“Automation is cost cutting by tightening the corners and not cutting them.” – Haresh Sippy

There are three main benefits when turning business processes into business automations: 

  1. Save time/win back time
  2. Save money by being more efficient
  3. Save your sanity – ditch the stress!

Business automation is not about cutting corners, it’s about tightening up your business so it runs like a well-oiled machine and you don’t have to do everything.

And you can do this in two ways:

  1. People
  2. Apps, software and programs

Automating your business processes to make it more efficient comes down to knowing where to start. So before you do get started, you need to know what you want to automate – are you looking to automate repetitive tasks or do you want to replace an employee with software – which one comes first? If you’re not clear, the development process may overwhelm you.

What are business processes?

Business processes are defined as a set of steps, tools, people, and/or strategies that all work together to solve a problem or achieve a goal. Source: Productive and Free). They are basically the steps you take to accomplish a task. 

Automating your business processes does take time to set up, I’m not going to lie to you about that, but it will pay off in the long run and I can guarantee that.

Where do I start?

Business automation can be complicated if you’re not clear on the process. Process mapping is necessary before you start. I have set up a number of automations and I’m happy to discuss your next automation project with you.

According to Wikipedia:

“Business process mapping refers to activities involved in defining what a business entity does, who is responsible, to what standard a business process should be completed, and how the success of a business process can be determined.”

What business processes can I automate?

  • Email replies and out-of-office messages
  • Lead generation
  • Social media and blog posting
  • Email newsletters
  • Customer service responses
  • Customer research/surveys 
  • Content research using Google alerts
  • Tracking
  • Event reminders
  • E-Commerce reminders (abandoned cart emails)
  • Customer care tickets
  • Work priorities
  • Invoice reminders
  • Payments to staff and contractors
  • Bill payments
  • Admins duties
  • File backup and transfers
  • Your diary and meetings

And so much more!

Who can help me automate my business?

There are two people who can help you automate your business: A VA and an OBM.

A VA can help make your business more efficient and productive, so you don’t have to worry about doing everything or micromanaging every task.

They will quickly help you set up automations using people or software depending on your needs. They can plan your automations, systems and processes, and then take action on those plans to implement them for you.

An OBM can help you automate your business processes by taking over the management of your business so you can focus on the big picture and become the visionary you’ve always thought you would be. 

OBMs (online business managers) can manage your VAs and team for you, they can oversee the projects you need completed, create SOPs and manuals as well as identifying what improvements, changes and automations may be needed now and in the future as well.

What are top apps for business automation?

It really depends on what you need automated but these are my top 5 favourites for every business owner.

  1.  Acuity Scheduling:  It’s a calendar management tool, accessible 24/7 online where prospects and clients can quickly see my real-time availability and self-book an appointment with me.   
  1. ClickUp: To automate routine tasks for your project and team.
  1. Mailerlite: To create email marketing funnels that trigger to send a series of email sequences when requirements are met.
  1. Google Workspace (formally GSuite): Canned emails (email templates) so I don’t have to write the same email every time I need to schedule and send. HOT TIP: Only send the scheduled emails during office hours otherwise it looks like it was  composed in the middle of the night! I can also filter my emails so I only read emails that need my attention.  
  1. Zapier: To integrate multiple software together to reduce labour work. 

If you need help to automate your business, please get in touch and book a 30-minute Process Mapping Strategy Call so we can work out what you need to know to get started today and win back your precious time.

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