I often get asked what resources I use to run my business so figured it was about time to write them in one place!
(Full disclosure, some of these links are affiliate links so I get a small commission when you sign up using them. I fully promise to only share and use affiliates for products that I completely love and trust!)
Iris Works: Client Management Software.
I have played around with a few different companies and have landed on Iris Works for a few reasons. I really like the small company feel of it. The owner Meredith Gradle is active in responding to requests and questions. The whole team is very receptive to feedback and prioritizes updates accordingly. They are constantly listening to us to bring changes and improvements. I will have an IGTV video on my current workflow with Iris from inquiry to session date. I currently use Iris to book sessions, email invoices, email contracts and questionnaires, email my family session guide, email location details, and email a link to the gallery. All of these things can be automated using templates.
Style and Select: Outfit styling Service (use code WHITNEYC10 for 10% off).
This is a genius tool that has been desperately needed in the industry. Basically you can either style your clients or have them style themselves all from this website. They choose how many in their family, their style, and the system generates a list of things for them to choose from. This is useful for the photographer because the outfits are chosen based on how well they photograph and coordinate together. This is helpful for the client because it’s all done from the comfort of their home and they can even order directly from the links!
Shootproof: Photo delivery
I have used a few different photo delivery systems and this one has worked well for me. The templates are great and I can tweak each depending on what I want to include.
Blogstomp: Blogging tool
This is a must have if you are blogging consistently. It smooths out the process so you can batch photos and upload straight to your blog. I use it for other templates as well so overall it’s a good investment.
Later: Social media scheduling
As much as I would like to post in real time… I just can’t count on my days as a stay at home mom to allow time for that. I have found that planning out a week at a time has made me more consistent and more genuine. Now I get time to really think about my captions and images to be more intentional.
What have I missed? What are your must haves for your small business?
