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Jan 07 2020

Efficiency is the Key to a Stress-Free Business

Who doesn’t love automation? Shopping carts and membership sites automate your sales and content delivery. Email autoresponders automate relationship building. And calendar apps automate your schedule, putting an end to the frustrating back and forth of setting appointments.

Not only does automation save you time, but it helps ensure quality and consistency as well. Just imagine how confusing it would be to your customers if you didn’t have a shopping cart, but instead sent them an invoice for every purchase, and each invoice was a different cost. Or what if your 16-week group coaching course sometimes arrived by email, and sometimes in your Facebook group, and sometimes not at all?

Now, these might seem like silly, over-the-top examples, but this is why automation tools exist—to keep everything running smoothly and as expected.

Can you automate everything? No. But you can implement this same level of efficiency and consistency by creating systems and workflows.

Document Everything

What would happen if your project manager or executive VA were no longer able to work? Could you easily (and quickly) train someone else to take over? For too many small business owners, the answer to that question is a definitive NO.

When all the instructions for completing a task reside only in one person’s head, you’ve set yourself up for catastrophe. Sure, in the event that someone becomes ill or wins the lottery, you would probably recover, but how long would that take?

Rather than risk struggling with logins and procedures, make it a point to document every task in your business, from how you manage your email to how a new product is launched. That way, if your best VA decides to elope with her Prince Charming, another team member can step in and cover for her.

Seek Out More Efficient Systems

Just because grandma always kneaded her bread by hand doesn’t mean that’s still the best way to do things today. Now that new stand mixer takes all the work out of bread making, while still keeping the flavor in.

Where can you make your business more efficient, while still keeping the personality and brand your clients love and trust?

Consider:

  • A hosted help desk solution with “canned responses” to the most common questions. Click a button and answer in seconds instead of typing out a 3-paragraph response.
  • Document templates ensure everything is formatted in a way that matches your brand, and will save you hours on every worksheet, resource guide, and even sales pages and blog posts.
  • Duplicate your repeatable projects inside your project management system, change the dates and key details, and instead of spending 30 minutes assigning tasks to your team, you’ll spend 30 seconds.

It might also be time to upgrade your tools, if what you’re using is no longer as efficient as it could be. For example, if your autoresponder can’t move customers from one email funnel to another based on their behavior, you’re missing out on sales. Consider upgrading to Active Campaign, Ontraport or even Infusionsoft to make your sales process more automated.

Take a look at your business and the tasks you and your team perform every day. Where can you be more efficient? What tools would help you maximize your time? Making changes in these areas will add hours to your day, and greatly reduce your overwhelm and stress levels as well.

Written by Paul · Categorized: Business Building

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Aletha McManama says

    January 7, 2020 at 5:22 pm

    Take it from someone who leaves and breathes automation and setting up systems, it has saved me many, many hours of time so it allows me to focus on the sales side of my business. I use Google Docs to document processes with clients. I also use GD to capture email templates I can copy/paste when I’m in a pinch and need to send something out. Great article, Paul!

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 7, 2020 at 5:24 pm

      I started to use Google Docs so I have access to them wherever I go! That has branched out to so many other uses!

      Reply
  2. Lily Leung says

    January 7, 2020 at 6:13 pm

    I still knead my dough by hand. I’m a bit of a dinosour. 🙂 I do need to upgrade my tools to be more efficient. I don’t have a business but your article is still helpful. I need to upgrade/change my thinking, too.

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 8, 2020 at 7:58 am

      Just because something CAN be automated does not mean it HAS TO. Knead bread is a perfect example – if you find joy in doing that activity, no need to take that away from you!

      Reply
  3. Denise says

    January 7, 2020 at 9:07 pm

    such great pointers – thanks!

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 8, 2020 at 7:57 am

      Thanks!

      Reply

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