Studio Management Software?

[CaroleHayes]

I'm sure I'll be starting at least a couple more threads in the near future, while I try to get everything in order.... I really want to have everything in place for when I'm ready to start taking on paying clients!

My question tonight is about studio management software. (I searched the forums, but the only result was from 2005!)

Does anyone here use any?

I've googled and found several, but it's easy to miss stuff by relying on Google alone....

I realize I'm going to have to spend some money on this, but I'd like to keep it as low as possible without compromising on features that I'll need. I'd like it to have:

- contact management
- invoicing
- scheduling (including reminders)
- generate a to-do list for me
- other things that I probably don't know I need until I see them....
- ideally, I'd like to have BOTH a desktop version and an online version
- if there's a monthly fee, I'd like there to also be an option to pay once or, at the VERY least, pay annually

I realize that I could use programs that I already have, but I know myself, and I know that if I have to jump from program to program, I'll either forget an important step, or get frustrated and/or distracted, and be in a bad mood because of it. I don't like being in a bad mood, so I want it all in one place, to keep things simple.


Here's what I've found so far. I have them all open in tabs, to check out: (I'll update this first post as I try each.)

Full Spectrum
$1095 (purchase)

This one looks pretty good, but they aren't offering any new licenses right now! Guess I'll go check out the others some more....

Studio Plus
$395 - $3695 (purchase)

Initial impression: I think I'm in love!

Darn, darn, DARN! There IS a free trial, but they only have a Windows version! I don't want to have to install Windows on my Mac in order to run this, so I guess I'll keep looking. But I think I'm going to use their online proofing system anyway, so at least something good came from this!

ETA: I keep going back to look at this one, even though it won't work on my Mac, unless I install Parallels. I want it badly enough that I'm tempted to do just that!

P.A.T.
$24.95/month - $694.95/One Time Fee

Initial impression: Looks and feels too much like an online version of an Excel Spreadsheet. I'm going to keep looking....

SuccessWare
$49/month (lease) - $1495 (purchase)

I downloaded the trial, and went through the set-up, but it isn't immediately obvious to me how to get started actually USING it. For the money they're asking for it, I want them to hold me by the hand and walk me through exactly what to do every step of the way....


PhotoByte
free

I downloaded the trial, and went through the tutorial, and I just can't make up my mind. On the one hand, it has a LOT of features that I could use but, on the other, it's SO ugly that I don't want to look at it. (It looks like it was designed for HyperCard, if that tells you anything....) Also, it doesn't have an online complement, so it might not work for me anyway....

Tave Studio Manager
$25/month (if there's an annual or one-time option, I haven't found it. I plan to email to find out for sure, and to request one if there isn't already.)

I just signed up for the free trial, and spent a few minutes looking around. I might spend more time later, but my initial impression of it is just kind of "eh." It looks and feels a LOT like GoogleCalendar, and it has a much more "lightweight" feel to it than StudioCloud. That, combined with the lack of a desktop component, and monthly payments stretching out into infinity, is making me want to move on to the next trial....

ETA: After a couple of days of playing with it, this is becoming my favorite of the ones that are actually available to me. It has contracts built into it, and it lets me specify my terms when I post a quote for a particular client. I also LOVE the home page: if a new client calls, I only need to go to the home page, and I can enter all of the important information right there, AND check my availability (for the next 16 MONTHS!) without leaving the home page. I still wish there was a desktop version....

Studio Cloud
$29.95 - $44.95/month (they give a 5% discount if you pay for six months, and a 10% if you pay for a year. They have both on AND offline versions, so I really want to like this one.... They also have online proofing available, so maybe I could kill that bird with this stone as well....)

Just downloaded and installed this one, and I've been playing with it for the last half hour. It's very clean and intuitive, and so far I'm LOVING it!

I still wish they had a one-time purchase price, and I'm not wild about the online proofing system ('though I may learn to like it more..) but so far, this is my favorite! : )

ETA: After a couple of days with this one, I'm less impressed. It's slower than Tave, it doesn't let me specify contract terms when I enter a quote, and it doesn't have contracts. I'll keep exploring it, because the customer service team has been very responsive to my questions, but it's moving down my list....


Just found another one called ProSelect.

I'm downloading the trial now, and I'll update once I've tried it out.

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Does anybody know of anything I've missed???

CaroleHayes added 742 Minutes and 4 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

Anyone...??

[bondarnes]

I have used SuccessWare since 2000 and am fairly well pleased with it. I looked at everything available at that time and chose it partly on the price. I realized that anything cheaper than that would probably not be around for support for very long and in most instances I was right. I bought it and since it does all that I need, I have not upgraded in about four years. I will probably upgrade this year to be able to use it with ProSelect.

I'm not sure what you mean by a desktop and an online version. I have the multi-user version and I can access my server from wherever their is an internet connection. GoTo myPC will also let you do this.

[CaroleHayes]

I don't have a server....

I have a laptop, and Clint has a desktop, and we've never used Go to my PC, but we'll check it out and see if that might work for us. If it will, that opens up more options, so thanks for the tip! : )

[Cajungaltx]

At Texas School - there were LOTS of discussions about Proselect/Successware working to really make a HUGE difference in how studios were ran. Actually - a bunch of people said that they didn't use HALF of what Proselect could do for them.

[CaroleHayes]

I haven't gotten a chance to try out Proselect yet but, at a glance, it looks like it's only for proofing.... Is it also for studio management, or should I take it off my list??

[Cajungaltx]

Carole,
My understanding is that ProSelect works WITH your studio software - but it is a HUGE part of streamlinining the process.

Check out this list of what it does (this is for a workshop for someone that came up, just ignore everything but the 'what you'd learn how to do'):
http://www.jewel-images.com/blog/?page_id=636

StudioCloud works with Proselect as well:
http://blog.studiocloud.com/2008/01/...tegration.html

After the demo that Ron Nichols did at Texas School - I'm so into Proselect, it isn't funny. The reduction in editing/etc was freaking AMAZING!

*grin*

[CaroleHayes]

Thanks!! I'll go check it out right now.... : )

[jasonhuang]

Shootq.com

[CaroleHayes]

Originally Posted by jasonhuang

Shootq.com

How did I miss this one??? I think they need some better search engine optimization on their site, because they didn't show up ANYwhere when I googled "photo studio management software."

Thank you for the link—at first glance, it looks promising! I'll check it out after kiddos are in bed....

Somebody also told me about PhotoOne earlier today, so I need to add both of those to my original post....

Does anyone else know of something that I might be missing??? I really, really don't want to spend $1500 on something and then find out that ther was another one I didn't know about, that I might like better....

[jasonhuang]

No prob! It's great. I've been with shootq for about 4 months now and I can officially say everything I do is online. I take payments, use my calendar, invoice, send packages, everything I need to "run" my business with shootq. It takes a little setting up and getting used to, but once you're up and running, it's smooooooth. The support is great and the community of users are very helpful as well!

check it out, i'm sure you'll find it very useful!

[CaroleHayes]

Jason, I signed up for the 30-day trial of ShootQ, and I'm loving it so far!

I forgot to ask you for your ShootQ username, so they can give you credit for referring me, but if you tell me what it is, one f the customer service guys said he'd try to get it in the system....

[jasonhuang]

thanks! http://web.shootq.com/?r=table4_photography

that's the link they gave me... :-)

[Montage]

carole,
How is the search for the software going?? I'm in the same boat with looking for a software for my studio and I'm needing something that is online b/c i'm out of the office so often. I haven't signed for any free trials. I have a couple of friends that use Successware and they love it but it's not the most intuitive thing to use. i talked to jeff Julia woods and they are experts in successware so of course they spoke very highly recommend it but they said that the interface isn't the most intuitive. It's very powerful but i'm afraid I won't utilize all the features it offers. Studio cloud and shootq look pretty straightforward . how are you liking them?? Let me know your thought??

[CaroleHayes]

I've been using ShootQ, and liking it a lot, for what it does.

I liked StudioCloud, but it was SO slow for me, that I just couldn't use it. (I'm talking about the time it takes to load, from when I click to open, until I can enter info, if I didn't already have the application open. There's no way I could make a new/potential client wait that long to enter contact info, and I don't want to have to write it on paper while I'm waiting for it to load. I mean, really: if I have to do that, what's the point?)

I really would like something to help me track financial stuff as well, but I just don't have the time to learn Successware now, and I haven't gotten Parallels on my Mac yet, so I can't try any of the others.

[Montage]

carole,
so does shoot q do any financials?? I was hoping to have all my financial and studio stuff one software. right now i'm using all different programs to keep things going but i'm hoping to consolidate it into one place.