Learn what an AI-powered future could look like for independent business owners and how HoneyBook will harness this technology to help them improve their business outcomes.
The age of artificial intelligence, or AI, has arrived and it’s poised to change how we live, work, and create in more ways than we know.
This incredible potential has companies big and small asking themselves, “How can we leverage AI to make an impact?” We believe embedding AI capabilities into the clientflow will bring immense benefits to independent businesses.
Today we introduced several new AI features that are integrated into the HoneyBook platform. But it doesn’t end there, this technology is now a critical component of how we evolve the product going forward. At each turn, we’ll consider how AI can be leveraged to bring more value.
We envision a future where every committed person can build a business doing what they love, on their own terms. At the heart of this mission is a commitment to empowering independent businesses with the tools they need to be successful and AI will help us achieve this goal.
AI for independent businesses
We know that many independents are already exploring AI in their businesses. A recent survey of HoneyBook members revealed that 60% use AI multiple times a week and 85% believe it will provide great opportunities to improve how they run their business.
But while adoption is high, only 22% consider themselves quite knowledgeable about AI. This suggests that many have not yet uncovered the full potential this technology offers. Not to mention the opportunities and growth future capabilities could unlock.
With the tools available today, AI can already significantly improve the way you work. Imagine editing images in minutes, not hours, so you can deliver a gallery more quickly. Or using AI to better articulate the value of your services so that you can win more business. AI can help you generate blog ideas when you’re stuck with writer’s block, or rewrite a social media post that just isn’t sounding right. It can help eliminate roadblocks and amplify your output.
That kind of productivity is powerful because there’s nothing more valuable than your time. With less of it spent on routine tasks, you’ll have more for the things that matter most; whether that’s strategizing your next business move, nurturing your client relationships, or spending time with the people you care about. Business owners understand this benefit with 84% saying they believe AI will enable them to spend more time doing what they love.
In the (near) future, AI will partner with you to enhance business performance. It will make recommendations based on your unique business goals and growth trajectory. This could look like advanced insights based on market trends, demand forecasting to predict seasonality, or adaptive pricing recommendations to help you stay competitive in your industry.
AI will change the game by improving your efficiency and accelerating achievement.
It will not, however, replace the trust and connection we derive from relationships. In fact, relationship-based businesses that provide personalized services to clients, like event professionals, consultants, and coaches, will be more important than ever.
AI-powered features to supercharge your clientflow
A lot can be done with AI to support independent businesses. We’re focused on supercharging the clientflow, and we’re starting at the beginning: capturing new business and qualifying leads.
Our research shows that 86% of clients book with the business owner that gets back to them first. Response time is clearly critical to winning new business and improving business outcomes. After all, the more leads you convert the more revenue you stand to make.
Now imagine you knew which of those leads were high-value; the ones that are eager to book or have a large budget or, best of all, both. Wouldn’t you want to ensure you were prioritizing and responding quickest to those leads?
That’s the capability we’re offering with our first two AI-powered HoneyBook features: priority lead notifications and the AI composer. Both leverage the data collected via the HoneyBook contact form to deliver custom business insights and responses.
Priority lead notifications help business owners qualify new leads fast without any extra work. Based on booking history and contact form data, our proprietary AI model scores incoming leads and sends a notification from the mobile app to identify those predicted to be the most valuable.
Equipped with this insight, business owners can prioritize how they engage with those leads to increase their chances of conversion. Priority leads are 30% more likely to turn into a booked client and are 2X more profitable on average than standard leads.
The AI composer helps business owners respond to new clients instantly by generating a unique response that is personalized to their inquiry.
The magic happens when these two features work together. First to identify the most valuable leads and then to generate a professional and personalized response—instantly. By helping to qualify leads and reduce response time, HoneyBook AI will empower business owners to book more high-value clients and increase their revenue.
And that’s not all. We know that simply getting started can be the biggest barrier to successfully using new technology. So we plan to use AI to help new HoneyBook members get set up on the platform.
Our next feature will auto-populate your client experience with your logo, look, visual assets, and content from your website. In a few clicks, your HoneyBook account will seamlessly reflect your unique brand.
The future of AI at HoneyBook
AI is changing our world and independent business owners stand to benefit. At HoneyBook, we’re driven to make it easier to run an independent business and AI will be a powerful partner in realizing this mission. We will leverage this transformative technology to solve challenges and unlock new opportunities.
We will apply AI throughout the clientflow where it brings the most value and develop educational resources that keep business owners up to speed and in control. Responsible development and data usage will be at the forefront of everything we create.
We have only scratched the surface of what is possible at HoneyBook and we are excited to equip independent business owners with even greater AI-powered capabilities.
As always, we welcome and value feedback in this process and look forward to learning from you as we chart this exciting new path together.
