Collaboration and word of mouth lead to ShootQ
A lifelong photographer with a full-time professional business for more than 10 years, Carla Ten Eyck is part of a very tight-knit photographer community. They are friends, confidants and colleagues, and they often share knowledge and business practices.
A ShootQ user for more than five years, Carla recalls, “It was the only thing at the time. There was so much talk about how to stay organized, how to run your studio, etc. My PUG (Photographer User Group) shared information about ShootQ and discussed it. It’s a very analytical group, so we went through all the pros and cons. Once one of our group members signed up, it picked up like wildfire. It just made sense.”
Making the most of ShootQ’s features
ShootQ offers a variety of features to suit photographers’ business needs. Carla really maximizes her use of Contracts, Leads and Financials for her studio. “They are really, really helpful,” she said. “I have a couple brands setup, and my associates can login to access questionnaires, checkout important stuff, keep on top of their information, etc.”
“I needed a hub to keep everything in one place,” said Carla. “When you find something that is going to do more tasks, that’s just a better thing. ShootQ does so many tasks for us, it’s the logical choice.”
Finding value in software-as-a-service (SaaS) and the cloud
ShootQ’s SaaS delivery model gives its users the flexibility to access it via the cloud, no matter where they are or what they are doing. “SaaS is better than traditional software solutions,” said Carla. “It’s an intuitive thing that works, and we can access it remotely. It’s great, so convenient to have access to everything I need, wherever I am, so I don’t lose business.”
Carla has also found that SaaS helps her “maintain balance.” “I can access the information I need and have it be effortless,” she said.
Saying goodbye to old-school processes
Like many photographers, Carla used to have to write everything down before she implemented ShootQ. “It was super, super old school,” she said. “I had spreadsheets and a lot of software. It was not comforting. I felt like it could all get wiped out at any moment. I can’t imagine working like that now! It seems so antiquated.”
“If anything should happen to my studio, everything is backed up online and accessible via ShootQ,” said Carla. “It gives me one less thing to worry about.”
“ShootQ is just great,” said Carla. “It’s very user friendly. Studio managers aren’t necessarily photographers, so it helps that it is intuitive to navigate.”
Shooting more and working less
One thing everyone can use more of is time. ShootQ automates a lot of processes, saving photographers a lot of time in their day-to-day work. “I’m really fierce about time,” said Carla. “I wanted to consolidate as much time as possible, so I can serve clients, offer great customer service, shoot and not have to go to multiple places to access information. When you add it all up, it’s a life-changing thing for a studio. For me, it means more time for my family and myself.”
Knowledge is power
Like many happy ShootQ users, Carla does share her knowledge and experience. “I do talk about it,” she said. “It takes a little bit of time and effort to setup, but once it is, it is worth the effort. You only have to do it once, and it is so worth it.”
“Some people are overwhelmed at first,” said Carla. “They buy it, but drag their feet in setting it up. I really encourage them to do it, get it going – and once they do, they say, ‘Why did I wait?’”
“I didn’t consider anything else,” said Carla. “There is really no comparison to ShootQ.”
Specialty: Wedding
Location: Hartford, CT
Challenge(s): Staying organized and maximizing time
Solution: ShootQ
Result: Better organization, smooth collaboration and more time to shoot
Former Solution: Super, super old school; everything was written down
“If anything should happen to my studio, everything is backed up online and accessible via ShootQ. It gives me one less thing to worry about.”
Carla Ten Eyck