Here is where I talk all things navigating life as a momtreprenuer and give advice / tips on hiring a virtual assistant for your wedding business.

We have all been there – where we feel like we keep running out of time in the day and wish we had more! I want to share a few time-saving habits to put into place within your wedding business to gain back some sanity and hopefully create a calmer schedule for yourself.

Automations

I know… you have heard this once or twice, and maybe even tried using this feature inside your Honeybook or Dubsado CRM system but can’t seem to get it to work! Or even worse…. have time to even try to figure out how to even structure automations but let me tell you, they are a God send! You can set up certain emails and even files (contracts, invoices, questionnaires etc) to go out automatically while you are out and about. How does that sound?!

Task Management Tools

Your Honeybook or Dubsado both have task management tools within the systems to utilize. I personally an external source called Notion where I have a customized client portal for each of my clients per service they have. This keep me aligned and on track! I have also previously used Trello and Asana. Try some different ones and see which fits your needs most but overall having a task management tool keeps your sh** together, which we all need a little help sometimes!

Calendar Reminders

Our days are BUSY, especially if you are a mama like me! Between juggling client work, behind the scenes business work, home life and keeping a small child from dressing up our dogs… we lose track of time. Having calendar reminders for EVERYTHING has SAVED me. I have a reminder for my morning routine (for myself and my toddler), client work, when to go on a walk/take a break and even for when I need to have time to sit and focus only on my own business. Try it and tell me how it works for you!

Outsource

I will always preach to every wedding business owner that outsourcing is key to saving time and growing all at the same time! Even if you don’t have the budget for on-going support, you can even save up for a one-time system build or a website redesign. Anything you have been dragging your feet on doing…. outsource it! If you would like to learn the process on hiring help, what to look out for, the type of support you can get etc… message me!

Ultimately, there are ways to make your life easier. You just need to sit down and put them into action. We all think we can “do it all” but we shouldn’t and don’t have to. If you need any assistance with a CRM audit, a full Honeybook or Dubsado build, or monthly business management – feel free to reach out!

Up until today, you have been working your ass off on your wedding photography or wedding education business. You have been spending countless hours on marketing, emails, content creations, writing up contracts and invoices, answering and following up with inquiries and more. You have been doing an amazing job and I want you to be so proud of yourself. But I can bet you have lost out of so much time with family and friends, have gotten in a bad sleeping and eating habit, or losing chances on bigger opportunities because you “just don’t have time”.

If you are sitting there shaking your head because what you’re reading sounds like your own life… Let’s get down to business and hire a wedding virtual assistant to avoid that inevitable burnout everyone talks about. So here is how a Wedding Virtual Assistant helps you from burnout?

Takes Over Tasks You Don’t Enjoy

The last thing I want to do is take away tasks you actually enjoy doing. You can delegate every single tasks or just ones you don’t like, that’s the art of hiring a virtual assistant. It depends on your preference and the wedding virtual assistant you end up signing on with.

I bet you have outsourced help without even thinking about it too much. So why keep pushing it off when it comes to your business? Think about it..

No time to walk your dog – Hire a dog walker

No time to clean your house – Hire a housekeeper

Don’t want to handle taxes and bookkeeping – Hire a CPA / Bookkeeper

Allowing a virtual assistant to handle tasks such as emails, Honeybook or Dubsado management, inquiry management opens up the opportunity to have more time to spend on bigger weddings, additional income opportunities, self-care or time with family and friends. The world is open when you have more time!

When I said it depends on the VA you choose, it means that you have chosen a virtual assistant who is capable of handling the tasks you want to hand off. Personally, I handle majority of backend admin tasks and client experiences. An example is: Inquiry and email management, CRM management, graphic and questionnaires, Special Event assistance (workshops, content days, styled shoots). Not all VA’s offer these services. Some only handle social media, so it truly depends on what you are needing.

Pros Hiring a Wedding Virtual Assistant VS an Employee

Wedding Photographers and Educators don’t have time to train or the budget for an employee hence hiring a VA. Now, I am not against hiring an employee if that is what you prefer but the difference is quite substantial:

+ A Virtual Assistant is already trained and they will let you know exactly what they offer (if I need to learn something you are needing, I learn on my own time). An Employee means you will 99% have to train them.

+ A Virtual Assistant is very productive because they do the same tasks for almost every client (it’s drilled in my head!) and they already know what they need to do daily. An Employee you will need to delegate tasks every day.

+ A Virtual Assistant is budget friendly-er. Stop rolling your eyes! It’s actually true. VA’s create their own rate and it is based on how many hours they will work on your business (I usually spend 1 – 2 hours per day for each client). For an Employee you set the pay and hours. If you need them for only 2 – 5 hours a week, that’s most likely less than they can do.

+ A Virtual Assistant is an Independent Contractor which means you don’t provide raises, benefits, tax, equipment, etc. (there’s goes that budget friendly again!) An Employee is a W2 which you will pay all of the above.

What Tasks To Hand Off to Your Virtual Assistant

Now that you know what the difference is between a Wedding Virtual Assistant and an employee, what do you hand over to your VA? This is typically one of the causes for many photographers to hold off on hiring a VA. You know you need help in avoiding burnout but don’t know how or what to hand over.

Here is a short list on what you can outsource to a wedding virtual assistant:

+ Email communication

+ Inquiry responses and follow ups

+ Scheduling calls and sessions

+ Creating and sending out contracts / invoices and follow ups

+ Graphics, Guides etc

+ Social Media

That’s just to name a few! Just imagine all of the other tasks. Visit my SERVICES page to learn all that I offer. Burnout is inevitable so please take time to really get into the mindset of hiring help. Even if it isn’t me! My goal for my business to assist amazing and talented wedding photographers but if I’m not a good fit for you then I still love referring you to someone who fits your business best.

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