Why ShootQ Made the Most Sense for Anne Almasy
August 22, 2014

HINDSIGHT IS 20-20, AND EARLY INVESTMENTS IN YOUR BUSINESS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

When Anne Almasy first learned about ShootQ, she had a small business and didn’t think she could budget for a software solution. “Looking back, I do wish I had bought in to ShootQ at that point,” she said.


As Anne’s business grew and got busier, everyday tasks became burdensome and time consuming. “I was emailing customer contracts, and they had to print, sign and fax them back,” recalled Anne. “It was a pain!”


That’s when Anne decided it was time to give ShootQ another look. “ShootQ has been a real live saver!” she said.


KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR BUSINESS IN ONE PLACE, WITH ACCESS FROM ANYWHERE, STREAMLINES OPERATIONS

Anne relies heavily on ShootQ’s lead management tool. “It is great to have one place to see all of my clients booked, leads coming in and who sent referrals,” she said. “Some couples book a year or more in advance, so I can look back at conversations from months ago to see what we discussed without having to dig through email. It is really, really helpful.”


ShootQ also makes the contract process much more seamless. Preparing and sending a contract only takes a few minutes, and clients can sign them online. Members may also choose to accept online payments, which further simplifies the process. “Signing contracts is so easy – absolutely a benefit,” said Anne. “It’s so much simpler for people. I booked a wedding in 30 minutes. It’s totally doable.”


FINDING THE BEST SOLUTION TO MANAGE A THRIVING PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS

When Anne began her search for a software solution to manage her photography business, she was looking for something with high management functionality. “I wanted to be able to shorten the booking process and make it easier and more intuitive for my clients,” she said. “ShootQ allows me to create my own forms, and I manage the whole event timeline through ShootQ. My clients can go in and look at it and fill it out anytime.”


Customization is a key benefit of ShootQ. Members can create their own workflows, forms, questionnaires, proposals, contracts and invoices to meet their studios’ unique needs. Anne created her own “share story” form, so she can remember key details of her clients’ special days. “I love it, because it keeps everything in one place,” she said. “I can submit my editorial at the same time I publish events, because it’s already there.”


QUANTIFYING THE SAVINGS SHOOTQ PROVIDES

Anne sees both time and money savings with ShootQ. “Paying $40–$50 month for something that is easily saving me a full eight-hour workday – and that’s being conservative – is absolutely worth it,” she said. “Otherwise, I’d have to pay a studio manager every single week, and that would cost a lot more. Even if I paid someone $10 an hour to come in once a week, it would still cost more. Everything would be delayed and take too long. I could lose clients if I don’t book them right away.” Fortunately ShootQ allows her to do just that and more.


ShootQ is also a very valuable tool for organization. “I used to have so much paperwork – files and files and files,” said Anne. “Now it’s all digital. I don’t have anything printed except for a timeline to check off during an event. I save a ton of storage space!”


SHARING THE LOVE OF SHOOTQ

ShootQ members tend to be big advocates of the cloud-based service. “I highly recommend it to everyone,” said Anne. “When anyone starts talking about managing paperwork, clients or leads, I say, ‘Oh, I use ShootQ, so I don’t have to worry about it.’”


“Newer photographers sometimes balk at price,” said Anne, “but I tell them it is worth it if they shoot one wedding a month. It will make up for any time spent doing contracts, managing leads, etc.”


Anne considered some other solutions, but in the end she decided, “ShootQ is so fully featured and geared toward my business, it made the most sense for me. I’m a very happy user!”

A logo for a company called shootq migration.
By Maria Eveslage February 10, 2025
What’s Changing? The technology behind our legacy platform has reliably supported our users for many years. However, maintaining and updating this older system has become increasingly challenging, and its limitations have prevented us from delivering the best possible user experience. Therefore, we have decided to transition all users to our more modern and robust platform, which has already been successfully serving thousands of photographers for the past five years. This change is a step forward in our commitment to providing superior tools and services that meet the evolving needs of professional photographers. Why This Change Is Happening Our new platform leverages modern technology that resolves the issues encountered with the old system. It introduces powerful features designed to streamline the management of client relationships. Expect a faster, more stable, and comprehensive system to support your business growth. What is being migrated? To ensure a seamless transition, we will migrate the following items: Jobs Invoices Contacts Contracts Proposals Email Templates Contract Templates Contact Form Templates Product & Services Templates Workflow Templates What will not be migrated? Certain elements will not be carried over to the new system: Client Portals Job Notes In-Progress Workflows (workflow templates will be migrated) Payment Schedule Templates Discount Templates Tax Templates Referrals set in existing jobs Transition to the New System As the legacy system is phased out, here are steps to help you adjust: Disable Legacy Settings: To avoid confusion, disable any unnecessary settings in the legacy system, such as invoice reminders by navigating to Settings > Invoices & Payments > Invoice Settings and unchecking "Send automatic email reminders for unpaid invoices." Complete the New Setup Guide: Utilize the Setup Guide in the new system found under Settings > Onboarding Setup Guide to fully adapt to the new functionalities. Updates on Integrations We are thrilled to share some exciting enhancements that are on the horizon for our new platform. In response to feedback and the evolving needs of our community, we will be implementing integrations with QuickBooks and ProSelect in the near future. These updates are designed to streamline your financial management and client interactions, enhancing your overall workflow efficiency. Stay tuned for these valuable additions that will further empower your photography business. Multiple Brands Additionally, we are excited to announce that support for managing multiple brands is now available, providing you with the flexibility to handle various aspects of your business from a single account. These integrations and features are designed to enrich your experience by streamlining financial management and client interactions, making your workflow smoother and more efficient. Stay tuned for these exciting updates that will further empower your photography business. Further Assistance For a smoother transition, visit our YouTube Tutorial Series and consult the Getting Started Knowledge Base . Our support team is also ready to assist you every step of the way. What If I’m Not Using My Account Anymore?  If your account has been inactive for more than 12 months, your account will not be migrated. If you wish to have your account migrated, you will simply need to login to your account before March 3, 2025. Final Migration Notice This migration is essential for enhancing your photography business operations. We are committed to supporting you through this transition and ensuring a smooth and effective upgrade to our new platform.
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