Technology has made business processes faster, better, and more streamlined than ever before. I'll go out on a limb and say that starting and growing a six-figure business has never been easier at any time in history.
The reason? Social media. Today, social media connects people the world over at the click of a button.
But with all the giant leaps in technology, some businesses still operate like they're in the 1960s. They still follow the traditional method of trying to do everything by themselves and running core processes the crude way.
For your business to survive, let alone compete globally, you need to automate your business processes. There is always something you can automate, streamline, or outsource.
The purpose of being in business is to turn a profit. I used to work at a company where sales were recorded into a brown notebook by hand. Yes, I was that hand. At the end of every business day, I would take this blue biro and write in the notebook:
- 5 new screw bolts sold @50 each:250
- 10 brown ropes sold @20 each:200
It was laborious, back-breaking work and God help me if I misplaced that notebook. With automation, you can eliminate the need for hired help and use software to store that information in a way that makes sense to you.
You can increase your productivity by more than 70% if you automate these 3 areas in your business.
1. Automate your cash flow:
Cash flow is the life blood of any business and when cash flows stalls, your business gasps for air.
Automating your finances so you'll know when and where cash comes and goes in your business is one of the smartest and easiest ways to boost productivity.
Accounting software like Quickbook, Quicken and Mint are easy and comprehensive ways to organize your finances, business sales, profits, and recurrent expenditures. They point out to you which areas you'll need to adjust to optimize cash expenditure and boost profits.
2. Automate your business presence:
The business of the 21st century is online. If you are not on the internet, you do not exist. End of story.
It doesn't really matter if you make the best chocolate ice cream in Antarctica if people don't know you make ice cream. I remember an old saying: "If you make the best rat traps, people will come."
I say people will go to the second-best rat trap maker if they don't know where the best is.
Having a website has helped me locate numerous four-figure paying clients that using a non-digital method wouldn't have given me. A strong optimized website/blog with all the right keywords will get customers clicking furiously at their keyboard to have a taste of what you offer.
This is having the internet work for you and bringing business right to your doorstep. Just make sure you are accessible. Even better: Automate this process.
3. Automate your customer service:
Handling customer day to day requests is one of the most time-consuming aspects of doing business in any industry, but its importance can't be overlooked.
At first, I was handling and replying to every one of my freelance client requests. I regularly receive emails and correspondence from both old and new clients who need my help, so I can't afford to miss even a single message.
But I noticed I didn't have any free time to scout for more clients. With that realization, I knew I needed virtual assistants, so I outsourced my customer care requests to Conversational to free up more time to scout for new clients while knowing my calls and customer service duties were professionally handled.
Automating that area gave me more time to plan and acquire more clients from advertisements and SEO strategies.
You can do the same today. Follow the 80/20 Pareto principle. Focus on the core aspects that bring in the most income and automate the ones that don't.
Why do this? Automating your customer service gives you valuable time and head-space to brainstorm strategies for your business to make it bigger, better and more profitable.
By making processes that normally take up valuable time automatic, you save time and make your company that much more productive. These 3 areas can provide clear time-saving benefits when you choose to automate them.
What areas do you automate to save time and boost productivity?
Image Credit: HackMag