CRM Optimization: How a System Refresh Can Streamline Your Business
Running a business comes with enough moving parts and you don’t need your CRM to be one of them. If you’ve ever felt like managing your leads, client bookings, or follow-ups takes way longer than it should, chances are you’re due for some CRM optimization! And that’s where a System Refresh comes in.
Think of it as an overhaul for your CRM (Honeybook or Dubsado) designed to bring back efficiency, clarity, and ease to your client process.
In this blog post, I’m answering some of the most common questions I get about a System Refresh, including what it is, who it’s for (and who it’s not), and whether it’s the right next step for your business.
What Is a System Refresh and Who Is It For?
A System Refresh is a done-for-you overhaul of your CRM (Honeybook or Dubsado) for the busy business owner who knows your CRM’s lack of organization is holding you back. You crave more efficiency and for following up with leads, booking clients, and offboarding clients to feel quick + easy. If your tasks in your CRM are taking you longer than 5-10 minutes, it’s probably time for a refresh and CRM optimization!
The best time to refresh your CRM is likely 1-3 years into your business, when you have nailed down your offers and you’re ready to systemize your process with automations. Rinse and repeat is the goal!
Of course you can get support with your CRM anytime, but I’ve found when you’re ready to maximize your productivity by leveraging automations, it’s most helpful to have a clear process that can be followed time and time again.
If you’re still in the season of solidifying your process, a smaller project like focusing on 1 workflow or a strategy call to map out your process, could be a better fit.
What a System Refresh Is NOT and Who It’s Not For
A System Refresh is not the same as a setup (although I help with set-ups too). A Refresh is for the business owner who has been working in their CRM for some time now, but knows they aren’t using all the features or making the most of their CRM.
If you are a brand-new business owner looking to set up your CRM for the first time, this typically requires more time to figure out and build your process. At that time, I recommend that you be more hands-on in your CRM experimentation and try different approaches to determine what works best for you and your client.
There are too many changes happening in your business in the beginning. This is just my personal opinion, but I don’t recommend investing in a higher-ticket systems project if you are still changing your offers or figuring out what your clients need. The last thing I want is for you to have to scrap everything you've invested in because you change your offer or process.
System Refresh FAQs
1 | What’s the difference between a Systems Refresh and a System Setup?
A CRM Setup Project is ideal when you are new to business or new to your platform (such as after signing up for Honeybook or Dubsado). When setting up your CRM for the first time, I recommend starting with fewer automations.
I help you set up all your email templates, proposals, files, schedulers, branding, and more in your CRM, ensuring you have everything you need. I am providing a training call and Slack support to ensure you are familiar with the setup and ready to manage the day-to-day tasks of client projects in your CRM.
A CRM System Refresh is for when you’ve been using your CRM for a while and you have a good idea of what your process is for booking clients + managing projects, but you know you aren’t maximizing your CRM features.
You are ready for the rinse and repeat stage of managing clients and want to leverage automations and all the features your CRM has to offer so you can spend less time managing the day-to-day tasks in your CRM. We also clean up a lot behind the scenes – getting rid of all those “copy of proposal” and “copy of copy of proposal” templates – so you aren’t overwhelmed and searching through the clutter for what you need.
2 | Do you create emails + files that I haven’t made yet?
Yes! In your onboarding questionnaire, I ask you for your preference. I can provide you with a list of emails and files needed to create (if you prefer to write everything yourself). Alternatively, I can draft everything and submit it to you for edits/approval, or I can create everything for you, and you can make changes as needed after the project is complete.
3 | How many automations do you build?
I don’t set a specific number of automated workflows because the number varies for each client. However, I generally create automated workflows necessary for your inquiry, onboarding, and offboarding processes for your primary offerings.
If you have mini offers or one-off offers that you want to automate (e.g., quarterly paid workshops, Christmas mini family photo sessions), we can add those to your project for an additional fee.
4 | When is the best time to refresh my CRM?
Anytime really! But some key indicators you might be ready for a refresh are:
✔️ You are manually sending all client communication for booking + onboarding clients
✔️ You aren’t using your CRM scheduler, invoices, or automations
✔️ You have solidified your offers and know your process, but you are still handling most of it manually
✔️ You have maxed out your work hours + can’t take on any more clients. You want to spend less time on administrative tasks to create space to continue growing your business.
✔️ You are thinking about hiring a VA because you are overwhelmed and out of time. I say don’t hire a VA until you have leveraged automations and have a straightforward process in place to invite a team member.
Really, if your CRM is causing you to feel overwhelmed every time you open it or you know you aren’t using it well, and you don’t have the time to implement all the features yourself fully, it’s probably a good time for a refresh!
5 | Do I have to have my workflows/client journey established already?
As I’ve said before, it definitely helps to have a solid understanding of your process. If you’re investing in having someone set up your automations, it helps to know that your process will be consistent. However, you don’t need a detailed, mapped-out document to outline your process. I ask questions and gather the required information from you, and I build a visual map of your process for you! As long as you have the ideas and you can articulate your process to me, you’re good!
6 | How much do I have to be involved in the project?
That is up to you! You can be as involved or hands-off as you’d like. I have some questions in my onboarding questionnaire about how often you’d like to receive project updates, what aspects you'd like to review or provide input on along the way, what you'd like to create versus what you'd like me to create, and more.
That being said, it is a time investment. You do have to spend about 2ish hours up front gathering your content, verbally processing your process in a Loom video, and completing the onboarding form at the beginning.
If you want to review + edit the workflow map, canned emails, templates, etc., along the way, then you will need to set aside time at each stage of the project to review + edit.
It is a big undertaking and my goal is to carry the heaviest parts of the load and try to make the process as easy for you as possible, but you are the CEO and will need to be involved in some decision-making + learning how everything works after the refresh.
What Past System Refresh Clients Are Saying:
Want to refresh and optimize your CRM?
For project details, please feel free to CLICK HERE.
Have questions about the refresh before booking? Wondering if it is a good fit for your business? Send me a DM and we can chat!
If you’re new around here, I’m Sarah Latorre – former teacher turned virtual assistant turned online business manager (OBM) + systems strategist. I love helping female business owners with all things behind the scenes in business - from building systems with Honeybook, Dubsado, or ClickUp to creating content workflows and helping execute and get content out into the world.
I also love helping with the operations of the client experience. We strategize together to elevate your client’s experience, ensuring they have the best experience with your brand.