form creator is intuitive. Dubsado gives a great example form which showcases so many ways you can customize the form and make it yours. All of the elements are drag & drop, and set to required if needed. And as if that wasn’t enough – there’s an entire library of already built forms that you can choose to copy to your account for free… already made by other Dubsado users in a wide variety of niches.

3) Can’t Live Without Automated Workflows

Think about not having to worry about sending an invoice to a client after they have signed the contract. 

Another Dubsado user shared their idea to set up an email that gets immediately sent to the client after the invoice is paid. It thanks them for their payment, sends a form which lets them choose the best times for a phone call with me, and generally expresses my enthusiasm for their project.

4) Next Up: Client Portals

How many times have you sent a document to a client, have them respond, then a week later they can’t find that email? With Client Portals you send your client a link which allows them to see everything related to their project - every correspondence, contract, invoice, etc. So it helps keep your client organized right along with you.

I’ve embedded the portal into my website and customized it with my logo & colors so they always know who they are working with.

5) It’s so affordable!

Really, when you look at all the time Dubsado will save you, it’s a no brainer. But let’s add things up with just the software I used when I was first starting out:

Here are the lowest prices for 1 month of use

Acuity(scheduler): $20

Clockify (time tracking): $9.99

DocuSign (contracts): $45

Trello (task management): $6

Total: $80.99

Keep in mind these are the base prices and are pretty limited to their functionality.

Dubsado starts at only $20/month, and you save even more if you pay for the whole year $200 ($16.66/month)…for the starter plan. And only $400 ($33.33/month) for the Premier Plan.

Not to mention their affiliate program, every time you refer a new customer, not only does the new customer get a 20% discount off their first subscription (monthly or annually), but you get a credit towards YOUR next subscription.

But you don’t have to take my word for it, even though there are over 1,000 here making my case for Dubsado :)

Get their free trial, no credit card required, and you get FULL access to Dubsado for your first 3 clients.

Use my code rvs (it is case sensitive) and you’ll receive 20% off your first subscription (month or year)

Well, that’s all I’ve got for now. Let me know if you get signed up & what you think about Dubsado for managing your clients!