Written by After spending the entire weekend working in HoneyBook, if I didn’t write this blog post, I would probably question my purpose as a Virtual Tech Assistant.
A while back, HoneyBook approached me about using their platform. I checked it out, but at the time I couldn’t quite see how it would fit into my business.
For the record, I am a bit of a loyalist (not in the British sense, but in the suffix “-ist” sense), so when I find a program I like, I stick with it. Same goes for restaurants, contractors, and most things in my life.
Simply put: I liked the flow I already had set up. Retainer clients were onboarded smoothly, Pay As You Go work was handled through Upwork, and my Flex Support program ran through Paymo and Zoho Desk. I wasn’t changing any of that.
I was going to say, “Thank you, but no thank you”; but then I remembered I had been debating the idea of offering One-Time Services – and this felt like a great platform for that.
So I said, “Sure, why not!”
Let’s Do This!
They set up the account, sent over my login credentials, and everything promptly sat in my to-do folder.
Out of sight. Out of mind.
What? I’m busy!
That’s when the reminder emails started trickling in. HoneyBook offers help getting your account set up by converting your existing emails, forms, contracts, and files into templates so you’re not starting from scratch. The problem, of course, was finding time to gather all of those things so they could do it.
So I ignored the emails.
They didn’t stop (ok their email automation wouldn’t stop).
Eventually, I picked a weekend to make time – and to get them off my back – and sent everything over.
Lesson #1 – TAKE YOUR TIME and SEND IT ALL!
Yes, I’m going to call out lessons throughout this post so you don’t make the same mistakes I did. HoneyBook’s setup assistance works best if you send everything. Even if you think you’re no longer using that form, email, or contract – send it anyway. I rushed and skipped a few items and ended up rebuilding forms myself that could have easily been converted for me.
I received confirmation that everything was ready. Great! I archived the email… and forgot about it.
Until on particular weekend when I finally decided to really dig in.
I decided it was time to truly work inside the platform. I had poked around here and there before, but this time I wanted to understand how everything actually worked together.
I connected my email so messages would come from me instead of the system, added my logo and headers to templates, set up payment gateways, and reviewed the onboarding resources. I also spent time getting familiar with how HoneyBook handles inquiries, files, and client communication.
At that point, I had a solid understanding of what the platform could do – and I was ready to build.
Packages
First, I worked on setting up my packages (basically products), since they act as the starting point for everything else.
Lesson #2 – If you have add-ons or service variations, set them up intentionally.
HoneyBook lets you bundle services, contracts, and payments together in interactive proposals. If you offer add-ons or variations you reuse often, it’s much easier to manage them as separate packages. You can manually add line items when needed, but reusable offers are far easier to manage when they’re predefined.
Once the packages were created, I had to decide how people would reach them – and what would happen after an inquiry and after a purchase.
Lesson #3 – Map out your workflows first.
I initially wasted time trying to build while figuring things out at the same time. Rookie mistake. When I finally grabbed a pen and paper and mapped out the process, everything came together much faster.
Forms
Next up: forms.
Because I rushed the setup earlier, I ended up creating the forms I needed for inquiries. I rebuilt my contact form and embedded it on my site, created a One-Time Services inquiry form, and updated two others so everything now flowed through HoneyBook – my VA Hiring Service form (embedded) and my Flex Support form (linked).
For those of you thinking, “Wait – I thought you were loyal to the programs you were using for Flex Support”… I still am! What changed was where inquiries entered the system. Moving forms into HoneyBook allowed those submissions to kick off workflows and automated responses.
Now, when someone completes a form, they get an immediate confirmation letting them know their request was received and what to expect next. (I know – fancy, right?)
Emails
Once the forms were set up, I moved on to emails.
Looking at my workflows, I knew I needed emails for every point of interaction – the initial response, after information was sent, post-contract, post-payment, and scheduling instructions when needed.
Almost forgot to mention the scheduler.
HoneyBook includes built-in scheduling that syncs with Google Calendar, pulls in availability, places booked appointments on your calendar, and shows reminders directly on the dashboard. It also keeps appointments connected to the client record, which makes staying organized much easier.
With this feature in place, I was able to build workflows all the way through booking.
Lesson #4 – Use what’s built in before adding workarounds.
In most cases, HoneyBook’s scheduling handles what you need without extra tools. Integrations like Zapier can still be helpful in specific situations, but they’re no longer required just to keep calendars aligned.
Products – check.
Forms – check.
Emails – check.
Contracts
On to contracts.
If you can include your contracts during setup, do it. If you don’t, HoneyBook provides templates and examples that are easy to customize. I was able to tailor contracts for my VA Hiring Service and One-Time Services without starting from scratch (and yes – I successfully migrated my Flex Support contract, so I’ll take that win).
Once contracts were ready, I created a brochure for One-Time Services that I could send with one click – either manually after an inquiry or automatically as part of a workflow.
Workflows
With all the pieces in place, I built out my workflows.
Lesson #5 – HoneyBook protects you from yourself. I initially wanted inquiries to automatically trigger invoices or proposals. While I have been able to set up HoneyBook to do this, it still has a security feature it place where a code is sent before someone can access the proposal (this can be disabled).
Instead, workflows can automatically send emails, questionnaires, brochures, or internal tasks – keeping both you and the client informed while still allowing review before money changes hands.
And honestly? That makes sense.
Conclusion
Using HoneyBook, all of my services are now automated through inquiry, communication, scheduling, and invoicing. For me, HoneyBook acts as an intake and client communication hub, while Flex Support continues to run through Zoho Desk where time tracking and ticketing matter most.
Add in invoicing, reporting, and financial visibility (sorry Dubsado and 17Hats) – and yes, I’m sold.
I’m not writing this post because HoneyBook paid me. I’m writing it for the same reason I told the rep who contacted me: I don’t recommend tools until I’ve worked in them. If I like it, I’ll say so. If I don’t, I won’t suggest it – period.
I genuinely enjoyed working in HoneyBook, and I’m excited to see how much my business continues to level up because of it.
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