4 WAYS TO AUTOMATE YOUR BUSINESS + SAVE TIME
As a small business owner we are consistently wearing many hats, one second you're taking out the garbage, and the next second you are landing a 4 or 5 figure contract. That's just the way it goes.
But, there comes a time when it just feels impossible for us to keep up with everything there is to do, you often find yourself wondering how you can save time in your business. Today I am going to share with you how to automate your small business in 4 simple steps.
Before we dig in I want you to sit down and write out your entire process - this might seem daunting but I promise it is going to be worth it.
ASK YOURSELF WHAT THINGS YOU FIND YOURSELF DOING OVER AND OVER THAT YOU WISH YOU COULD AUTOMATE?
Application Process
When you incorporate an application process into your systems it can save you from going on dozens of sales calls with people who just aren't the right fit.
To save you time in your business, you should weed out these people before jumping on a call with them. This can be as simple as incorporating a short application or form into your process, but we want it to be strategic. What questions can you add to your application that are going to allow you to see if they are a good fit or not?
This is a form that you can easily have embedded on your website or a link that you can share. You can create a simple form in Google Forms or if you have a CRM system like HoneyBook or Dubsado you can also do it there.
2. On-boarding + Off-boarding Workflows
I have mentioned Dubsado and that is because this system has been such a huge part of how I automate my business since the beginning. Being able to create canned emails and workflows for my projects has been a huge timesaver in my business and I will always suggest a CRM system like Dubsado or HoneyBook.
I would be doing you a disservice if I told you that Dubsado has always been sunshine and rainbows for me because it was not. I hired a wonderful gal by the name of Charolette Issac to help me navigate the backend of Dubsado so that I could utilize it to the best of my ability and to be able to put my business on autopilot. Charlotte has laid out how to create your Dubsado workflow in 7 easy steps that you can read here.
If you are like me creating and sending emails is one of the things that was taking up so much of my time and now that I have my process set up in a workflow it has been a breeze and my clients love it too!
3. Scheduling
Have you ever found yourself going back and forth with someone trying to schedule a chat and it takes about 4-6 emails of back and forth before you find a time that best fits for both of you? Yeah, I know the feeling.
Investing in a scheduling system has saved my clients and me so much time. Calendly allows you to set up your calendar with the times you are available and supplies you with a link to easily send to clients. You can embed the link in canned emails during your on-boarding process, or even add it to your website.
It cuts out all of the back and forth and makes the scheduling process seamless. I'm even able to integrate Zoom within Calendly so that when my clients schedule it automatically gives them a zoom link for our call. You also have the option to send reminder emails and texts so no more of people forgetting or not showing up to calls.
4. Email Sequences
If you have an email list and you don't have an email sequence set up then this one is for you. At the beginning of this year, we switched from MailChimp to Flodesk for the simple fact of wanting to send more appealing emails, we are a branding studio after all.
Not only does Flodesk have the most beautiful templates they also allow for you to set up workflows. WHATTT!. Yes! If you are wondering how to automate your business and take anything away from this it should be to set up email workflows or funnels.
I am guessing a lot of the people on your email list came from downloading a freebie, am I right? But after that freebie what happened? Did you ever send them anything else or just let that potential lead go?
Flodesk allows you to create nurture sequences so that you can ensure that you are following up with those leads and you get to put that on autopilot! Want to give Flodesk a try? Use this code to get 50% off of your monthly subscription, forever.
If you are wondering how you can save time in your business, automation is going to be your answer.
It will take you to take to set things processes up and test them out but once you do you are going to be able to spend more time doing the things that you love in your business while still taking care of your clients and nurturing your leads.
HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT OTHER THINGS THAT YOU CAN AUTOMATE IN YOUR BUSINESS? DROP THEM IN THE COMMENTS BOX BELOW AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM!