Business Automation - Work Smarter, Not Harder!
Busy, flustered, overwhelmed. If any of these words describe you, then it’s time to look at business automation software and see how it can give you back time and control.
Automation software such as Zapier is a valuable tool more and more SME’s are using to take back their valuable time so they can work on their business, rather than in it.
In this blog, we’ll explain what this software is and how it can help you work smarter, not harder!
Repetitive tasks are passion killers
One of the reasons we get into business ownership is passion, drive, and excitement. When you end up spending night after night at your computer sending out emails in response to new leads, or adding data repetitively to spreadsheets, that passion can wane.
We know how difficult it can be when you feel like your business is running you, rather than the other way round. Many SME’s become frustrated at the amount of time spent on repetitive tasks that take little skill or creativity.
Not only are actions time-consuming – they’re also really boring.
This is where a business automation platform steps in.
What does business automation do?
Once set up, this software automates any apps you use to carry out repetitive actions in your workflow such as responding to leads from Facebook ads or Mailchimp. Think of it as a project manager between your most-used apps: you tell it what to do in response to a trigger and it does it all for you. Forever.
Do you want to save all your Gmail attachments to Google Drive? Want Xero to create an invoice based on an email? Create a calendar event based on a date in an Excel Spreadsheet?
For small to medium businesses, software like this is a game changer.
Our favourite automation software is Zapier, but no matter which platform you choose, they all work similarly and are a breeze to use. They work with a comprehensive range of all your most commonly used apps such as:
HubSpot CRM
Squarespace
Gmail
Dropbox
Excel
Google sheets
Slack
In whatever way you use your apps, automation takes the hassle out of such tasks as:
Keeping track of scheduling appointments
Sending new leads personal messages
Notifying your team about new tasks
Adding important tasks to your to-do list
Sending emails
Updating spreadsheets
Wouldn’t you like to put all these tasks into the virtual hands of software? Image how much more productive you and your team could be when you can direct your time and skills into more creative avenues!
So, how does it work?
Once you’ve signed up with your choice of automation platform, you’ll be taken through a series of prompts that let you choose your workflow. You can either set up your own custom workflow or choose from a range of ready-made, popular workflow templates.
Then it’s a simple matter of choosing a common trigger or event and then you tell the software what you would normally do in response to the trigger, also known as an ‘action’.
Once set up, you can rely on the software to deal with all future triggers and actions in the same way, without you having to do anything. Not only does this tool give you more time to focus on your business, but it also improves efficiency by removing any room for human error.
Need more advice?
With any kind of software, there is a knack for making sure things work in the most efficient way possible. If you need advice on where to go from here to set up your own automated workflow come and talk to The Hourly team.
Helping New Zealand businesses grow is what drives us, and we’re dedicated to tailoring our services to help you streamline your processes.
Get in touch with us today and let us show you how business automation software can work for you.