You're listening to Elevated, the snackable weekly podcast helping kitchen and bath designers build a better business. I'm your host, Brandy Lawson, and in this episode, I'm shining some light on a problem every business owner has, but few actively understand. Choosing software. Do you experience a periodic nagging feeling that maybe your business could be running better? But the thought of figuring out how and what systems and software might help makes you, mmm, want to camp on your couch with a bottle of wine in the new season of Bridgerton? Yeah, I get it. Between managing projects, making clients happy, keeping up on trends and new materials, and designing beautiful spaces, who's got time to figure out what software could make life easier? Plus, every time you open Instagram, there's another ad for some AI thing that promises to revolutionize your business. At this point, you might be thinking, Great, another thing I should be doing but don't have time for. Here's what I hear from other business owners. I know my current setup isn't great, but at least I know how it works. The thought of figuring out what to change and how to change it makes me want to stick hot needles in my eyes. And honestly, I totally get why you feel that way. But let's talk about what I see happening in firms like yours. You're juggling 15 different projects, each with their own timeline. Each client acting like they're your only client. And your inbox is exploding with spec changes. Your desktop is a maze of folders, binders, and sticky notes. And somewhere in there is that final rendering that That you swear you saved, but now can't find. And the worst part? You're pretty sure there's a better way, but who's got time to figure that out? It's like knowing your pantry's a disaster and you need to organize it, but you're really too busy trying to put food on the table to fix it. Here's the thing. You're probably already doing things the hard way. Like Amy, who is manually copying pasting specs into every proposal. Until she discovered there's software that can do that automatically. Or Mike, who didn't realize his team was spending an extra seven hours a week hunting down client feedback in their email threads. And then there's Kate, who discovered she could automate her client follow ups instead of working late, sending emails, trying to close deals. You might think of it like designing a kitchen. You wouldn't expect your clients to know about all the innovative new storage solutions or appliance options. That's why they come to you. They might walk in thinking they need more storage space when what they really need is a better kitchen layout and cabinet function. You help them discover possibilities they didn't even know existed. That's exactly what is possible with software. I'm not here to overwhelm you with tech jargon or force you to sit through boring demos. Instead, my purpose here is to help you discover what's possible and then show you how to figure out if it's right for your business. The best part? You do not need to be software savvy. You don't need me to understand the cloud, or the blockchain, or whatever buzzword is trending this week. You just need to know your business. And you've already got that covered. Let me share a secret that can transform how you think about software. Stop thinking about features. Start thinking about frustrations. One of our clients had spent months researching project management software because she thought that's what she needed. And she did! But it turns out the biggest issue wasn't project management. It was the fact that her team was spending hours every week answering the same client questions over and over. Once we identified the root problem, the solution became crystal clear. And while we did leverage the project management system to help fix it, that solution wasn't listed as a feature for the software. Over the next few episodes, I'm going to walk you through the exact process I use with my clients to help them finally understand what software could do for their business. Stop wasting money on tools they don't need. And most importantly, make their business run smoother without adding more work. I put together a worksheet to help you more easily evaluate what software could be making your life easier. Even if you're not yet actively evaluating an app or software, this can help you get clear about what's standing in the way of your business growth. Grab it at fieryeffects. com slash choose. In the next episode, we're going to talk about the real cost of avoiding software decisions. Spoiler alert, it's probably costing you way more than you think to keep doing things the way you're doing them now. Ready to stop doing things the hard way? Head over to fieryfx. com slash choose and grab that worksheet. Let's make this way less scary than you think it needs to be.