The other week, a friend texted asking if I’d seen the chaos about HoneyBook. Apparently, for a few hours, they had a system-wide malfunction where users’ SmartFiles completely up and disappeared. YIKES. It was the weekend and I wasn’t online at all, so I had completely missed the chaos that was happening. I popped into my HoneyBook account and everything was fine, so I went back to enjoying my weekend.

But what if everything had been lost?

Now, this post isn’t specifically about HoneyBook or fueling some existential dread about our favorite platforms losing everything we’ve worked so hard for. This is more about how, if it does happen, you could technically pick things up on another platform fairly quickly because you knew what to do before adding everything in there. While I may talk about HoneyBook, you could (and should) do all of this with any CRM or platforms you use to run your business.

Oh, and if you’ve already set up your CRM, this is still for you 😉

Why you should save your emails and workflows outside of HoneyBook (or any CRM)

Your CRM is a tool — not a source of truth.

It’s great when it’s working, but it’s not immune to glitches. A while back, HoneyBook had a glitch where Smart Files disappeared temporarily for users. They came back after a few hours, but it was a reminder that even the most reliable tools can fail without warning. (And yes, I still love and recommend them!)

And it’s not just a HoneyBook thing. Bench, the bookkeeping platform, shut down without notice at the end of 2024, stopped responding to customers, and then sold to another company a week later — leaving users with zero access to their books unless they agreed to switch to the new platform. I lost years of financial data, including everything I was getting ready for tax season.

The point? If your client experience only lives inside one platform, you’re vulnerable. Whether it’s emails, contracts, proposal content, or your full process — you need a backup. Not just for emergencies, but so you actually own your systems.

Documenting everything outside of your CRM gives you more flexibility and more control. It makes updates easier, transitions smoother, and ensures you’re not scrambling if a platform goes down or your needs change.

Your CRM is where your systems run — not where they should live.

What to do before setting up your CRM

Before you start to get all cozy in your new platform, there are a few things you need to do. Because trying to build your system directly in HoneyBook is like opening an IKEA box and jumping straight into assembly without reading the instructions. You might get the frame up, but you’ll likely end up with extra screws and a wobbly shelf.

Taking time to map things out before setup ensures everything fits together — and nothing important gets left out.

Here’s what to do before setup starts:

Write out all of your client-facing content.

That means your canned emails, contracts, package details, proposal copy, and questionnaire questions (say that five times fast). This not only helps you write more intentionally — it also makes updating your systems way easier later.

Map your client experience from start to finish.

If you’re a visual person, use a tool like Canva Whiteboard (my new go-to), Whimsical, or Miro. If you like to write things out when you map it out, go with a simple Google Doc to lay out the key steps in your onboarding and offboarding process. Think through what your clients need, when they need it, and what you want to automate or handle manually.

Clarify what happens behind the scenes.

Make notes about when you want reminders, where you’re checking off tasks, and how you’re tracking progress internally. Even if you’re a team of one, your backend needs structure too.

Doing all of this outside of your CRM first gives you a clear plan — so setup is less chaotic, and your system actually fits how you work.

How to organize your canned emails, proposals, and process documents

Once you’ve written and mapped everything out, the next step is organizing it in a way that makes it easy to find, update, and actually use. You don’t need a thousand subfolders or a complicated naming system — just enough structure to keep things streamlined. Here’s what I recommend:

Use shortcodes to name your canned emails

Instead of naming every email by its full subject line, use shortcodes to keep things scannable and so they can group together by topic. I like to organize them by service name, or just use numbers for more general emails.

• Service-based example: Framework 01. Onboarding, Framework 02a. Prep Reminder 1
• Generic/inquiry example: 01a. Inquiry – Good Fit, 01b. Inquiry – Bad Fit, 02a. Proposal Delivery

Using numbers for the inquiry and certain reminder emails keeps them sorted to the top of your list — helpful when you’re referencing them across multiple service types. And because those are the ones you tend to update or add to the least, so no need to do crazy renumbering!

Keep your folder system simple and service-based

Rather than creating separate folders for every single step of your process, organize content by service and keep it at a higher level. For example:

• The Framework
  • Canned Emails
  • Contracts
  • Proposals
  • Questionnaires

This approach gives you a clean, repeatable system that’s easy to maintain and scale. If you ever need to update something, you’re not clicking through a maze of subfolders — everything’s right where you expect it.

What to do if you’re ready for a custom HoneyBook setup

If you’re staring down a messy CRM, a bunch of half-finished templates, or a process that’s mostly in your head — it might be time to get some real structure in place.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or trying to clean up what’s already there, a custom HoneyBook setup can give you a clearer process, save you time, and help your business feel a whole lot more put together behind the scenes.

If you’re ready to get it all out of your head and into a system that actually works for you, The Framework is where we map it all out and build it out — clean, custom, and aligned with how you work.

And if you’re looking for more long-term support to keep it all running? The Suite gives you ongoing systems management, monthly maintenance, and a built-in Studio Manager, so you can stay focused on your work and stop worrying about the backend.