Automation is a beautiful thing! If you’re like me you love technology. A couple of my favorite technology pieces are Evernote and SaneBox. I have some others too. We all have our gadgets that we like that help us do certain things and we have to consciously choose things to support us. Getting things done doesn’t have to be tedious and difficult. You don’t have to struggle. At times there’s a hesitation because people find technology cumbersome or they’re intimated by it. That doesn’t mean that you have to avoid technology. When you do, essentially you avoid efficiency.
Systems in your business can make a big difference for you and your team on a daily basis. I know that some people get uncomfortable when they hear the word “system”. That’s either because they think it has to be complicated, or that it involved a lot of things and they make up that they’re hard to establish.
A system has 3 components: tools, processes and people. Really simple. All you have to do is the research, homework and testing to determine those components for each of the systems your business needs. Right now ask yourself what systems you need to put in place. Any business should have systems for contact management, communications, marketing, social media, project management, and accounting. That last one is one that you would think everyone would have in place, but I’m here to tell you it’s not. I’ve seen it time and time again and people are losing money because of it.
Look at the things that you do on a regular basis and determine which tasks can be automated to streamline and save time, then look for tools that can serve you and learn how they work to see if they’re a fit for you. Create the remaining system pieces and implement the systems.
Secondly, delegate what you don’t have to do. In other words if the task isn’t something directly related to generating income, delegate it. If it doesn’t require your specific expertise, let it go. That may be hard for some, I know, but it’s necessary. When you delegate and let go of the things that you don’t have to be the one to do, you create the space for more things that generate revenue for you. That’s how you automate and delegate! The most important thing is doing your homework for the tools, and investing time to find the person you can delegate to.