How to Use HoneyBook as a Stationery Designer

As a stationery designer, I love using tools like HoneyBook and Dubsado to manage all my client projects. These tools, often called CRMs, are designed to help you streamline your processes, enhance your client experience, and communicate with your clients with ease. HoneyBook specifically has made some incredible advancements over the past few years that make it perfect for designers of all sorts: web designers, graphic designers, and yes – invitation designers.

If you decide to invest in HoneyBook for your stationery business, you can use my link (or code LANEY) for 35% or more off your first year with them. I also have a free course you can take to get everything set up after the fact. Check that out here.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the world of HoneyBook and explore how it can revolutionize your design business.

Best HoneyBook Features for Stationery Designers

While HoneyBook has a ton of features, I like to focus on a few that are especially tailored for designers. My favorite features in HoneyBook are:

Client Management: From the very first time a client contacts you, you can keep track of all their info in HoneyBook. You can share files, send emails, collect payments, and even set up a client portal for them so they can login and see all the project info on their own! I absolutely love having everything in one place, so I always know where to find client info, forms, shipping info, etc. when I need it.

Smart Files: Smart files allow you to customize your client flows to your needs. You can use them for project proposals, design brochures, and even for sending design proofs. They are basically forms…to the extreme. 

Finances and Reporting: HoneyBook helps you collect payments from your clients – including recurring and automatic payments. You can even sell one-off digital downloads with HoneyBook Lead Forms. HoneyBook is its own payment processor, so you don’t have to rely on any outside systems when it comes to your money. They have lots of reporting to help improve your business practices, and an integration with Quickbooks to help with accounting. As an educator, I also have seen some of the financial features they have on the pipeline, which are going to take HoneyBook to the next level from an accounting perspective.

HoneyBook Questionnaires and Forms

Questionnaires and forms are critical for me as an invitation design. Whether it’s a form collecting data for the invitations, Save the Dates, or day-of stationery, I never want to miss an update or lose any information from my clients. Enter HoneyBook questionnaires.

HoneyBook questionnaires allow you to collect all this data in one place, every single time, with ease. You can create as many form templates as you like, customize them by client, and keep track of the client’s submissions. I have forms to determine their design style, some to gather specific information, and some for things like reviews after the project is completed. The possibilities are endless! 

Invoices and Proposals in HoneyBook

Invoicing is one of my favorite HoneyBook features. They make it easy to build packages and send over beautiful invoices to collect payments. You can collect one-time, multiple installment, or even automated recurring payments from your clients. 

With Smart Files, you can combine an invoice into a brochure of services, a questionnaire, or pair it with your contract. Imagine: You send a client one document, and without even lifting a finger, they can learn more about your process, access the proposal, pay the invoice, and sign the contract. All from one step on your end. Pretty magical, huh? 

As a stationer, it can be tough to build out standardized packages, so that’s always the first step! I have my “basic package” set up in HoneyBook, which includes all of the standard items in a typical suite: Design Fee, Invite, RSVP Card, Details Card, and Matching Envelopes. HoneyBook makes it easy to add on things like wax seal, envelope liner, or letterpress packages in addition, or add customizations for one individual invoice if needed. You can add photos of the items to your invoice to give examples of everything too! 

Sending Design Proofs in HoneyBook

One of my dealbreakers for CRMs as a stationery designer is being able to send design proofs – and get a legally-binding signature. I don’t want to send a project to print, and not have that official approval from my client on file. 

This is where Smart Files come in handy. I can combine a “Contract” Block into any other sort of file, which allows me to collect that signature I need at the end of a proof. Here’s an example of how that works – it’s easier to see it in action!

Combining Questionnaire Blocks, Image Blocks, and Contract Blocks means that clients can see their proofs, provide feedback, and sign off on everything all in one easy place! Those signatures will have an IP address and timestamp as well in case you ever need to reference that in a dispute.

Truly, there’s so much you can do with Smart Files that I think this is just the tip of the iceberg, but it’s the most important aspect for stationery designers. I even have my proof template in the HoneyBook Template Library for you to use and customize!

Additional Features

While I’ve covered my favorite HoneyBook Features, there are a lot more that I haven’t even touched on. I do cover all of these in our free HoneyBook setup course that you can join anytime, whether you’re already using HoneyBook or not. But just to give you a sneak peek, HoneyBook also includes:

• Batch emailing for past clients or contacts
• A Chrome Extension that brings HoneyBook directly into your Gmail inbox (this is Game-Changing!)
• Lead Forms to collect lead info
• Selling one-time Digital Downloads via Lead Forms
• Scheduler and Calendar syncing
• Integrations with softwares like Zoom, Calendly, Quickbooks, Monday, Asana, and Zapier (and more!)
• Automations to further streamline these processes (literally make it do the work FOR YOU)

HoneyBook Cons

Of course, every system has cons. The biggest HoneyBook con is that it’s only available in Canada and the US currently. If you’re outside of those areas, there are some great HoneyBook Alternatives listed below (the most similar being Dubsado, which is available worldwide).

Another con could be that HoneyBook is its own payment processor. If you prefer to process via Stripe, Square, PayPal, etc. then you won’t be able to do that with HoneyBook.

HoneyBook can also feel a little overwhelming at first. If you like the idea of a client management software, but don’t want a lot of flashy features, I’d recommend Rock Paper Coin as a simpler alternative. It can help you share files with clients, send contracts and invoices, and collect payments – all the basics. Plus, you can get a free year with my link. 

Alternatives for Designers

While HoneyBook offers a comprehensive suite of features for stationery designers, it’s essential to explore alternative options to find the best fit for your business. I educate on several other platforms, and love them all for different reasons. Some notable alternatives to HoneyBook include:

Dubsado: Known for robust automation capabilities and customizable workflows, Dubsado is a popular choice among creative professionals. I would say Dubsado is the most directly comparable to HoneyBook on this list! Here’s a comparison video showing how the two differ:

17hats: With its all-in-one business management platform, 17hats simplifies client communication, project management, and invoicing for designers. I find 17Hats to be more of a workhorse CRM, as it’s not as customizable visually as HoneyBook.

Rock Paper Coin: If you’d like a simpler alternative to HoneyBook, Rock Paper Coin is a great option! You can still handle client info, file sharing, invoices, and contracts. However, you won’t get some of the more robust features. They also offer white glove setup to every new user and my link comes with – I’m not kidding – a free year! 

Overall, HoneyBook is a great option for Stationery Designers, even if it’s not the only option! I encourage you to try it out, watch some of our HoneyBook videos on YouTube, and see what the right fit is for you. Of course, if you do go with HoneyBook, you can get a great discount if you’d be kind enough to use my link.