FACT: Automation can simplify all areas of your business by accomplishing tasks that you or someone else would have to do manually. And it’s done automatically, so you don’t have to think about it.
Why automate your business?
Every business wants to do more with less. Am I right? Well, automating your business makes that possible by using apps and software to perform more work than you can and free up your time so you can work on your business instead of in it, and generate more income (and profit).
Before you go ahead and start automating your business there are 5 things you need to know.
1. Know why you want to automate
This may be a simple question but it has a very powerful answer. Why do you want to automate your business?
The point of automating your business is to become more efficient, while also increasing productivity and revenue. Automation helps to remove errors and streamlines your workflow.
But what’s your reason – have your customers been unhappy lately, is an employee making too many errors, are you spending too much time doing repetitive tasks?
2. Know your processes
If you haven’t done any work on your systems and processes – as in, they are not documented, then you’ll have to start at the very beginning. You can only automate something when you know the actual process.
For example, when someone buys your product or service, how do you take payment and do they get a confirmation email? Do they receive login details or a questionnaire/brief form to get started on the work that needs to be completed, can they book a call with you.
3. The process has to have a definite start and finish
The automation can only work if the process has a definitive start and finish.
For example, knowing the process from start to finish of acquiring a new customer means you can start to automate these tasks.
You can have a payment gateway set up on your website so the payments can be made automatically.
After payment has been made, the customer gets a confirmation email that is sent automatically with a link to a questionnaire that’s been created in Typeform where the answers are emailed to you automatically.
They are then sent the link to your calendar where they can book in for a call with you automatically and a follow-up email sequence to remind them to do the questionnaire before your call. All of these tasks can be automated and save you hours of time (or forgetting to do it at all!).
4. Know the costs of the software needed
Some software is free and others have a cost involved (it could be a one-off cost or a recurring monthly cost).
But when you know the process, you can organise the software needed to automate it.
And in some cases there may be a few pieces of software that are needed.
Let’s keep working with our new customer acquisition example.
- Website: WordPress or Wix
- Payment gateway: Paypal or Stripe
- Email confirmation: May come from your shop app such as WooCommerce, your email platform or your payment gateway depending on how you have it linked and set up.
- Email sequence: Your email automation platform such as Active Campaign or Kajabi
- Questionnaire: WordPress, TypeForm, SurveyMonkey, etc
- Calendar scheduler: Acuity or Calendly
5. Who can set up the software for you?
You may be able to do most of the setting up yourself, but there will be some instances where a developer may be needed or even customer service representatives from the apps or platforms themselves.
You can get a VA to help you implement these tasks and set up business automations for you, and you can have an OBM oversee the project for you too.
Automating your business: What to do now?
If you need help automating your business, please get in touch and book a 30-minute systems strategy call so we can work out what you need to know to get started today and grow your business.
