Someone asked me for some hacks to easily switch from HoneyBook to Dubsado. I did an Instagram post about it and it was too good not to share on my blog. If you have thought about switching from Honey book to Dubsado you are going to want to read this. It will make your life a lot easier.
Notice, I didn’t say take all the work out of it. You are still going to have to set up Dubsado. However, with this and my getting started in Dubsado checklist. You should be well on your way to having a great setup in Dubsado. Want to see the video that I did about this instead? Watch it below. (You’ll miss out on my bonus tip and the other things that I added to this post as I wrote it though…
Why would you want to switch from HoneyBook to Dubsado?
Now, I’m not here to convert anyone to Dubsado. If you are happy with HoneyBook, you should definitely stick with it. HoneyBook is simple and easy to use. If you aren’t particularly tech-savvy or don’t want a ton of workflow features, HoneyBook is definitely for you. The invoicing is well done and a lot of people really like the interface.
However, if you are reading this, it’s likely that you’ve discovered that HoneyBook or your other CRM just doesn’t have the features that you want for your business. If that’s the case, and you want to switch to Dubsado, here are my five tips to make it easier.
Tip #1 – Take Your Switch from HoneyBook to Dubsado One Step at a Time
To avoid getting overwhelmed, take it one step at a time when you are switching to Dubsado. Don’t try to do everything at once, you’re just gonna go crazy. Set up everything one step at a time. I find that it helps to have a checklist to make sure that you don’t forget anything as you set your Dubsado up. You can find my handy getting started checklist here. to help you make sure you don’t miss any steps. I recommend that you get started with some of the Dubsado services listed below. Then, start with your account settings. It might be a good time to write out your client workflows at this point. This way you will have a good list of all of the forms, contracts, questionnaires, etc. that you will need when you start setting up your workflows (automation.) The fun stuff!
Tip #2 – Don’t Stress About Canceling Your Current CRM Right Now
Don’t stress about canceling your current CRM right now. You don’t have to hit some imaginary deadline. You can downgrade to the free program that HoneyBook has and use it as long as you want. If you have another CRM, look into options to downgrade to take the pressure off of yourself. You can set up your new clients in your Dubsado account without having the whole system set up. This way you won’t feel pressured to hurry up and get it done.
Tip #3 – Use the Free Dubsado Form Recreation Program
Did you know that Dubsado will recreate up to 10 forms in Dubsado for you? It’ll take a little time for them to do it, but you won’t have to, so you can focus on other things. That’s a big time saver! If you have forms that you are going to want right away (like a Discovery Call questionnaire), I recommend building them yourself so you won’t be stressing about when your forms are done. Have them set up the really complicated time-consuming ones.
Tip #4 – You Can Import Your Client Information as a CSV File
You can import your client information as a CSV file directly into Dubsado yourself if you want to. This will get your old clients up and running quickly on your new system. If you have a little time, you can skip directly to tip number five which will save you a lot of time.
Tip #5 – Use Dubsado’s White-glove Data Migration Service to Save Time When You Switch from HoneyBook to Dubsado
This is actually my best tip. Dubsado offers a white glove data migration service and it takes a few weeks but they will bring your client information, jobs, contracts, and any forms attached to client records as well as any invoices and payments that they’ve made into Dubsado for you. It’s definitely a big time saver.
What’s Included in White-glove Migration
- Migration from one system
- Jobs and contacts attached to them
- Import of client data if your previous CRM allows for a mass export
- Invoices and payments made on that invoice
- Forms on projects will be brought over as PDFs
What’s Not Included in White-glove Migration
- Client email conversations/email communications
- Bookkeeping categories or anything outside a project invoice
- Templates
- Workflows
- Canned Emails
- Tasks
- Payment Schedules (applied and templates)
- Taxes
- Tracked Time
How Long Does it Take?
This is a pretty popular service. It typically takes 2-4 weeks to start the migration. However, if there is a high demand, it could take even longer. If you are wanting to take advantage of it, just keep in mind, that it will take a few weeks. If this is something that you would like to do, you can read all about it here and get the process started.
Tip #6 – Download client emails as a PDF from HoneyBook
Bonus tip! You can export your client emails from HoneyBook as a PDF and upload them to each individual client. If you are transitioning from another CRM, you might be able to do the same. Check out their help files to see what options are available to you. If it’s not a huge deal to you, don’t worry about it.
That’s a Wrap!
Those are my tips to make your switch from Honeybook to Dubsado as smooth and easy as possible. Remember to start with a checklist, don’t rush or stress about getting it all done fast. Use the tools that Dubsado provides and you will be well on your way to getting up and running in Dubsdao in no time.
If you have any questions about this post, feel free to leave them in the comments. (If you’d prefer to have your Dubsado setup for you, take a look at my Dubsado Setup Service.