We love working with Katherine and the team at Leone Interior Designs! Over the past few years, we have collaborated with her team in a variety of capacities, including marketing, drafting, and sourcing. So, we were delighted when she recently asked Shayna to join her team as Fractional COO! Working together, they have already had success in streamlining client workflows and saving Katherine valuable time in her day. Learn more about their partnership below!
How It Started
As a business owner and a busy mom of three kids, Katherine was feeling quite overwhelmed when she reached out to us. Clients were loving her fun and colorful interiors (as do we!), but she knew she needed to find a better balance for her business. Her profitability wasn’t reflecting the amount of effort and passion she was pouring into her work. She often found herself working with clients who were hesitant to close, make payment, and sign an agreement before getting started. All of her energy was focused on design concepts, revisions, and communication, as she worked to keep her clients happy – whether they had closed or not.
Katherine also felt like she had no time for her kids. With two young twins and a toddler at home, she knew she needed to make more time to cherish special memories with her family. But amidst the chaos of juggling so many responsibilities, she didn’t know how she could find the time to make that happen.
How It Came Together
When Shayna joined Katherine’s team as Fractional COO, she created a plan to streamline her business foundation first. Shayna helped Katherine strengthen her initial client presentation by implementing a two-part closing call. She recommended jumping on a call with prospective clients as the first step in the closing process, so that Katherine could address concerns and finalize the scope of work before spending any time on proposal creation. Katherine quickly learned how well this strategy works, as she had a $20,000 close on her very next project retainer!
Shayna also proposed a new system to simplify Katherine’s client acquisition process. She connected her with Evelyn Roberts, our Chief Marketing Officer, so that she could integrate Dubsado into her business operations. Dubsado was then used to create automated workflows that are triggered when a prospective client expresses interest in Katherine’s services. This new integration eliminates the need for Katherine to contact leads individually and go back and forth coordinating appointments via email. Instead, the automated workflow now does the work for her.
In addition to one-time foundational efforts, Shayna identified areas of the business where Katherine could save time on a weekly basis as well. She implemented a weekly recurring process that includes support from an administrative assistant to manage retainers and update client agreements. Katherine’s new assistant also sends out weekly summaries with time logs to all of her clients. Not only does this give her clients peace of mind, but it also helps her easily monitor the profitability of her business.
The Experience
Katherine’s experience just goes to show that sometimes all you need is a little tough love and support. Habits can be hard to break, and implementing new systems is not always a seamless process. As her accountability partner, Shayna has helped her face some harsh truths about her business operations. Through consistent meetings with Shayna, Katherine has been able to make the changes she originally envisioned for her business.
With the new two-step closing call in place, jobs are also closing faster. Katherine has been busy working away on the $20,000 project retainer that Shayna helped her close, but her efforts are more focused and efficient now. Family time has become a bigger part of her life again, too. Here’s what she had to say about working with 4Dbiz:
Ready to see what Shayna can do for your business operations? Schedule a demo to learn how we can help you streamline your business and earn back more time in your day!