As a small business owner, it is likely you’ll be familiar with wearing all the hats and spinning all the plates. Most small businesses can’t afford to spend money on another head to take some of these jobs off their hands. As a result, you’re left in charge of all areas of your business (sales, product development, marketing, accounts, etc etc) and firefighting because there is never enough time.
When I started my first “tech” business it was just me and my sister. I put tech in inverted commas because when we launched, although the website looked pretty “techy” from a user’s perspective, there was a LOT of manual processes going on behind the scenes by my sister and I. We were spinning all the plates and desperately not trying to drop any of them. I dreamed of developing a more advanced tech stack (the set of technologies used to develop an application) to take some of the load off but always thought it would cost too much to build and not something we could even consider.
I had this mindset until I read an article which in short said, “if your business stops when you stop, you don’t own a business, you are the business”. With all the manual processes we were doing behind the scenes, my business business definitely stopped the moment I stopped. This had to change.
I started by looking at what processes were vital to the function of my business. The key ones were all mostly administrative tasks such as creating documents, sending emails and invoicing etc. These jobs were taking up a significant chunk of time each day and HAD to be done for my business to provide its service.
Do administrative tasks taking up all your time sound familiar? What if I told you I found a way to automate these tasks, increase productivity and boost overall efficiency in a VERY cost effective way. Incorporating automations into your business processes is much more feasible than you might think. Especially if you use Google Workspace to run your business!
In this blog, we will explore the numerous benefits that small business owners can reap by implementing automation technology.
Let’s go!
Manual tasks, such as data entry, creating documents from a template, invoicing and cold emailing, can be tedious and prone to errors. By automating these processes, you free up time for you (and your team) to focus on higher value activities. Using a computer programmed to carry out these administrative tasks is significantly cheaper than freeing up your time by paying for an additional head to do them for you.
Automating processes allow small business owners to streamline their tasks, enabling faster and more efficient processes. With automation, you can eliminate unnecessary manual steps, reduce paperwork and accelerate the overall workflow. This newfound efficiency can lead to quicker response times, improved customer experiences and increased customer satisfaction.
Manual processes leave room for errors, potentially leading to costly mistakes. Automating your processes helps maintain accuracy and ensures the output of your processes is consistent, free of mistakes. Say goodbye to the dreaded feeling of addressing a cold email to the wrong person; a computer won’t make this kind of mistake!
As your small business evolves and grows, so will the volume (and potentially the complexity) of administrative tasks. Manual processes may become overwhelming and prevent growth. By embracing automation early on, you can future-proof your business processes to cope with volume and seamlessly scale your business without fear of being overwhelmed by administrative burdens.
By automating your business processes, you gain a competitive edge over other business owners who have not adopted automations. They give you more time to stay ahead of the curve by focusing on innovation, improving customer satisfaction and exploring new growth opportunities. By saving time, reducing costs, and increasing efficiency, you position your business as agile, adaptable and ready to seize emerging opportunities.
The benefits extend beyond time and cost savings. They encompass improved accuracy, scalability and a distinct competitive advantage. For small business owners, automating manual processes is a game-changer. It is never too early to start thinking about incorporating them into your business. In fact, it is best to start building your systems with automations in mind!
Embrace cost effective automations. They will empower you (and your team), helping to keep your business lean and devote more time/resources to what truly matters: growing your business and nurturing customer relationships. With the right automation tools in place, your small business can flourish and operate at its full potential.
To give you an idea of how cost effective these automations are, I have written a guide which steps you through the process of creating your own invoice automation. Tired of manually creating customer invoices from a Google Doc or Word Doc template and don’t want to pay for expensive accountancy software? This guide has you covered. Download it here.
If you have any questions about automating your business processes, drop me an email at lawrenc@thesmallbusinesstoolbox.co.uk. I am always happy to talk!
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