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Running a small business can literally take it out of you. Wouldn’t it be nice to work in an environment where you can hand over some of the dreaded admin tasks to someone who just gets them done? How do next-level customer relationships without having to spend hours of your day nurturing them sound?
Let me introduce you to Charlotte Isaac, a matchmaker for online business owners and their future favourite business tool, Dubsado. She helps overworked entrepreneurs with the nitty-gritty of Dubsado workflow setups so you can finally feel like the boss of your business AND your life.
Charlotte caught up with me to share her personal take on running a business and why trusting Dubsado as your most valuable employee can transform your business outlook, especially in the early days.
Let’s get those intros out of the way so we can get to the juicy bits. Share a little bit about you and what you do for the online entrepreneur?
Hello, I’m Charlotte!
Trudging into the 9-5 just wasn’t for me, so I started my business to create a lot more freedom and flexibility in my life — and to help my clients do the same! I work with small businesses all over the world, helping them to automate and elevate their client processes using a tool called Dubsado.
For those of you who haven’t heard of Dubsado, it’s a client management system that can look after your clients and their relationship with you right from when they enquire via your website to collecting a glowing testimonial.
How did you stumble into running your own business and how what did those early days teach you?
I’m not great at multitasking so I gave my 12 weeks notice, headed to Africa for a month and dived right in as soon as I got home. Would I recommend that path to everyone? Probably not. There certainly were some nail-biting moments. But it did help me create what I wanted. For my days and weeks to flow as I wanted them to, which was really important to me.
In the early days, it’s hard to trust your gut and move in the direction it nudges you towards. A few things that I’ve learnt in those early days is to not let imposter syndrome take over. Oh, and if it doesn’t feel right, pivot quickly.
Every small business owner I know has had a roundabout startup journey. It takes time to settle in, and that is totally normal. I wish someone told me that you don’t need to have it all figured out!
Why can systems such as Dubsado and your expertise make all the difference at the beginning of the business journey?
Using clever systems early on can help you stay focused on the things that are going to make a real difference to your growth. And let’s be honest, spending 25 minutes across three different apps trying to get your clients a proposal, contract and invoice is not going to move the needle.
Using Dubsado can help you:
Bring on more clients, faster
Spend less time doing admin (I had one client go from spending 3 hours per proposal to 12 minutes)
Get paid on time, every time
Capture better testimonials (because you’re consistently asking for them and your clients find it super easy to work with you)
Turn clients into repeat clients
Encourage referrals
Why are systems critical to stay sane when you’re still learning this running-your-business idea?
Everything feels hard when you’re just starting out. Because there’s just so much to learn! Having a really solid base for your client experience is going to make life easier AND help you keep growing your business.
What are your top 5 musts for a successful digital launch?
Happy clients are what will make or break your business. Even if you don’t use client management software yet, invest time thinking about your customer journey. Write out your process, and be consistent.
Where possible, package up your services rather than custom quoting or charging hourly. As humans we love being guided by someone who’s an expert in a field that, frankly, confuses the crap out of us. That’s why they’re hiring you! By creating a signature service and process you’re giving your clients a lot of clarity around what needs to happen and exactly what they’re going to get for their investment.
When you’re ready to invest in software, spend time evaluating your options. Make a decision and stick with it for a while. ‘Shiny Object Syndrome’ won’t help you grow your business.
Be (or hire) an architect before you get building. That software you’ve invested in is only going to be a good investment if it’s set up in a way that works for you. If we’re talking Dubsado, plan out your workflows before you start creating that proposal template. Trust me, you’ll set it up in half the time, and it’ll be twice as good.
Communicate with your clients more than you think you need to. Don’t leave your clients wondering what you’re working on, what you need from them or when they can expect to hear from you. Be proactive and give your clients what they want, before they even ask for it. Don’t worry, I hear you. You’re busy and you don’t love hand-holding. Most of this can be automated using Dubsado!
Nowadays everyone seems to be an ‘expert’ when it comes to systems you need in your business. Can you share some beliefs you come across regularly that simply aren’t true?
For sure! There are so many misconceptions. Here are the two I always find myself wanting to share:
”You’re too small for systems.”
If you’re on a mission to grow your client list, you need systems. If you can’t afford to hire a VA, you need systems. If you want your clients to rave about you (hello referrals), you need systems.
”Automation means the end of high-touch, incredible client experiences.”
You don’t have to automate every single thing. You can still add personalised moments of surprise and delight. It’s all about giving you more time to do those things well — the ones that will truly make a difference.
Do you have any journeys that you can share where introducing the right systems into a business has literally created a new outlook for them?
I work with a lot of women who feel like they’re starting to resent their businesses. They started their business to have more time for themselves and their families, but their reality couldn’t be more different. They often feel like it’s impossible to keep growing without sacrificing even more time. Which isn’t the case!
One of my lovely clients summarised those typical outcomes of trusting your systems so well. I’ll let her words speak for themselves:
“The peace of mind knowing that my clients are being nurtured even while I’m getting the kids ready for school or travelling on the weekends is huge! I’ve almost doubled my income this month because I’ve had more time to reach out to new people. If your client process is falling behind or you’re spending too much time doing admin work everyday then hire Charlotte and save your sanity!! I couldn’t recommend her enough! My workflows run smoothly now and I know that my clients are getting the forms and emails they need to move forward.”
— Laura Matteson, Illustrative
Follow Charlotte’s business journey across her online platforms:
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Join Charlotte’s Ease Seeker Society.
That’s exactly how I transformed my manual-labour business to a well-oiled customer experience machine.
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