Hey all,
We own a photo studio that uses a bunch of random software to run. Some of this was accumulated over time and we are finally at the point to find a central “system of Truth”. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome. Here is where we stand:
We have a photo studio that is aimed at photographers in the area. We provide a space with natural/ artificial lighting and props/ backdrops and photographers will book us to use during their shoots. This has been a successful model for a few years now, but we are getting to that point where there is a bunch of redundancy between systems and nothing is easy to get an at-glance information. We have a few systems, though are not completely tied to them. We are looking for a path forward to minimize systems and get a better “dashboard” view. I personally have experience with ServiceNow as a developer, though the system is aimed towards enterprise and would quickly eat through any budget we have set aside for software. I do have a strong understanding of both javascript and APIs as my profession is an API developer. Here is what I think we need/ Currently have:
- Website : hosted through Squarespace currently. This mostly just takes in emails for promotions and inquiries.
- Booking: Currently Acuity - We need a way for photographers to book a space (we have 3), along with dates/ times. You can book as a 1-time booking, or if you are a member, you can use your code which is deducted from your balance. This is where the majority of our customer base is stored.
- Email marketing: FloDesk currently. We need a way to send out promotions, though we are okay with axing this system if it is integrated some other way.
- CRM - We need a way to sync our contacts and get an idea of what they are doing. Ideally, this will sync from sources such as our booking software (Acuity), website leads, Instagram, and emails. We would love to see the average and lifetime spending for customers or products (via acuity integration). Automation would be great as well. Automation meaning things like sending automated emails, creating tasks for our sales/ support team or whatever else.
- Project Management - Thi currently. We need a way to send out promotions, though we are okay with axing this system if it is integrated some other way.
- CRM - We need a way to sync our contacts and get an idea of what they are doing. Ideally, this will sync from sources such as our booking software (Acuity), website leads, Instagram, and emails. We would love to see the average and lifetime spending for customers or products (via acuity integration). Automation would be great as well. Automation means things like sending automated emails, creating tasks for our sales/ support team, or whatever else.
What I have started looking at and would like thoughts on:
- ServiceNow - I know this system well, though the cost is aimed towards enterprise, which makes this feel out of reach.
- Zoho
- monday.com
- hubspot.com
Any thoughts or considerations would be appreciated. We are not set on our current software if switching to something else opens up a more complete view of our our business. Thanks in advance for any thoughts or suggestions. I feel like I have spent hours looking through Reddit and other websites for recommendations.
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