Holli B Stays Organized, Collaborates & Manages Her Busy Studio with ShootQ [Case Study]

Holli B started using ShootQ more than five years ago. Previously, she used old-fashioned paper files and checklists to manage her business, but she couldn’t access information and task lists from outside her studio.

“I had to physically be in the studio to see where clients stood in process,” Holli recalls. “Looking back, l really can’t believe we used to do it the old-fashioned way. I shoot weddings full time and have three associate photographers who do the same. It wouldn’t be doable without ShootQ.

Keeping track of multiple shoots, photographers and schedules can get complicated pretty fast. In order to stay on top of all the details, Holli uses “pretty much everything” ShootQ has to offer.
Since multiple photographers use her studio at various times, Holli relies on ShootQ Calendars to keep track of who is using studio, when; who is shooting, when; and other key milestones and events that impact her team. She also takes advantage of lead tracking, email templates, workflows, tasks/to-do lists and analytics.
But even for a seasoned pro, there’s always room to learn something new. “I just did some ShootQ training [free one-on-one Setup Assistance] and it was super, super helpful,” said Holli. “I learned how to put names on specific tasks and how to use filters, so each photographer knows what is on their own personal to-do list.”

ShootQ has enabled Holli and her team to make a number of improvements to their day-to-day processes. “Organization is a huge one,” she said. “Tasks are a huge improvement, too. We can sign in to see what needs to be done for each client. Anyone can complete the task and mark it off list. Then it checks it off all of our lists.”

In addition, Holli and her team have made vast improvements with lead tracking and nurturing. “Just being able to track leads is an improvement,” she said. “We weren’t following up with leads that didn’t respond to our initial email. Now we make sure to check back with them and make sure they do not have any questions or need anything customized. We made a huge improvement with ShootQ.”

Holli and her team of associate shooters all have access to ShootQ, which keeps everyone on the same page. “We can all use ShootQ from anywhere, in the studio, at home, at an event or on the go, which has been the biggest problem solver,” she said. “It allows us to keep up with brides’ information, questionnaires, contracts, etc. in the cloud, where we can access it anytime. We don’t have to go into the studio to look up information anymore.”

Holli’s old-fashioned paper system would have made it really difficult to grow. “We did a lot of printing, had to keep up with email and had hardcopy files – and duplicates – for each client,” she said. “It was hard to keep up.”

Also a longtime Pictage client, Holli knew it made sense to implement ShootQ. “They are integrated and work hand-in-hand,” said Holli. “It was a no-brainer.”

“ShootQ is way more valuable now, especially with our growth,” said Holli. “We are continuously growing with shoots, clients and revenue – ShootQ is a big piece of that and ensures we are able to manage it and keep up with tasks. It’s been irreplaceable.”

“We know we can for sure take on more business because systems are in place, and our client experience is pretty seamless,” said Holli. “If we were overwhelmed, we would have to take on less business. ShootQ allows us to book more clients and offer the same great service.”

“We’ve saved a ton of time as far as staying on task, knowing what’s next, preparing correspondence with workflows, sending reminders and invoices and more,” said Holli. “Everything is setup to send automatically, so we don’t have to think about it.”

Before implementing ShootQ, Holli was paying for part-time help to assist with running her studio, managing business processes, preparing and sending emails and invoices, etc. “ShootQ is like a person’s job. I don’t need a studio manager anymore. It saves quite a bit in the long run.”

Sharing the love of ShootQ is common among its happy users. Holli shares her experience with friends and colleagues who are overwhelmed running their businesses. “Being able to collaborate and get help from others is an invaluable piece, especially if you are busy and need to keep work moving,” she said. “It’s a big selling point for photographers.”

“We’ve been super happy with service we’ve received and all the things ShootQ does for our studio,” said Holli. “When we have minor issues or questions, we can pick up the phone to get help. We haven’t had a single issue with ShootQ. It’s irreplaceable for our studio.”

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Specialty: Wedding

Location: Norman, OK

Challenge(s):
Staying organized while
growing business

Solution: ShootQ

Result:
Streamlined business
processes and ability to
support more growth

Former Solution:
Old-fashioned paper files
and checklists