As an entrepreneur (yes, even a casual one) there will come a time when you finally realize you cannot do everything by yourself. When you’re just starting out you “wear all the hats,” from customer service to scheduler to product creator to janitor! But as your business grows—along with increasing demands and responsibilities—it becomes obvious that the designation of “casual entrepreneur” no longer applies. It isn’t long before you’re feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, and possibly burnt out by burning the candle at both ends.
One of the best to get through the growing pains is with automation. Try to imagine a totally hands-off process that works for you even when you’re sipping margaritas on the beach or enjoying lunch with your best friend or taking your mother-in-law to the beauty salon (not that she needs it, of course… well, maybe laser hair-removal of her mustache).
But here’s an even better reason to automate (besides having free time to help your MIL become mustache free. In fact, she was beginning to look like your father-in-law… eek!); it lets you scale your business. The less manual work you have to do—like composing every email to potential clients, sending out newsletters, or posting daily on social media—the more time you’ll have to do the tasks that bring in money, such as networking, marketing, and client support.
There are many tasks that can be automated, and here are four ways to start:
Paid Traffic
Instead of chasing down organic traffic, invest in quality paid traffic. This will alleviate some of the stress of having to create brand new content all the time to speak to your current clients and customers… and help you bring in more first-timers. Why spend so much energy creating new content for your blog, other people’s blogs, and social media, when your current content can work more for you? You’ll be glad you did!
Email Funnels and Autoresponders
When a new subscriber joins your mailing list or someone buys your product or service, do they have to wait until you have time to contact them? Does someone sometimes get lost in the shuffle or slip through the cracks?
With an autoresponder you can:
- Welcome new subscribers.
- Help buyers with answers to FAQs so they know they’re in the right place.
- Make additional offers based on your customer’s purchasing history or interests.
Once your autoresponder is set up, it will continue to work even when you’re not available! (Like when you’re sipping margaritas at the salon with your MIL.)
Managing and Automating Social Media Posts
As an entrepreneur it’s important to maintain an active presence on social media and engage with your base. But that doesn’t mean you have to login to your Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts every day or even every week to post links to your latest YouTube video or article. There are several noteworthy free or inexpensive autoresponder services that can save you hours of time each month when you create and schedule posts in advance.
Calendar Management
An automated calendar is a necessity if you have client appointments, meetings, or interviews to manage. Rather than endless back-and-forth emails trying to find a mutually available time slot, simply send your calendar link and let your team, business partner, client, or just about anyone else schedule a time that works for them. The appointment automatically appears on your calendar.
There are so many options for automating every aspect of your business! As your clientele, audience, or customer base grows (and as technology advances), you’ll find new and better tools that will make your business run more efficiently. Implementing these four automations can alleviate some stress and free up more of your precious time. Your mother-in-law will thank you. And so will your father-in-law. He was getting a little concerned.