Google Docs and Internet Faxing for Wedding Planners

The average wedding planner spends far more time outside the office than working at a desk. When I first started planning weddings, I carried a binder for each client in my car. Recently, I’ve started using several online tools so that I can access all of my documents, including contracts, from anywhere. The switch has revolutionized my business.

Gmail
Gmail is the most robust of the online email programs. In addition to ample storage space, you can access your email from any computer with an internet connection. You can also store your necessary documents, like sample flower photos or rental equipment lists, in your Gmail account so that you can access everything relating to a client no matter where you are.

Google Docs
Google Docs provides free word processing and spreadsheet tools through your Google account. Encourage your clients to send guest lists, budgets, music lists, and other vital documents through these tools so that you’re always working from the same document and no detail slips through the cracks. This will also save you a lot of frazzled emails and phone calls because your high-maintenance bride will be able to update her guest list at 3 AM without contacting you.

Internet Fax
Vendor contracts are often faxed rather than sent by mail or email. Unfortunately, paper faxes have a way of getting misplaced, or they may be at your office while you’re at a wedding site in desperate need of that document. Subscribing to an internet fax service like eFax solves this problem. You can send and receive faxes through email. If you set them to send to your Gmail account, then you’ll be able to access a contract from anywhere. That could make the difference between a tearful bride and a bride who never knows there was a problem with her flowers on her wedding day.

A wedding planner must pay enormous attention to detail and be intensely organized. Using online tools like email, online docs, and internet faxes will greatly reduce the stress of tracking all of your vital communications, which enables you to handle your clients more efficiently. Most of these tools are free, which will reduce your overhead, too. However, even if you have to pay a small monthly fee for online faxes, the cost is worth the time and stress it will save. That is worth its weight in gold. Since making the switch to online tools, I’ve been able to increase my client list by 10% without working more hours.