Ask five business owners which CRM (customer relationship management) tool they prefer, and you just might get five different answers. There are a lot of options for CRM platforms out there, along with fans of each platform.
That’s why I teamed up with Rachael Mueller, owner of Hey Rachael and Virtual COO + Systems Expert, for our latest video: HoneyBook vs. Dubsado. In this video, we talk about the features of each CRM and who they’re great for, so you can choose which one is best for your business.
Let’s get this question out of the way first: Do I really need a CRM for my biz? What can it do for me? The answer: Yes, we think so! And LOTS.
Both HoneyBook and Dubsado have the tools you need to:
A common follow-up question is, “Does my business need a CRM? Who are they for?”
If you have clients, customers, or prospects that you interact with regularly, you’ll benefit from a CRM. You’ll find a lot of agencies, consultants, photographers, and service providers use HoneyBook or Dubsado.
I (Kristi) am Team HoneyBook, while Rachael is Team Dubsado. But why? What’s the story behind our chosen platforms?
You might not know this if you’re new to DaSilva Life, but I actually started my business as a virtual assistant four years ago!
During that time, I didn’t go a day without using HoneyBook. I had tried Dubsado, but preferred HoneyBook. The amount of time it saved me and the way it elevated my client experience was worth the monthly cost, in my opinion.
After some time as a VA, my business naturally evolved to serving clients by organizing their HoneyBook builds and ClickUp setups. And I took that full-time. I wouldn’t be where I am today without HoneyBook!
As for Rachael, she started her first business nine years ago. Things were tough. She was always busy and on the verge of burnout. It was time for a change.
So she implemented a CRM and project management tool. She began delegating and automating—and it changed her life! Her business grew tenfold, and she had time to work on the most important aspects of her business rather than getting stuck in the weeds all the time.
The funny part is: Rachael started out using HoneyBook, too! She eventually made the switch to Dubsado when she wanted to take her automation game to the next level.
And now, here we are. HoneyBook and Dubsado fans! So what makes these CRMs so great?
One of HoneyBook’s biggest strengths, in my opinion, is its UX. CRMs can be very intimidating because they can do so much. But HoneyBook is sleek, simple, and easy to use. If you’re new to CRMs or want to build up your confidence using business tools, you may prefer HoneyBook to Dubsado.
Client management is a cinch, too. With HoneyBook, everything client-related like payment, admin, and finances is all in one place, like:
You don’t have to jump from your email to Dropbox to ClickUp to manage a client. It’s all in HoneyBook.
Another thing I love about HoneyBook is their consistent updates! They’re super receptive to user feedback and are always implementing new features or improving existing ones. They’re constantly finding ways to make the platform better, and I appreciate that.
One of Dubsado’s biggest strengths, in comparison, is its robust workflows. If you want to dive even deeper into automating your client experience, Dubsado may suit you better than HoneyBook.
From a new lead, to onboarding, and offboarding, Dubsado can do a lot of the heavy lifting behind the scenes for you.
Dubsado allows you to add custom styling (CSS) to its forms. This is in addition to the many customization features its forms already offer! And you don’t need to know how to code: there are some great developers out there that have actually already done the heavy lifting for you and make it really easy to customize, copy, and paste, totally code-free. Rachael’s tip: google Dubsado Forms, or Dubsado Coding, and you’ll find some great resources (or send her a message and she’ll point you in the right direction!)
The Dubsado client portal is also a really notable feature, because it’s so clean and easy to use from a client-facing perspective. You can even upload direct links, PDFs, and more, to keep all project resources in one handy place.
Finally, Dubsado is available worldwide. They have special settings that can accommodate different time zones, languages, and currencies. If you have international clients as a virtual service provider, this is a huge benefit.
It helps to have a side-by-side comparison of CRM features, so here you go! Make sure to check out the YouTube video for a more in-depth look at each feature in each platform.
If we had to choose one feature or functionality of our chosen platforms, we’d say that HoneyBook’s UX is excellent, while Dubsado’s capabilities are more robust. Keep that in mind when picking one over the other for your biz!
At the end of the day, both HoneyBook and Dubsado are excellent CRM tools that can do a lot of heavy lifting in your business. Give both of them a try to see which is best for you. They offer free trials; take advantage of them!
We recommend setting a time limit for your trial before committing to a platform. Try each for three to six months, for example, and then compare notes. Once you’ve picked your CRM, stick with it. Bouncing back and forth because you’re not sure about your choice will only slow down your processes and stress you (and your team) out.
If you decide to go with Dubsado, we recommend Hey Rachael for help getting set up and finding success with that CRM. Use her Affiliate to save 30% off your first month or year when signing up!
Leaning toward HoneyBook for your business? Wanna skip to the good part without all the trial-and-error? Our HoneyBook Course can teach you everything you need to know!
Our HoneyBook Course includes:
This resource will introduce you to HoneyBook and help you get up to speed fast. And with lifetime access and course updates, you’ll always be in the know when new features and upgrades roll out.
