Starting out on the right foot
Boudoir and women’s portrait photographer Molly Marie has been using ShootQ since she launched her professional photography business seven years ago. “I was looking for something to keep track of all my clients,” she recalls. “When first starting, it’s easy, but then you grow and it gets a lot harder. I am always trying to save time and stay organized, so I can grow in other areas.”
Molly Marie started her business while she was still in college, with “literally .80 cents” in her bank account. But now, she is running it full-time with an employee on staff. “People are afraid to do full-time, but I am a risk-taker,” said Molly Marie. “If you want it badly enough and educate yourself, you can totally do it.”
ShootQ gave Molly Marie the tools she needed to seamlessly manage her photography business, so she could focus on growing it. “I’m careful about how I spend business money,” she said. “I would have had to hire a studio manager a lot sooner without ShootQ.”
The road to ShootQ
“When I first started looking for studio management software, someone told me about a free solution,” recalls Molly Marie. “But it was too confusing and didn’t have all features I wanted. I didn’t like it. ShootQ had everything I needed and more. I use it from start to finish.”
Molly Marie had no trouble getting ShootQ up and running. “I loved the training videos!” said Molly Marie. “I would have been overwhelmed without them, but oh my gosh, they made it really easy to get started.”
In addition to educational videos, live webinars and an online knowledgebase, ShootQ now offers free one-on-one Setup Assistance to ensure new members get up and running successfully and maximize everything ShootQ has to offer.
Smooth operations lead to more new business
Molly Marie uses ShootQ throughout her business, from managing clients, employing automated communications and implementing workflows to facilitating questionnaires, scheduling bookings and processing payments. “I like that no matter what type of work or photography you do, ShootQ is really useful and has every feature imaginable,” she said. “I really love it!”
In addition, Molly Marie has found a lot of success with ShootQ’s lead management and tracking tools. “I really like this feature,” she said. “It really helps determine where leads come from and shows them in a nice graph. I can also export them into email, too, which is awesome. I never stop marketing to leads. We mark our leads, so when someone doesn’t respond in a certain amount of time, they receive an auto-generated email with an added incentive to book.”
When Molly Marie found her niche in boudoir, ShootQ was a vital tool in marketing to her past bridal clients. “The database I had in ShootQ helped me market a new genre.”
Collaboration in the office and on the go
Molly Marie’s business has grown so much, she had to hire a full-time studio manager. “I love that I can make her own login, so she doesn’t have to use mine,” she said. “She can see what I want her to see and not what I don’t want her to see (e.g., financials), which is really cool.”
ShootQ’s cloud-based software-as-a-service delivery model has also been very beneficial for Molly Marie. “SaaS is one of the perks of ShootQ,” she said. “I am always on the go, and I really like that I can check my ShootQ account on my phone when I am in meetings or at a shoot.”
ShootQ’s impact on growth
One of ShootQ’s biggest benefits is the time it saves its members on a daily basis. That time is invaluable, whether its users are thriving professionals or just beginning to build their businesses. “I was able to grow my business a lot faster with ShootQ than without it,” says Molly Marie. “I never would have thought to market to leads. I never would have been able to go back and find them.”
“ShootQ allowed me to grow and excel in other areas of my business,” said Molly Marie. “When you see that you are doing everything good, but not one thing fantastic, it’s the time to hire an employee or get ShootQ.”
“My new studio manager just started a few months ago, when I was out of the country,” said Molly Marie. “She picked up ShootQ without a lot of questions, so it must be easy to use.”
Sharing the love
Molly Marie does not hesitate to share her love of ShootQ. “Oh yeah, I tell photographers about it,” she said. “If they are just starting out with their business, I am an open book. I give them my top tools and ShootQ is definitely one of them. I can’t imagine my business without ShootQ. I don’t know what I would do!”
MOLLY MARIE
mollymariephoto.com
boudieshorts.com
Specialty: Boudoir and Women’s Portraits
Location: Eau Claire, WI
Challenge(s): Managing business processes and leads, and marketing and growing business
Solution: ShootQ
Result: Automated communications, marketing to all leads and growing business much faster
Former Solution: Excel spreadsheets
“I can’t imagine my photography business without ShootQ. I don’t know what I would do!”
Molly Marie