Question 1

How do you get help?

Accepted Answer

I will do everything I can to help, but...

the default support will be the incredible help system built into the software.

I have also been using ChatGPT to help me set things up. It can access the help documentation faster than I can search it myself, and it has literally stepped me through troubleshooting and setup. I recommend you use something similar to make things easier.

Question 2

What actually is Gig Sorter?

Accepted Answer

Gig Sorter is built on a white-labelled version of an established software platform. I pay for access to the underlying platform, rebrand it, configure it, and can provide access at my own price. There are tens of thousands of businesses already using the underlying software, so it is well established and well tested. Most people who resell it bundle in marketing services and charge considerably more. That's not what I'm trying to build. I am really making it available to other businesses so I can afford to run it cheap for indie artists.

Question 3

Do I have to set everything up myself?

Accepted Answer

GIG Sorter is deliberately a self-service product. That's one of the reasons I can keep the price so low. But self-service doesn't mean starting from nothing. I'm pre-building forms, workflows, email sequences and other tools for you. Your job is to customise them for the way you work rather than build an entire CRM from scratch.

Question 4

What comes pre-built?

Accepted Answer

You’re not starting with an empty CRM and trying to figure out what to build. GIG Sorter comes pre-loaded with tools and workflows designed around the way gig-based businesses actually work. This includes things like: - A booking enquiry form - Automatic responses to new enquiries - Booking follow-up sequences - Welcome and nurture email sequences - Mailing list sign-up workflows - Booking confirmation workflows - Payment workflow options, including deposits and balances - A booking details form to collect the information you need before the gig - Post-gig follow-up - Starter Booking Terms & Conditions that you can customise for your business Everything is designed as a starting point. You can use it as-is, change it to suit the way you work, or turn off anything you don’t need. The aim is to give you a working system, not another piece of software you have to build from scratch.

Question 5

I'm not very good with technology. Is this going to be too complicated?

Accepted Answer

There is a lot the system can do. That doesn't mean you need to use all of it. Start with the basics: your contacts, your enquiries, your bookings and your emails. (In fact we can disable anything you don't need) Once you're comfortable with those, you can explore everything else when you're ready.

Question 6

What about email marketing?

Accepted Answer

Email marketing is included with every plan. Standard Plan — $79/month Includes 25,000 email sends per month. Indie Artist Reduced Plan — $29/month (once Founding 50 spots are filled) Includes 10,000 email sends per month. Indie Artist Founding 50 — $20/month Includes 10,000 email sends per month. If you exceed your included allowance, additional sending costs 10 cents per 100 emails sent . This is a usage charge from the underlying system rather than an additional Gig Sorter subscription fee.

Question 7

What if I only want the basic stuff?

Accepted Answer

Then only use the basic stuff. If all you want is somewhere to manage your contacts, enquiries, bookings and email list, start there. Most people start out having never used a system like this. You will get better and better at it, the more you use it. GIG Sorter is here to grow with you.

Question 8

Are there any additional usage charges?

Accepted Answer

For normal use, most people should have everything they need within their monthly subscription. There are some optional features within the underlying platform that carry additional usage charges. These can include: - Email sends above your included monthly allowance - Email address validation - Phone numbers, SMS and calling - Premium workflow actions and triggers - Some AI features - WhatsApp and other optional paid services These features are not something I’m trying to make money from. Where the underlying system charges for additional usage, that cost will be passed on to you. Where possible, optional paid features will be clearly identified before you use them. No surprises. If something is going to cost extra, I want you to know about it.

Question 9

What if I set something up wrong?

Accepted Answer

You probably will at some point. I already have, but it was fixed very easily. Most things can be changed, fixed or turned off. There is extensive help documentation built into the software, and tools like ChatGPT are surprisingly good at walking you through the setup and troubleshooting process. You don't have to be an expert to use this.

Question 10

Who is Gig Sorter built for?

Accepted Answer

I have configured Gig Sorter specifically for people who run gig-based businesses.

Artists. Performers. Creatives. Freelancers. Event and Festival operators. Dance, Singing or Acting teachers. Basically, people whose businesses revolve around enquiries, bookings, gigs, clients and keeping relationships alive.

Question 11

What happens after I sign up?

Accepted Answer

Once your GIG Sorter account is created, you won’t just be dropped into a big piece of software and left to work it out. There will be a Start Here section inside your account that walks you through getting everything ready. You’ll be guided through things like adding your branding, setting up your user details and team members, connecting your email and calendar, importing your contacts, and customising the pre-built tools and workflows for your business. There will also be help articles and training along the way when you need them. You don’t need to set everything up at once. Follow the Start Here guide, get the essentials working, and start using GIG Sorter. You can build on it as you go.

Question 12

But what if I've never used a CRM before?

Accepted Answer

That's okay. GIG Sorter is being built for people who have gigs to manage, not people who know how to use CRMs. Your account comes with a Start Here guide that walks you through the important setup steps, and many of the things you'll need are already pre-built. You don't need to learn the whole system before you start using it.

Question 13

I already have contacts everywhere. Do I have to start again?

Accepted Answer

No. You can import your existing contacts and start bringing everything into one place. If you've currently got contacts in spreadsheets, email marketing software or another CRM, you don't need to rebuild your database one person at a time.

Question 14

What constitutes an Indie Artist? How do I know if I’m eligible?

Accepted Answer

The Indie Artist Reduced Plan is for individual artists, performers, creatives and small independent creative operators who are primarily running and managing their own work.

You’re likely eligible if you are a sole trader, freelancer, independent artist, small creative partnership or artist-led business without the resources or infrastructure of a larger commercial organisation.

You do not need to be a registered not-for-profit.

If you are a larger company, event business, festival operator, agency, venue or organisation with staff and established commercial operations, the Standard Plan is likely the right fit.

If you’re not sure, just ask via [email protected]. I’d rather make the Indie Artist rate available to someone it was genuinely designed for than create a complicated eligibility test.

Question 15

Why is there an Indie Artist price?

Accepted Answer

Because I'm doing the one thing I have repeatedly wished someone would do for me:

Give indie creators a break.

As sole traders and independent operators with what is legally a "for profit" business, we're often not eligible for the discounts available to not-for-profits and community groups, even though we're running on tighter budgets than most of them.

So Gig Sorter has a Standard Price and an Indie Artist Reduced Price.

Question 16

How can the Indie Artist price be so low?

Accepted Answer

I'm playing a volume game for artists. Rather than each of us paying high prices individually, we can use the system to our collective advantage. Enough users means I can keep the price low for everyone. Your price isn't going to increase just because your business becomes more successful. It's a risk for me, but I'm treating this as my service back to a community I love. Join now and let's be a community of artists taking control.

Question 17

Who runs GIG Sorter?

Accepted Answer

Paul Adams is a director, producer and award-winning actor based in Brisbane, Australia, with more than 20 years' experience in the performing arts.

He is also an indie performing artist.

And he's sick of indie artists never having anything fall their way.

That's a big part of why GIG Sorter exists.

The Business Side of

Your Creative Life

SORTED!

Everything to sort the business behind your creative work.

In one place.

Contacts & Gigs

Email and Marketing

Smart Automations

Website and Business Tools

See the Software

Built by a working creative,

For working creatives

Good Systems Free Your Mind

To Be Creative

GIG Sorter

by an artist, for artists

Founding Artist Access