Case study
Creative Concepts by Jeff
A custom website and CRM that brings proposals, contracts, financial reporting, client activity, scheduling and production into one connected system.
The website at jeffalencastre.com connects to the custom CRM, which runs at a separate URL.
ServicesCRM and client management·Workflow automation·Custom website
“808 360 didn't just build me an app; they helped me create a much more efficient way of running my business.”
At a glance
- screens
- ~40
- backend modules
- 35
- active clients it can manage
- 10,000+
01
The problems the business faced
The business ran on Excel spreadsheets and Word documents, with email holding much of the surrounding communication. Proposals, contracts, pricing, payments and production details lived in separate places. Each revision required manual financial calculations, creating opportunities for inconsistent totals, outdated documents and missed details.
Complex billing added to the workload. Clients, venues and coordinators could each be responsible for different charges, discounts and package allowances. Keeping those amounts accurate across multiple proposals, invoices and payment records required careful reconciliation.
The owner desired a single snapshot view of the business. This meant, understanding outstanding payments, proposal activity, booking performance and upcoming production needs which previously meant checking multiple files and inboxes. Following up on inquiries and expired proposals depended on manual tracking, leading to missed sales opportunities.
Growth made these challenges more significant. All of the knowledge needed to run an event lived with the owner, making it difficult to delegate work or train new employees without ongoing guidance. More events, staff and venue partnerships meant more documents to maintain, more information to input, and more opportunities for errors.
The business needed a connected system that could make daily work more reliable, give employees clear access to the information they needed and support growth without requiring the owner to personally manage every detail, while ensuring a viable plan for growth and sustainability.
02
What was created
A custom CRM built around the business's existing sales processes and workflow, live at the business's own domain, with approximately 40 screens supported by 35 backend modules, capable of managing 10,000+ active clients. It brings proposals, contracts, financial reporting, client activity, scheduling and production into one connected system.
1. Proposals, contracts and invoices
One event record creates three billing versions. Items are entered once. The application automatically prepares Client, Venue and Coordinator versions, showing each party only the charges they are responsible for. It accounts for applicable tax treatment, trade discounts, package allowances and upgrades.
Live links replace emailed attachments. Each party receives a dedicated link that reflects the latest updates in real-time, removing the need to resend revised documents. A separate Design Reference link removes names and financial details for portfolio use or to share with new clients.
Clients complete their details and sign online. Clients can review and sign from a phone, tablet or computer. Missing contact information is collected during signing so the completed contract contains the required details. The application records the signer's name, drawn signature, IP address, device information and timestamp, then preserves the signed version and generates a PDF.
Printable documents are available when needed. The business can generate proposals, signed contracts, production pick sheets and public client guides directly from the application.
The business controls its own offerings. Proposal sections, fees, discounts, packages and contract wording are managed through editable settings. Routine changes do not require a developer.
2. Pricing, payments and financial reporting
One calculation system keeps totals consistent. Setup and delivery charges, percentage and flat fees, complimentary items, discounts, package allowances, refunds and taxes are calculated centrally. Event records, invoices, revenue dashboards and reports use the same figures.
Payments are tracked by payer. Retainers, installments, balances and refunds are assigned to the client, venue or coordinator responsible for payment. Each party has its own calculated balance and due dates.
Reports replace manual spreadsheet work. The business can review:
- Outstanding balances and how long payments have been overdue.
- Event revenue and flower costs against profitability targets.
- Tax information prepared for export, on demand.
- Changes made since a contract was signed.
- The history of individual proposal items.
- Lost inquiries and recorded reasons for losing the booking.
- Booking conversion rates and how long clients take to decide.
- Booking performance by venue and coordinator.
Signed pricing is protected. Updated pricing rules apply to unsigned proposals while signed contracts retain their original calculations. Packages and discounts can also have expiration dates, allowing older offers to retire automatically.
3. Inquiries, follow-up and booking progress
Every event has a clear status. Events move from Draft to In Review, Signed, Confirmed and Completed. Unbooked proposals can move through Expired, Lost, or Cancelled. Confirmation happens automatically once the required conditions are met, including a signed contract, retainer or venue approval where applicable.
The business can see how proposals are being used. Activity tracking shows proposal opens, engaged viewing time, contract views, printing, signatures and renewal requests. Activity is grouped into sessions within each event's history, with filtering designed to separate genuine visits from automated email scanners and bots.
Proposal expiration has a complete follow-up process. Proposals display a 30-day review window. After expiration, a branded overlay provides instructions appropriate to the client or venue and allows a renewal request to be sent to the business. Staff can recheck availability and extend the proposal. Proposals that remain expired for another 30 days automatically move to Lost, and inactive links display a welcoming "Let's Reconnect" page.
Inquiries become event records. Website and connected inquiry sources feed directly into an in-app inbox. Inquiries can be managed as draft events and duplicate inquiries can be linked to an existing event, keeping the information together from the beginning.
Internal information stays separate. Staff notes are kept apart from client-facing notes. A staff-only AI helper explains report fields and answers operational questions within the application.
4. Scheduling, employees and event production
Calendars connect to the event record. Consultation and event calendars live inside the application. External calendar feeds, including Google and Calendly feeds, can sync in, and events can be shared through calendar links.
Employees have their own scheduling portal. Employees can view published weekly schedules, receive live updates, submit time-off requests and access personal calendar feeds. The business can manage blackout dates and control access by role. Employees see the information needed only to complete their work, including recipe sheets and design links.
Proposal details carry through to production. The application includes a flower library with vendor pricing, recipes for client specific arrangements, reusable flower collections and color palettes, order forms, pick sheets, repurposing plans and rental tracking. These tools connect to the same event record, helping the team move from an approved design to ordering, preparation and installation without rebuilding the information in separate documents.
03
How it has helped the business
Enter once, use throughout the event. A single line item can now supply information to billing versions, contract totals, production documents, orders, receivables reports and revenue dashboards. This removes much of the repeated entry that previously created mismatches between spreadsheets, Word documents, and order sheets.
More reliable financial information. Totals are calculated consistently, payments are assigned to the correct payer, and signed figures are protected from later pricing-rule changes. Lost and cancelled events are automatically excluded from receivables, keeping outstanding-payment reports focused on active business.
A simpler path from proposal to confirmed booking. Clients can review the proposal, complete missing details, sign and indicate that their retainer has been sent through one link. The business can see that activity in the event record. Once all booking requirements are satisfied, the event confirms automatically and the share link displays the confirmation.
Clearer visibility into sales and follow-up. The owner can see which proposals have been opened, how long booking decisions take, which venues and coordinators generate bookings, what is approaching expiration and which payments are overdue. Information that previously required checking multiple files and emails is now available in one place.
A more consistent client experience. Clients receive branded, current proposals, clear review deadlines, online signing and educational guides. Expired proposals also have a defined path back to the business, making follow-up more consistent.
Connected daily operations. Schedules, vendor pricing, flower orders, pick sheets and event details share the same source of information. Employees have access to the details relevant to their roles, while the owner can manage business rules, templates and offerings through settings.
A stronger foundation for growth. With the business's processes, records and working knowledge together in one system, growth no longer depends on the owner personally passing along every detail. New employees can be trained on an established workflow and given a login with the access their role requires. The business is better prepared to add staff, support new partners and manage more events with a consistent way of working.
Owner's review
“808 360 has completely transformed the way I run my wedding floral business.
As a wedding florist, I love the creative side of my business, but the day-to-day administrative work can easily consume an enormous amount of time. Client intake, proposals, follow-ups, tracking inquiries, keeping up with payments, and managing all the little details behind the scenes can take me away from the part of my business I actually love - designing flowers.
808 360 took the time to understand how my business actually works and created a personalized app specifically for my wedding floral company, Creative Concepts by Jeff. Rather than trying to force my business into a generic system, they built tools around my actual workflow.
The app has streamlined so many processes, including client intake forms, proposal building, follow-ups, client tracking, payment tracking, and overall organization. Tasks that used to take up a huge amount of my day are now much more efficient and manageable.
The biggest benefit for me has been getting my time back. I can spend less time buried in administrative tasks and more time doing what I'm passionate about - creating beautiful floral designs for my couples.
For a small business owner, that is incredibly valuable. 808 360 didn't just build me an app; they helped me create a much more efficient way of running my business.”
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