Are you running a small business and want to scale your business further? Then, you need the help of automation. When you started your business with a single-digit employee count, you might have decided to split the work between yourselves and handle everything manually. But, once your business grows, you will feel the need to automate your business. Automating your business processes with the help of available tools will help in reducing errors and save your time from repetitive tasks.
The major business operations fall under any of the following categories – operations, marketing, sales, strategy, technology, and finance. These are some common processes every business requires to function properly. Each of these can be further broken down into several daily tasks. Choose the tools that suit your business needs and try using them over a period of time. You will experience a notable increase in overall productivity.
How To Automate Your Business?
Let’s start with this very basic question to understand the possibilities. To start with, the transition from manual to automated processes will not be a cakewalk for everyone. From workflow management to customer relationship tracking, modern business tools play a pivotal role in automating tasks, minimizing errors, and empowering teams to focus on high-value activities.
Many think a lot before deciding on a tool. To avoid confusion and take a firm decision that benefits your business, remember these simple tips:
- Identify the factors that made you think automation will help your business grow and note them down.
- Analyze your current business situation and foresee growth opportunities.
- Decide on a feasible budget you can allocate for automation at the moment.
- Think about whether it is the right time, and the degree of urgency based on the workload.
- Finally, note down the outputs you expect from the automation so that it will be easy for you to compare the results you get later.
Easy Ways To Automate Your Business
Any business will have an SOP, i.e Standard Operating Procedure which is a document that defines the directions for each business activity to be carried out on a daily basis. When your employees follow it with discipline, your business will be running in the right direction. From the procedure, you need to identify the areas that consume more time than required. Here we are going to discuss 5 simple and practical ways to use automation for your business growth.
- Prioritize The Areas To Automate
According to Deloitte, 73% of companies have started using automation software in their daily operations. Business Process Automation (BPA) automates the complex tasks that consume more time and are error-prone into simple ones with lesser manual input. Find out the processes that require automation for your business and set priorities. For example, if you need to reach more new customers or consistently follow up with the existing ones, you need an email marketing tool to run automated campaigns successfully. Chatbots in customer service, accounting, and payroll software, sales tracking tools, etc are some other widely used tools in the business.
- Think Like Your Customer
Step into your customer’s shoes and think about how you can ease the buying process. This will give you a clear picture of where your customers find it difficult or time-consuming while buying from you. Based on their feedback, find out the automation requirements. Always keep a balance between manual and automated tasks because ultimately you are selling to humans. Personalization is equally important, you can’t sound robotic to your customers and expect them to buy.
- Set Your Goals Clearly
Automation is not a separate entity, it needs to be easily integrated into your existing systems and scalable. Once you decide on automating your business, you should set clear goals. For example, your need to reach 1000 new customers in a quarter. The results may be more or less but your goal should be more specific. This way you can easily track your progress.
- Make Use Of Free Trials
Most automation tool companies are offering a free trial period of a minimum of 7 days to one month. If you have doubts about whether the tool will fulfill your business needs, a free trial is a boon for you. Make use of it and find out the advantages and drawbacks practically. If it ticks all the boxes in your checklist, then opt for the paid plan based on your budget and the features available. Go for a viable option like an annual subscription with an offer price.
- Document & Analyze The Results
Once you start using a tool, remember to track your usage and document the results. Compare them with your goals to find out whether you got desired results. Also, create a data report to predict future output. The tool should help in scaling your business. When you document your journey, it will be easy for you to foresee new opportunities.
Key Takeaways
Businesses, especially SMEs (Small & Medium Sized Enterprises) which are in the growth phase must need automation to scale their business further in today’s fast-paced business environment. The rising need for automation has increased the number of tools in the market too. Choose the best fit for your business from them. Businesses that automate nearly 40-50% of their processes are said to have achieved a notable improvement in their and business growth. Rely on the right tools, give adequate training to your staff, and get customer feedback on the buying process to ensure the smooth functioning of your business.
