How Accelo Changed Our Business

Accelo - A system to boost productivity and profitability across your service business.‍

The Initial Challenge

Before Accelo, our team faced several challenges typical of any growing content creation studio. Project management was scattered across multiple tools, client communication was fragmented, and resource allocation was often inefficient. We needed a solution that could streamline our operations and allow us to focus more on our creative endeavors. Most of our workflow required us to be using multiple tools to manage our day-to-day tasks and operations. Some of those tools were able to (sort of) speak to each other -- while most had zero integration options at all. What this created was a number of redundant tasks such as creating multiple jobs in different systems that required you to update them both individually with the same updates. Since switching our systems over to Accelo we’ve managed to streamline all of our business processes and save a ton of time by having everything in one place.

Discovering Accelo

When we discovered Accelo, we were immediately impressed by its comprehensive project management capabilities tailored for professional services. After a thorough evaluation, we took the plunge, and it’s been a game-changer for our business ever since.

Centralized Project Management

Accelo’s centralized platform allows us to manage all our projects in one place. Whether it's a photoshoot, or a lengthly video production for a local business , every project is tracked meticulously. This centralized approach has eliminated the confusion of managing multiple spreadsheets and tools, allowing our team to stay organized and efficient.

Integrations‍

Accelo offers a long list of available integrations. A few of our favorites so far are the Google email and calendar integrations, as well as the Quickbooks Online integration.

Using the Google integration we can send and receive emails to our inboxes and have the message land in our Accelo account. This helps us keep track of who sent what emails, and what clients have responded. This saves us a ton of time since we can click in the “stream” module and see exactly who is doing what, and who has replied to messages. This keeps us on track and allows us to focus on the work we do best.

The integration with Quickbooks Online has been super helpful now that we can have invoices created in Accelo and pushed over to Quickbooks Online automatically without us needing to do anything. It will even post paid invoice information once a payment has been made on an invoice.

Efficient Resource Allocation

One of the standout features of Accelo is its resource allocation capability. As a studio that juggles numerous projects simultaneously, ensuring that our photographers, videographers, and editors are optimally utilized is crucial. Accelo helps us schedule our team members based on their availability and project needs, ensuring that no one is overburdened and that every project gets the attention it deserves.

Enhanced Client Communication

Communication is key in our industry, and Accelo’s client portal feature has transformed how we interact with our clients. Clients can log in to view project updates, provide feedback, and access deliverables at their convenience. This transparency not only builds trust but also keeps clients engaged throughout the project lifecycle, enhancing their overall experience with Visual Creative Co.

Automated Workflow

The automation features in Accelo have significantly reduced our administrative workload. Routine tasks such as sending invoices, following up on client approvals, and scheduling meetings are automated. This has freed up valuable time for our team to focus on the creative aspects of content creation, leading to higher quality outputs and more innovative solutions.

Comprehensive Time Tracking

Previously, we spent a lot of time creating jobs in our billing system, then creating them again in our task management system, and lastly in our time tracking system. Accelo’s time tracking feature is vital tool for our studio. It allows us to monitor how much time is spent on each project and task. This data is invaluable for analyzing productivity, identifying bottlenecks, and making informed decisions about future projects. Accurate time tracking also ensures that our billing reflects the actual effort invested, which is crucial for maintaining profitability.

Financial Management

Managing finances in a growing studio can be challenging, but Accelo simplifies this with its integrated financial tracking. We can generate detailed reports on project costs, profits, and overall financial health. These insights help us stay on budget and make strategic financial decisions that drive our business forward.

Scalability

As our studio has grown, Accelo has scaled with us. Whether we’re taking on more significant projects or expanding our team, Accelo’s flexible platform adapts to our changing needs. This scalability ensures continuity and efficiency, regardless of our growth pace.

Improved Collaboration

Collaboration is at the heart of what we do, and Accelo fosters this seamlessly. Features like shared calendars, task assignments, and collaborative project spaces ensure that everyone is on the same page. This cohesion is crucial for delivering high-quality creative photography and video production consistently.

Data-Driven Insights

With Accelo’s robust reporting capabilities, we can generate insights into our operations that are both deep and actionable. These insights help us understand trends, measure performance, and identify areas for improvement. Being data-driven allows us to refine our processes continuously, ensuring we remain at the cutting edge of the content creation industry.

Client Satisfaction

Ultimately, our goal is to enhance client satisfaction. By using Accelo, we deliver projects on time, maintain high-quality standards, and provide a transparent and engaging client experience. Happy clients lead to repeat business and positive referrals, driving our growth and solidifying our reputation as the best in Howell, Michigan.

Conclusion

Accelo has been a transformative tool for Visual Creative Co., enabling us to streamline our operations, improve our efficiency, and enhance our service delivery. For content creators and marketing agencies looking to optimize their operations, integrating Accelo could be the key to unlocking greater efficiency and client satisfaction. It’s a step towards a more organized, productive, and successful business.

Since starting out with Accelo we saw immediate results and were really surprised by other features we didn’t even know could be automated. It’s allowed us to be more efficient, provide better communication, and stay on top of what’s next no matter how big or small a project might be.

If you’re looking for a better solution to your business and you haven’t been able to find the right option. I would strongly suggest looking into Accelo and seeing if it’s right for your business. At Visual Creative Co., we’re more focused, more productive, and more creative than ever, thanks to Accelo.